What are the common side effects of boils on the skin. How can you identify different types of skin infections. What causes boils and how can they be treated effectively. When should you seek medical attention for a boil.

What Are Boils and How Do They Affect the Skin?

Boils, also known as skin abscesses, are painful infections that develop in hair follicles and surrounding skin. These common skin conditions typically begin as red lumps and gradually fill with pus as the body’s immune response kicks in. While often manageable with proper home care, some cases may require medical attention, especially when they occur in sensitive areas or resist treatment.

The size of boils can vary significantly:

• Most start small, around the size of a pea
• Some can grow to the size of a golf ball

Common symptoms of boils include:

• Swelling and redness around the affected area
• Pain and tenderness
• A white or yellow center as pus accumulates
• Oozing or crusting as the boil drains

In some cases, individuals may experience systemic symptoms such as fatigue or fever, which warrant medical attention.

Where Do Boils Commonly Occur on the Body?

Boils can develop on various parts of the body, but certain areas are more susceptible due to their environment or function. Common locations include:

• Face and neck
• Armpits
• Shoulders and back
• Buttocks
• Inner thighs

These areas are often prone to boils due to factors such as hair growth, sweat production, and friction. Additionally, boils may form near the ears or nose, areas that can be particularly sensitive and require careful treatment.

What Causes Boils to Develop?

Understanding the root causes of boils is crucial for prevention and treatment. The primary culprit behind most boils is Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that many people carry on their skin or in their nasal passages without issue. However, when these bacteria enter the body through a break in the skin, they can trigger an infection.

Common ways bacteria enter the skin include:

• Cuts or scrapes
• Splinters
• Clogged pores

In some cases, boils associated with acne develop from clogged pores that become infected. This highlights the importance of maintaining good skin hygiene to prevent bacterial entry and subsequent infection.

The Role of MRSA in Skin Infections

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a particular strain of staph bacteria that has developed resistance to many common antibiotics. MRSA infections can resemble ordinary boils, presenting as red, swollen, pus-filled, and tender areas on the skin. However, their resistance to antibiotics makes them potentially more dangerous and difficult to treat.

If a skin infection doesn’t improve after 2-3 days of antibiotic treatment or spreads rapidly, MRSA may be suspected. Prompt and appropriate treatment is crucial to prevent the infection from deepening or spreading to other parts of the body.

How Do Boils Spread and Can They Be Contagious?

While boils themselves are not directly contagious, the bacteria causing them can spread easily through skin-to-skin contact or contact with contaminated objects. To minimize the risk of spreading staph bacteria:

• Avoid sharing personal items like towels, bedding, or sports equipment
• Refrain from touching the boil
• Keep the affected area covered
• Practice frequent hand washing

These precautions are particularly important when living or working in close quarters with others, as they help prevent the spread of bacteria that could lead to infections in individuals with compromised skin barriers.

What Are Different Types of Skin Infections Related to Boils?

Several skin conditions are closely related to or can develop into boils. Understanding these conditions can help in early identification and appropriate treatment.

Folliculitis: The Precursor to Boils

Folliculitis is an inflammation or infection of hair follicles that can potentially progress to boils. It presents as tiny pimples with whiteheads around individual hairs, often accompanied by redness. While typically less painful and superficial compared to boils, folliculitis can be uncomfortable and itchy.

Common causes of folliculitis include:

• Shaving irritation
• Friction from tight clothing
• Bacterial infiltration of the skin

Carbuncles: When Boils Converge

A carbuncle forms when multiple boils develop close together and join beneath the skin. These infections tend to be deeper and more severe than individual boils, often taking longer to heal. Carbuncles are most commonly found on the back and neck but can occur anywhere on the body. Interestingly, men are more prone to developing carbuncles than women.

Cystic Acne: Deep Skin Abscesses

Cystic acne is a severe form of acne that results in deep, painful cysts. These skin abscesses form when oil and dead skin cells clog hair follicles, creating an environment where bacteria thrive. Unlike regular acne, cystic acne affects deeper layers of skin tissue, leading to firm, painful bumps most commonly found on the face and shoulders. This condition typically emerges during teenage years but can persist into adulthood.

What Is Hidradenitis Suppurativa and How Does It Relate to Boils?

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic condition characterized by recurring lumps and pus-filled abscesses in specific areas of the body. This condition begins in sweat glands and hair follicles that become blocked, leading to infection. Common sites for hidradenitis suppurativa include:

• Armpits
• Groin area
• Under the breasts
• Buttocks

While mild cases may respond to home care, more severe or recurring instances often require medical intervention. Various drugs and treatments are available to manage this challenging condition and improve quality of life for those affected.

What Are Pilonidal Abscesses and How Do They Differ from Regular Boils?

Pilonidal abscesses are a specific type of skin infection that occurs in the crease just above the buttocks. These abscesses are believed to be related to hair growth in the area, with several contributing factors:

• Irritation from prolonged sitting
• Pressure on the affected area
• Ingrown hairs

Some individuals are born with a “pilonidal dimple,” a small indentation in the skin that can increase the risk of developing these infections. When a cyst in this area becomes inflamed and infected, it transforms into a pilonidal abscess, which can be quite painful and may require medical intervention.

Styes: Boils of the Eyelid

A stye, often referred to as a “stye on the eye,” is essentially a boil that develops on the eyelid. Like other boils, styes are typically caused by staph bacteria and begin in the follicle of an eyelash. Symptoms of a stye include:

• Redness and warmth around the affected area
• Swelling of the eyelid
• Discomfort or pain

It’s important to note that styes can sometimes be confused with chalazia, which are also lumps on the eyelid but are usually painless and result from blocked oil glands rather than bacterial infections.

Who Is at Risk for Developing Boils?

While anyone can develop a boil, certain factors can increase the risk of these skin infections. Understanding these risk factors can help individuals take appropriate preventive measures.

Factors that may increase the likelihood of developing boils include:

• Close contact with infected individuals
• Skin conditions like acne or eczema that compromise skin integrity
• Diabetes, which can affect the body’s ability to fight infections
• A weakened immune system due to illness or medication

Individuals with these risk factors should be particularly vigilant about skin hygiene and promptly addressing any signs of skin irritation or infection.

How Can Boils Be Treated Effectively?

Most boils can be effectively managed with proper home care. The primary goal of treatment is to encourage the boil to open and drain, which allows the infection to clear. Here are some steps for treating boils at home:

1. Apply warm, moist compresses to the affected area several times a day. This helps draw the pus to the surface and promote drainage.
2. Once the boil begins to drain, keep the area clean to prevent further infection.
3. Continue using warm compresses, ensuring to use a clean one each time.
4. Change bandages frequently and wash hands thoroughly before and after treating the boil.

It’s crucial to avoid squeezing or attempting to pop the boil, as this can push the infection deeper into the skin or spread it to other areas.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Boils

While many boils can be treated at home, certain situations warrant professional medical care:

• The boil is on the face, spine, or near the anus
• The boil is large, extremely painful, or accompanied by a fever
• The infection shows signs of spreading or doesn’t improve after a few days of home treatment
• You have a medical condition that compromises your immune system

In these cases, a healthcare provider may need to lance and drain the boil or prescribe antibiotics to combat the infection effectively.

Understanding boils, their causes, and proper treatment methods is essential for maintaining skin health and preventing more serious complications. By recognizing the signs of boils and related skin infections, individuals can take prompt action to address these conditions and seek medical attention when necessary. Remember, good hygiene practices and early intervention are key to managing and preventing skin infections effectively.

Pictures on Skin, Causes, and Treatment

Medically Reviewed by Dany Paul Baby, MD on June 26, 2022

A boil is a common, painful infection of a hair follicle and the surrounding skin. It begins as a red lump, then fills with pus as white blood cells rush in to fight the infection. Good home care can often clear up a single boil, also known as a skin abscess. A doctor’s care is needed when a boil resists treatment or develops in certain vulnerable areas of the body.

Boils are usually pea-sized, but can grow as large as a golf ball. Symptoms can include:

• Swelling, redness, and pain
• A white or yellow center or tip
• Weeping, oozing, or crusting

You may also have a general feeling of ill health, fatigue, or a fever, which is reason to call a doctor.

Boils can form anywhere on the body, but they’re most common on the face, neck, armpits, shoulders, back, and buttocks. Hairy, sweaty areas are typical sites, as well as areas of friction, such as the inner thighs. Boils can also develop around the ear or near the nose. The pain often worsens as pus collects under the skin, then eases as fluids begin to drain.

Most boils are caused by staph bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), which many healthy people carry on their skin or in their noses without a problem. When a scrape, cut, or splinter breaks the skin, the bacteria can enter a hair follicle and start an infection. Others boils, such as those associated with acne, develop from clogged pores that become infected.

MRSA can look exactly like an ordinary boil: red, swollen, pus-filled, and tender. But MRSA infections are caused by one particular type of staph that is resistant to many antibiotics. If a skin infection spreads or doesn’t improve after 2-3 days of antibiotics, your doctor may suspect MRSA. The right treatment given promptly is important to heal a MRSA infection and prevent a deeper, more dangerous infection.

Not exactly, but the germs that cause boils (staph) are easily spread through skin-to-skin contact and contaminated objects. These bacteria usually do no harm unless they find a break in the skin. To avoid spreading staph, don’t share towels, bedding, clothes, or sports gear while you have a boil. Avoid touching the boil, and keep it covered. Frequent hand washing can also help prevent spreading the bacteria.

Folliculitis is an inflammation or infection of the hair follicles that can develop into a boil. Tiny pimples with whiteheads appear around individual hairs, sometimes surrounded by red skin. It can be itchy, tender, and uncomfortable, but is typically not as painful or deep as a boil. Shaving or friction from tight clothing can let staph bacteria slip under the skin — the most common cause of both folliculitis and boils.

When several boils form close together and join beneath the skin, it’s called a carbuncle. They are most commonly found on the back and the neck but can develop anywhere. Men are more likely to develop carbuncles than women. A carbuncle tends to lie deeper beneath the skin than a boil and can take longer to heal.

Cystic acne is a type of skin abscess that forms when oil and dead skin cells clog a hair follicle, creating a place where bacteria grow and thrive. It affects deeper skin tissue than regular acne, leading to firm, painful cysts. It’s most commonly on the face and shoulders and typically occurs in the teenage years.

When lumps and pus-filled abscesses repeatedly develop in these areas of the body, it may be a chronic condition called hidradenitis suppurativa. Infection starts in sweat glands and hair follicles that become blocked. Mild cases heal with home care. Several drugs and treatments are available for more serious and recurring cases.

When a boil forms in the skin just above the buttocks crease, it may be a pilonidal abscess. Hair is believed to play a role, and irritation, pressure, and prolonged sitting may also contribute to the development of a cyst here. If a cyst becomes inflamed and infected, it becomes an abscess. Some children are born with a “pilonidal dimple” where infections can crop up. Signs of infection require a doctor’s attention.

The familiar “stye on the eye” is a boil, usually caused by staph bacteria. It starts in the follicle of an eyelash and may be red, warm, swollen, and uncomfortable. A stye is sometimes confused with a chalazion, which is also a lump on the eyelid, but a chalazion is usually painless and is caused by a blocked oil gland, not an infection.

Anyone can develop a boil. The risk increases with:

• Close contact with an infected person
• Acne, eczema, or other causes of breaks in the skin
• Diabetes
• A weakened immune system

You can take care of most boils at home. Apply warm, moist compresses several times a day to help a boil open and drain. After it starts draining, keep it clean, and continue using warm compresses — a clean one every time. Change the bandage often and wash hands well. Resist the urge to squeeze or pop the boil. This can make the infection worse.

If a boil doesn’t heal after a week of home care, call your doctor. Other reasons to call include:

• A boil on the face or spine
• A fever or red streaks coming from the sore
• A very large or painful boil
• A boil that keeps coming back

If the fluid inside a boil doesn’t drain by itself, your doctor may prick the top of the sore with a sterile instrument to be sure it drains completely. A deep infection may be packed with sterile gauze so it continues to drain. Antibiotics and steroid shots are sometimes given to help with healing.

For some people, boils are a recurring problem. In addition to standard treatment, your doctor may try to eliminate or reduce staph bacteria throughout the body. This can include any or all of the following treatments: washing up with a special antiseptic soap, using an antibiotic ointment inside the nose, or, if necessary, 1-2 months of antibiotics taken by mouth.

Most boils heal with home treatment or a doctor’s visit. Sores on the face may require antibiotics because they’re so close to the eyes and brain. Rarely, the staph bacteria from a boil or carbuncle can get into the bloodstream, which can then affect the heart and other internal organs.

Since bacteria are everywhere in our environments and on many people’s skin, the best defense against boils includes:

• Hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Careful cleaning of cuts, scrapes, and other wounds
• Keeping wounds covered
• Not sharing towels, sheets, razors, etc.

Wash towels, sheets, and anything else in contact with an infected area in very hot water. Throw away any wound dressings in a tightly sealed bag.

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REFERENCES:

Nemours Foundation: “Staph Infections.”

Skinsight.com: “MRSA.”

University of Chicago Medical Center: “MRSA FAQ.”

Merck Manual of Medical Information, 2nd Home Edition: “Folliculitis and Skin Abscesses.”

NIH Genetics Home Reference: “Hidradenitis Suppurativa.”

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation: “What is Hidradenitis Suppurativa?”

American Academy of Ophthalmology: “What Are Chalazia and Styes?”

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Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Surgery

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Causes a Pilonidal Cyst?
• Symptoms
• When Should I Call a Doctor?
• Diagnosis
• What Can I Do to Feel Better?
• Treatments
• After Surgery
• More

There’s a type of cyst you can get at the bottom of your tailbone, or coccyx. It’s called a pilonidal cyst, and it can become infected and filled with pus. Once infected, the technical term is “pilonidal abscess,” and it can be painful.

It looks like a large pimple at the bottom of your tailbone. It is more common in men than in women. It usually happens more often in younger people.

People who sit a lot, such as truck drivers, have a higher chance of getting one.

They can be treated. If your cyst becomes a problem, your doctor can drain it or take it out through surgery.

Most doctors think that ingrown hairs are the reason for many of them. Pilonidal means “nest of hair,” and doctors sometimes find hair follicles inside the cyst.

Another theory is that pilonidal cysts appear after a trauma to that region of your body.

During World War II, more than 80,000 soldiers got pilonidal cysts that put them in the hospital. People thought they were because of irritation from riding in bumpy Jeeps. For a while, the condition was called “Jeep disease. “

You might be more likely to get one if you were born with a small dimple in the skin between your buttocks. This dimple can tend to get infected, though doctors aren’t exactly sure why.

Other risk factors include obesity, large amounts of hair, not enough exercise, prolonged sitting, and excessive sweating.

The symptoms of a pilonidal cyst include:

• Pain, redness, and swelling at the bottom of the spine
• Pus or blood draining out of it
• Bad smell from the pus
• Tenderness to the touch
• Fever

They can vary in size. Yours may be a small dimple or cover a large, painful area.

A pilonidal cyst is an abscess or boil. Treatment may include antibiotics, hot compresses and topical treatment with depilatory creams. In more severe cases it needs to be drained, or lanced, to heal. Like other boils, it does not get better with antibiotics.

If you have any of the symptoms, call your doctor.

Your doctor can diagnose a pilonidal cyst with a physical exam and by asking you questions about it. Among the things they may ask you:

• When did you first feel symptoms?
• Have you had this problem before?
• Have you had a fever?
• What medications or supplements do you take?

Early in the infection of a pilonidal cyst, the redness, swelling, and pain may not be too bad. Some things you might want to try:

• To ease any pain, soak in a tub of warm water. Sometimes, your cyst may open and drain on its own this way.
• Take nonprescription pain medicine, but follow the dosing instructions.
• Keep the cyst and area around it clean and dry.

Antibiotics do not heal a pilonidal cyst. But doctors have any number of procedures they can try. Here are some options:

Incision and drainage: This is the preferred method for a first pilonidal cyst. Your doctor makes a cut into the cyst and drains it. They remove any hair follicles and leaves the wound open, packing the space with gauze.

Advantage — It’s a simple procedure done under local anesthesia, meaning just the area around the cyst is numbed.

Disadvantage — You have to change the gauze often until the cyst heals, which sometimes takes up to 3 weeks.

Marsupialization: In this procedure, your doctor makes a cut and drains the cyst, removing pus and any hair that are inside. They’ll sew the edges of the cut to the wound edges to make a pouch.

Advantages — This is outpatient surgery under local anesthesia. It also lets the doctor make a smaller, shallower cut so that you don’t need to take out and repack gauze daily.

Disadvantages — It takes about 6 weeks to heal, and you need a doctor specially trained in the technique.

Incision, drainage, closing of wound: In this technique, the cyst is drained, but it’s not left open.

Advantage — You don’t need to pack gauze because your doctor fully closes the wound right after surgery.

Disadvantages — You’re more likely to have more problems with the cyst down the road. It’s harder to remove the entire cyst with this method. It’s usually done in an operating room with a specially trained surgeon.’

Other surgical procedures include complete cyst and cyst wall excision along with the pilonidal sinus tracts, the use of fibrin glue, and taking (core out) only diseased tissue and the cyst out with punch biopsies.

Follow all of your doctor’s instructions about at-home care, especially if you need to remove and pack gauze. Other tips:

• Try to keep the area clean.
• Check for any signs of a new infection, such as redness, pus, or pain.
• Keep your follow-up appointments with your doctor so they can see how your cyst is healing.

A complete cure is possible, but remember that a pilonidal cyst may recur even if you had one surgically removed.

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MOSCOW, December 12 – RIA Novosti. A WeChat user told how not to harm the body when drinking water. The author of the post noted that drinking a glass of water in the morning after waking up is useful because it will allow you to replenish the water balance in the body after a night’s sleep. In addition, it will reduce blood viscosity and stimulate blood circulation. The user clarified that many people drink water incorrectly, which causes great harm to their health. He talked about common mistakes while drinking water, which can become a “time bomb” for the body. The author of the post also dispelled the myth that you must first brush your teeth before drinking water. Claims that bacteria from the oral cavity will enter the body with water are exaggerated, since bacteria are mainly concentrated on tartar or plaque. It can only be removed by brushing and rubbing. Water does not have such a frictional force to clean off plaque. Moreover, the acid in the intestines can kill pathogenic bacteria.

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MOSCOW, December 12 – RIA Novosti. WeChat user told how not to harm the body when drinking water.

The author of the post noted that drinking a glass of water in the morning after waking up is useful, because it will allow you to replenish the water balance in the body after a night’s sleep. In addition, it will reduce blood viscosity and stimulate blood circulation.

The user clarified that many people use water incorrectly, which causes great harm to their health. He talked about common mistakes while drinking water, which can be a “time bomb” for the body.

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1. In a person with cardiovascular disease, this can lead to a heart attack. In addition, drinking plenty of water on an empty stomach thins out stomach acid. When eating, this affects the process of digestion and over time can cause stomach diseases. It is recommended to drink no more than 150 milliliters of water at a time (about half a glass), and also to do it slowly, in small sips.

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   Do not drink salted water as it will increase blood pressure. In addition, it will increase the daily amount of salt intake, which will put a strain on the kidneys.

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The author of the post also dispelled the myth that you must first brush your teeth before drinking water. Claims that bacteria from the oral cavity will enter the body with water are exaggerated, since bacteria are mainly concentrated on tartar or plaque. It can only be removed by brushing and rubbing. Water does not have such a frictional force to clean off plaque. Moreover, the acid in the intestines can kill pathogenic bacteria.

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Raspberry is a deciduous subshrub of the Rosaceae family. Plant height – up to 2.5 m. The roots are winding, woody. Stems erect. Initially shoots are green and grassy. After a year of life, they begin to stiffen and turn brown. The leaves are oval, green above and whitish below. The flowers are white, up to 1 cm in diameter. The fruits are red drupes.

Raspberry composition

Berries contain about 11% of sugars represented by glucose, fructose and sucrose. They contain essential oils, pectins, mucus, proteins, carotene, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, coumarins, ketones, mineral salts, vitamins A, C, group B, PP.

Attention! The leaves contain a lot of manganese. And in the seeds – fatty oil (up to 22%) and phytosterol (up to 0.8%). They also have everything the same as in berries.

Medicinal properties

The fruits have diaphoretic, tonic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antiscorbutic, astringent properties. Leaves and young shoots have an antispasmodic, hemostatic effect.

Effects on the body

The main value of raspberry is that it is a powerful natural antioxidant. Antioxidant activity in it is shown by flavonoids, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, carotenoids and phenols. These compounds deactivate free radicals – oxygen molecules with one unpaired electron. These molecules seek to restore balance and therefore take electrons from cells, amino acids and many other molecules that they meet along the way. As a result, the latter are destroyed, which leads to rapid wear of the body, early aging and an increased risk of tumor formation. Antioxidants interrupt this process.

Attention! Vitamin C prevents the development of scurvy and is necessary for the full functioning of bone and connective tissues. One serving of berries contains about 30% of its required daily intake.

Phenolic substances improve elasticity and regulate capillary permeability, helping to remove harmful compounds from them. Manganese, which is abundant in raspberry leaves, is essential for protein synthesis. Magnesium supports the normal functioning of the heart muscle. And vitamin K – normalizes blood clotting.

Cosmetic properties

In cosmetology, raspberry extracts are most often used. They help eliminate acne, acne, age spots, normalize oily skin, and also stimulate hair growth. In addition, they:

• protect against cell membrane destruction;
• slow down aging;
• moisturize the epidermis;
• cleanse pores;
• nourish the skin;

The extract is used for therapeutic baths, included in the composition of masks for oily skin, lotions, creams, shampoos, hair balms and other cosmetics.

Contraindications and side effects

It is worth minimizing the use of raspberries in the presence of problems with the kidneys and gallbladder. And all because it contains calcium oxalates, which can provoke an exacerbation of these diseases.

It is worth refraining from the product during the period of exacerbation of stomach ulcers, gastritis or diseases of the duodenum 12. Due to the content of purines, the product is contraindicated in nephritis and gout.

Applications and standards

Fruit syrup is used in pharmacology to improve the taste of drugs. For the prevention and treatment of diseases, dry plant materials can be used. It is produced in briquettes, filter bags and in bulk. Raspberries in filter bags are brewed in boiling water: 1 pc. to a glass of water. In loose form, it is used to prepare decoctions: 2 tbsp. l. raw materials pour 500 ml of boiling water, insist 2 hours, filter and take half a glass 4 times a day before meals.

Attention! The extract is added to cosmetics. The recommended dosage of its introduction into cosmetics is up to 5%.