Boils information , Boil info

Boils

Introduction

A boil is an inflamed, pus-filled swelling usually caused by an infected hair follicle (a follicle is the root of a hair). Any hair follicle can become infected, so this includes eyelashes too (a boil in an eyelash follicle is called a stye).

The most common cause of infection are germs called staphylococci. These germs already exist on the skin and in the nose of some people without causing any problems.

Often, several or many boils may develop together. This is known as folliculitis.

Boils often occur in places where clothing catches on the skin, where the body rubs against itself, or where the skin is sweaty. For example:

on the neck,
under the armpits,
in the groin, or
between the buttocks.

Symptoms

You can normally diagnose a boil yourself. It is often a small swelling, larger than an ordinary spot. It will be raised, red and angry looking. It will often have a yellow head caused by pus near the surface of the inflamed and stretched skin.

Boils tend to get larger and more painful over a few days, before bursting and releasing the pus. This usually eases the pain, although a small scar may be left at the site of the boil.

Causes

Boils are often caused by a lowered immune system. This can be the result of some long-term diseases like diabetes, or just through tiredness, overworking, poor diet or lack of exercise.

Boils can occur at any age but they are more common in teenagers and young adults. You are more likely to get boils if you have a skin condition that makes you scratch and damage the skin (for example, eczema), you are obese, or you are a carrier of Staphylococcus bacteria.

Boils often occur in parts of the body where there is a lot of rubbing, or where the skin is sweaty, such as the neck, buttocks, groin and armpits.

Because a boil is caused by a high local concentration of staphylococci (a lot of bacteria in one place), boils often occur in crops in the same general area. Several connected boils are known as a carbuncle.

Treatment

The best way to deal with boils is to prevent them occurring. Avoid getting tired and run down and make sure you eat a healthy, balanced diet. Drink plenty of water (around two litres per day), don't drink too much alcohol and take some exercise.

If you have a long-term condition that affects your immune system, then it's important to make even more effort to keep healthy.

If you do get a boil, then you should:

Keep the area around it clean, preferably using an antiseptic soap.
Soak a clean cloth in warm salty water (mix a couple of spoonfuls of salt in a bowl of water) and press it against boil, gently squeezing at the same time.
Do not 'lance' (pierce) the boil and squeeze out the pus as this can spread the germs more widely and cause more boils.
If the boil does not start to heal within a few days, then make an appointment to see your GP.

If you have a very large boil or carbuncle, you may need to see your GP for treatment. They may use a needle and syringe to drain the pus out. Sometimes a small cut in the skin is needed to let out the pus.

In some cases a course of antibiotics is prescribed to help clear infection from the skin.

Complications

Carbuncles. (large, multiple boils) can sometimes cause problems. Starting off as a smooth dome shaped lesion (area of abnormal tissue), carbuncles develop into painful swellings that may release pus from different parts. This spreads a large amount of bacteria onto the skin and increases the risk of infection getting into the bloodstream. If this happens, serious infections affecting other organs can develop.

Prevention

If you have a boil and want to avoid several others growing, it's important to prevent the infection from spreading. Wash the area around the boil thoroughly and often, preferably with antiseptic soap.

Information about Boils.