Exact cause of Pilonidal Sinus is not yet understood and a lot of healthcare personnel are working to understand pilonidal sinus in a better way. If you are suffering from Pilonidal Sinus then you may be looking why you got this problem? Here, we’ll try to understand the causes of pilonidal sinus. Out of many theories we’ll list most commonly believed causes of Pilonidal Sinus.

Main Pilonidal Sinus Causes

  • 01

    Excessive hair on the body especially at lower back

  • 02

    Activities involving too much sitting (like long journeys)

  • 03

    Occupational causes (common in drivers and IT professionals)

  • 04

    Sedentary lifestyle (Lack of exercise and less nutritious diet)

  • 05

    Poor hygiene

  • 06

    Overweight, obesity and high blood sugar

  • 07

    Hormonal Changes

RISK FACTORS

You are susceptible to develop pilonidal sinus

  • If you are a male gender Males are more prone to get pilonidal sinus. It does not mean that females cannot get pilonidal sinus. The reason may be that female hair are often softer.
  • If you are younger in age Pilonidal sinus is most common in people in their 20’s and are rarely seen after 40 years of age. Reason unknown.
  • If you are obese Obese and overweight people more prone to get this condition. These people have more fatty pads to let the infection spread.
  • If you follow an inactive lifestyle Leading a sedentary lifestyle without much exercise and taking too much of fast foods may aid in the development of pilonidal sinus.
  • If you have certain occupation Jobs that require prolonged sitting often results in development of pilonidal sinus. Spending lots of time sitting down on chair at office or too much driving is harmful. This is why is is common in cab drivers, truck drivers, IT professionals and tailors.
  • If you have excess body hair People having too much body hair are prone to pilonidal sinus. They may get ingrown hair or loose hair may get entrapped at the creases between the buttocks which may result in pilonidal sinus development.
  • If you have stiff or coarse hair A few of us have thick and hard hair. These may cause ingrown hair and development of abscesses which may later turn into pilonidal sinus.
  • If you have a history of previous injury Any previous injury at lower back may cause development of wound. If hair get entrapped in this wound it may later present as pilonidal sinus.
  • If you have a family history of pilonidal sinus Although Pilonidal Sinus is NOT contagious but if anyone is having pilonidal sinus in your family start taking measures to prevent pilonidal sinus. It has been observed in many cases that if you have a family history of pilonidal sinus then you may also develop it. Reasons are unknown.
  • If you maintain poor hygiene Frequent irritation of the skin because of driving, itching, synthetic clothes, too much of sweating etc. help in development of infection at lower back.