Boil is an infection of the skin that initially starts as a red-colored, tender area that becomes firm, hard and becoming more tender. The middle part of the boil will become soft and filled with white blood cells from the bloodstream to destroy the infection and finally it turns into pus which is the collection of white blood cells, bacteria and proteins.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqnqMCM71FM” width=”220″]This pus will form a head which can be opened by surgery and drained out via the skin surface. The tissue that encloses the pus is called an abscess. Boils can develop on any part in the body such as the extremities, buttocks, trunk and also some parts of the body.
What are the common types of boils
Furuncle is best described as an eruption in the skin instigated by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus that makes one or more openings in the skin. The person has fever orchilis. It is type of boil that happens in the hair follicles.
Cystic acne is best described as a type of abscess that forms when the oil ducts are clogged and are infected and affects the deeper tissues of the skin which usually occurs in the face.
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a condition where there are multiple abscesses forming under the armpits and sometimes in the groin area. These abscesses are the cause of the inflammation of the sweat glands.
What causes a boil?
Boils can be triggered by an impacted hair and others can form because of a fragment or other foreign materials that was embedded in the skin. Acne boils are caused by a sweat pore that has become infected.
A cut or a scrape in the skin can also lead to the formation of a boil. It is important to observe proper wound care to prevent infection from developing.
Treatment and home remedies for boils
The basic remedy for some boils involves soaking in hot water or applying hot compress. Hot compress increases the circulation of the affected area and helps the body fight off infections by using the antibodies and white blood cells to the affected area. By enrolling in a course on first aid, you will learn how to properly manage this condition.
Once the boil is soft or “forms a head” or there is already the presence of pus, it is ready to be drained, and when it is already drained, the pain is minimized. It is best to consult a doctor so that drainage can be carried out.
Boils found around the hair follicles can drain on their own by soaking in hot water.
For larger boils, it will need medical care since these boils contain a number of pockets that contain pus that needs to be incised and drained by a healthcare professional.
In some cases, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics to help eliminate a bacterial infection in cases when there is infection that surrounds the skin.