Treating Boils

Helpful Information For Treating Boils

Treating boils will vary from person to person and methods will depend on the type of boil and severity. A boil is an infection that lies deep in your skin. It usually begins as a tender, red area and over time, the infected area becomes hard, tender and firm. Eventually, the boil will soften in the center and become filled up with white, infection-fighting blood cells that have come from your bloodstream to fight the infection.

These white blood cells, proteins and bacteria, are known as pus. This pus will form a head that can be either surgically opened or drained out through the skin's surface. When the pus is enclosed in the tissue, it is called an abscess.

Types Of Boils

When treating boils, it is helpful to determine what type of boil you are dealing with first.

Carbuncle Or Furuncle – This is a bacterium-caused abscess in the skin. Generally, a furuncle will have one opening and be accompanied by chills or a fever. Carbuncles usually refer to a group of boils or hair follicles.

Cystic Acne – When oil ducts get clogged and infected, they form an abscess. These boils affect deeper skin tissue than traditional acne. This is actually the mot common type of acne found on the faces of teenagers.

Pilonidal Cyst – This kind of abscess is the type that you would find in the crease of your buttocks. They being as small infections in the hair follicle. These boils become irritated from direct pressure and eventually turn into a painful, firm, tender nodule that hurts when you try to sit down. Treating boils of this nature are usually due to a long road trip where you had to sit in the same spot for an extended period of time.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa – This is a condition where there are several boils that have formed either in the groin area or under the armpit. This is typically due to the sweat glands being inflamed. This type of infection will generally not respond solely to antibiotics so they almost always require surgery to remove the sweat glands that are involved to stop the inflammation.

Treating Boils

Treating boils can often be done at home unless it is a severe case or if the abscess has had time to progress. Treatment should begin as soon as you notice it to make things a little easier on yourself.

Heat application is the primary method used for treating boils. Applying heat increases circulation to the infected area which helps your body fight infection by drawing white blood cells which are antibodies, to the infection.

While the boil is still firm and small, you should not open it to drain, you need to wait until it is soft and forms a head. Usually once you drain it, pain relief is almost immediate. Many smaller boils that form around hair follicles will drain by themselves after applying hot soaks.

If treating boils at home is not working because the abscess is too large or the area is too infected, it may require draining by a healthcare professional. Quite often, boils of this size have more than one pus pocket that will need to be drained. In this case, antibiotics are usually prescribed to eliminate further bacterial infection.

Prevention

Treating boils begins with prevention. Good hygiene with antibacterial soap is a great place to start. If you have a problem with hair follicles becoming inflamed, a loofah brush is usually recommended to use in the shower to clean any buildup or break up oil plugs around your hair follicles.

If you suffer from pilonidal cysts, avoid applying pressure to the abscess. Clean and dry the area thoroughly and try to avoid sitting on the area as much as possible. Treating boils really just requires a bit of patience, they will pop when they are ready.