I had been at the library (I’m a student) for prolonged periods of time (over 8 hours at a time, usually repeated for a few days straight), most likely sitting improperly as I scrambled to get final papers in. My tailbone began to hurt after a day or so of this, and I had noticed blood when I wiped. I played this off as a cut or something, but as I continued my stints in the library, the pain became much worse. I couldn’t sit, and walking started to hurt. I applied polysporin and hydrogen peroxide to keep the “cut” clean, but that didn’t work.
After four days, the cut started to puss, and that’s when I knew I had to get it checked out. I went to a physician and the immediate diagnosis was a pilonidal cyst that was self-draining. I’m on antibiotics as we speak, and frequently dressing the opening with hydrogen peroxide, polysporin and bandages. The pain has subsided greatly in just over 36 hours, and I’m guessing it’s because the cyst has drained (or is almost through draining).
My guess is that, as a result of sitting improperly for prolonged periods of time, the pores where the cyst formed were stretched, allowing a whole host of unwanted matter to get into them. The result was a pilonidal cyst.
So, all you students, take it from me: Sitting properly is worth it, and pilonidal cysts suck.