Boils

Skin Boils – Things You Need to Know

A boil also known as a skin abscess is caused by a hair follicle infection that could lead to the production of pus and accumulation of dead skin cells in the area. At first, it may start out as a reddened, tender and painful area in the skin. But through time, the inflamed area will start to produce pus (which are actually white blood cells and bacteria) and will appear as a yellowish or whitish dot under the skin. As more pus is produced, the skin stretches until it bursts and pus will eventually drain out of the skin.

Boils in this stage can be very unsightly and are a cause of problems for many people especially when they want to go out in public. And so, it is very important to address boils before they reach this stage of “maturity” and could possible spread to the other areas of the skin forming more boils now called carbuncles.

Skin boils are generally caused by a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus. This type of bacterium is actually a normal resident of the skin. But when the barrier of the skin is broken (such as a wound or a cut), this surface bacteria can then penetrate into the skin and start to cause the infection.

Aside from that, boils on the skin are also caused by infected sweat glands (due to clogging) or ingrown hair. In all cases, this will result to the reddening of the area and the accumulation of pus.

When one has a boil, the one the best most immediate measure would be to apply hot compress to relieve the pain and the swelling, The high temperature will also allow the pus to be drained easily and at a faster period of time. One all the pus has been removed, one should keep the area as clean and as covered as possible by using antiseptics and bandages for cover. An anti-bacterial cream can also be applied on to the skin to prevent further growth of bacteria in the area.

Never try to open up an area where pus has not accumulated yet, this will only add to the break in the skin and allow more bacteria to enter. But if a large amount of pus is already accumulating under the skin and has not drained yet, you can prick the boil to drain the liquid with the help of a health care provider, if possible.

Boils are an unsightly to look at and treatment for boils should be applied as soon as possible to prevent further complications. But you can actually make preventive measures to avoid this kind of skin condition. By using anti-bacterial soaps during your bath, you can keep the local bacteria residents in your skin at bay. Be very careful in shaving your skin as this may lead you to unexpected cuts, which in turn could give bacteria a way to penetrate into the barrier.

Try to keep all these in mind and you will definitely be successful in avoiding these skin conditions from ever happening to you.

Quick and Easy Home Remedies for Boils

Boils can be a very embarrassing condition. Aside from the pain, having that yellow pus coming out from your skin may be very upsetting especially if you have to go out in public. You may be able to cover it up but as more and more pus are drained from the lesion, that bandage you are wearing may end up soaked with pus even before your day ends.

So it is really very important to find a remedy for boils once you detect it in your skin, not just for this reason above but because as boils go untreated they could spread and produce more abscesses in the area and eventually form into a carbuncle.

So here are quick and easy ways you can do for treating boils at the comfort of your own homes. Follow the steps and get cured at the fastest time possible.

1. Hot compress
Hot compress can help reduce the pain and the redness. It is recommended to apply hot compress for at least 15 minutes three times a day, everyday until the pus drains out. You can immerse a wash cloth in hot-warm water and cover the affected area with the cloth. For genital boils or boils on the vagina that are hard to reach, what you can do is take a warm hot bath in a bath tub for several minutes, just enough to expose the area to the heat.

High temperature will help alleviate the “maturity” of the boil allowing it to drain pus as soon as possible. When all the pus has been drained, you can now cover the affected area with bandage and prevent the further growth of bacteria by applying an antibacterial cream you can easily buy in your local drug store.

2. Regularly cleaning it with anti bacterial soap
After the pus has been drained, you can regularly clean it with anti-bacterial soap to keep bacteria at bay. One must remember that normally, there are local bacteria in your skin. Without proper cleaning, they could get into the wound again and start the entire cycle all over.

3. Avoid tight fitting clothes
Tight fitting clothes can lead to excessive sweating. Too much sweating and excess oil can lead to clogged up sweat gland that could lead to boils.

4. Herbs
Herbs such as garlic, onions, parsley and turmeric have very high antibacterial properties that are great for treating skin diseases. These herbs are pounded and their extracts are separated from the actual leaves or the “meat” and are applied directly to the skin or can be applied as a poultice. These juices can be absorbed directly by the skin making it a very effective cure.

Avoid applying antibacterial cream to the boil before it has “erupted” If the skin is not yet broken, then the cream cannot penetrate into the skin barrier and will not do any good. If a boil has accumulated a lot of pus already but has not erupted yet, it would be recommended to pinch the swelled area to facilitate draining of the pus; this will also relive the skin of the tension and reduce the redness and pain

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