What are Boils?
A boil is a red, swollen, painful bump under the skin. It often looks like an overgrown pimple. Boils are often caused by infected hair follicles. Bacteria from the infection form an abscess, or pocket of pus. A boil can become large and cause severe pain. Boils most often happen where there is hair and rubbing. The face, neck, armpits, breasts, groin, and buttocks are common sites. How do you treat a boil? You can sometimes care for a boil at home. • Do not squeeze, scratch, drain, or open the boil. Squeezing can push the infection deeper into the skin. • Gently wash the area with soap and water 2 times a day. Dry it well. • Put warm, wet cloths on the boil for 20 to 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. Do this as soon as you notice a boil. The heat and moisture can help the boil to open and drain, but it may take 5 to 7 days. A warm compress or waterproof heating pad placed over a damp towel may also help. • Keep using heat for 3 days after the boil opens. Put a bandage on it so the drain
Bacterial infections, or the inflammation of one or more hair follicles, can result in the formation of a boil. They are usually painful and can be quite distressing, especially if they are recurring. A boil generally starts off as an inconspicuous pink and tender bump localized to one area. This soon develops into a firm, hard, inflamed lump that is filled with bacteria-fighting white blood cells and dead skin tissue (pus). The affected area usually gets larger and more painful until the boil bursts and the pus is able to drain. While some boils disappear within a few days, many can take up to two weeks to heal, which can be very painful and frustrating.
Boils (a type of skin abscess) are inflamed and pus-filled areas of skin that look like oversized pimples. The medical name for a boil is a furuncle, and a carbuncle is the term given to a cluster of boils. Boils are usually caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria infecting one or more hair follicles. They may be accompanied by fever or chills. A boil generally starts as a reddened, tender area that becomes firm and hard over time. Eventually, the centre of the boil softens and becomes filled with pus that finally ‘forms a head’ and drains out through the skin. Boils are painful and can develop anywhere on the body, but often in areas like the armpits, buttocks, face, genitals, and neck. Other types of skin abscesses • Cystic acne — this type of abscess forms when the oil ducts in the skin become clogged, causing infection. This is commonly seen in adolescents. • Hidradenitis suppurativa — this is a condition where multiple abscesses form under the armpits or groin area and is gen
A boil is an infection of the skin, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (commonly known as golden staph). Many healthy people carry these bacteria on their skin or in their nose, but do not get infections. Boils occur when bacteria get through broken skin and causes tender, swollen sores, which are full of pus. Other skin infections such as impetigo may be caused by staph bacteria. Impetigo, commonly known as school sores (as they affect school-age children), are small blisters or flat crusty sores on the skin. When the blisters rupture they release a yellow fluid and develop honey-coloured crusts.
A boil could be forming under your skin if you see a red, swelling area of skin that itches and is slightly painful. Within the next 24 hours is will get really red, really painful and fill up with pus. Boils are most common on the neck, face, scalp, rear end and underarms. Sometimes a boil’s bacteria can spread to a lymph node that is nearby. If there is a boil on the neck, check the lymph glands for swelling and tenderness. A doctor’s check up is needed in this case. When a person gets a series of many boils, it is also wise to have a Doctor’s check up to see if there is any internal problems being brought out in the skin. Look for signs of fever and lethargy when you have a boil to determine if you need to go to a doctor. If the boil you have is just an ordinary boil, like most are, then leave it alone. Do not squeeze or puncture it in any way. You can spread the staphylococcus infection around and get more boils. Do not cover a boil with Band-Aids. You can apply a warm wash cloth t
