Boils - Symptom, Causes & Treatment

What is Boils?

Boils are painful swellings of the skin caused by deep skin infection with bacteria. A boil is a deep form of bacterial folliculitis. Boils usually start as red, tender lumps. The lumps quickly fill with pus, growing larger and more painful until they rupture and drain. Boils begin as red, tender swellings, which may later ooze pus.

Boils can occur anywhere on your skin, but appear mainly on your face, neck, armpits, buttocks or thighs - hair-bearing areas where you're most likely to sweat or experience friction. Causes fo boils are not known, but it is estimated that 10- 20% of the population are Staph. carriers.

Types of Boils

Furuncle or carbuncle - This is an abscess in the skin caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. A furuncle can have one or more openings onto the skin and may be associated with a fever or chills.

Cystic acne - This is a type of abscess that is formed when oil ducts become clogged and infected. Cystic acne affects deeper skin tissue that the more superficial inflammation from common acne. Cystic acne is most common on the face and typically occurs in the teenage years.

Hidradenitis suppurativa - This is a condition in which there are multiple abscesses that form under the arm pits and often in the groin area. These areas are a result of local inflammation of the sweat glands. This form of skin infection is difficult to treat with antibiotics alone and typically requires a surgical procedure to remove the involved sweat glands in order to stop the skin inflammation.

Pilonidal cyst - This is a unique kind of abscess that occurs in the crease of the buttocks. Pilonidal cysts often begin as tiny areas of infection in the base of the area of skin from which hair grows (the hair follicle). With irritation from direct pressure over time the inflamed area enlarges to become a firm, painful, tender nodule making it difficult to sit without discomfort. These frequently form after long trips that involve prolonged sitting.

Causes of Boils

Some common causes are:

• Ingrown hair.
• Splinter or other foreign material that has become lodged in the skin.
• Plugged sweat glands that become infected.
• Result of a splinter or other foreign material that gets lodged in the skin.

Symptoms of Boils

A boil starts as a hard, red, painful lump usually less than an inch in size. Over the next few days, the lump becomes softer, larger, and more painful. Soon a pocket of pus forms on the top of the boil. These are the signs of a severe infection:

• The skin around the boil becomes infected. It turns red, painful, warm, and swollen.
• More boils may appear around the original one.
• A fever develops.
• Lymph nodes become swollen.

Diagnosis of Boils

Doctors usually diagnose a boil simply by looking at your skin, but sometimes they take a sample of pus to check for the bacteria it contains. If you have recurring infections, you may be tested for diabetes or other illnesses that weaken your immune system.

Treatment of Boils

It is important to treat the boil immediately. Complications can set in if left untreated. Boils are extremely contagious. If the pus leaks from the boil it can spread to nearby skin and cause more boils to form. The pus can also enter the blood stream and spread the infection to other parts of your body.

We have been recommending a treatment for several years now. It is all natural, and many people see dramatic improvement in as little as 24 hours. That treatment is Bexatrol. Follow this link for more information about Bexatrol, and how it can help you.

Please do not delay treating your skin boils. If you delay treatment and an infection sets in, you will then need to get an antibiotic.

Preventions tips for Boils

Thoroughly clean even small cuts and scrapes - Wash well with soap and water and apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment.

Avoid constricting clothing - Tight clothes may be stylish, but make sure they don't chafe your skin.