MEDICAL ADVISES: BOILS
Boils are local infections that occur beneath the skin. They are almost always caused by a bacterium called hemolytic Staphylococcus aureus – called “staph,” for short. Boils are identified by redness, pain, and the formation of pus in the center, which tends to “point” (come to a head) and drain through the skin. Pus is a mixture of live and dead white blood cells, liquefied dead tissue, and live and dead staph germs. Pus is therefore infectious; it can spread boils to other areas and to other persons.
A small superficial boil is a pimple or pustule. (An acne pimple is not a true boil.) A large boil with several heads is a carbuncle. A boil on the edge of the eyelid is a sty. When many boils are present at one time the condition is called furunculosis. Abscesses are collections of pus in parts of the body other than the skin, as in muscles, brain, bone, and internal organs. Abscesses are like boils, but often they are caused by germs other than staph.
Staph germs are often harmlessly present in the nose and throat or on the skin of healthy people. Staph germs on the skin cause no problems unless there is a cut or break in the skin. If the germs enter the body through a break in the skin, they cause infections.
Signs and symptoms
Boils are easily recognized by their redness, pain, and the formation of pus in the center.
Home care
Boils are treated with frequent or constant soaks with warm Epsom salts solutions (one-half cup per liter of water). When a boil comes to a head and drains, the drainage must be caught on a sterile bandage to avoid spreading the infection. The surrounding skin should be cleansed frequently with soap and water to avoid additional boils.
Precautions
• Be careful with boils on the face and forehead, including the nose and lips. The lymph and blood vessel drainage from these areas is partly internal. Be especially careful that drainage from a boil does not come in contact with the eyes. See your doctor if boils develop on the face.
• Never squeeze a boil. Squeezing breaks down the wall surrounding the boil. When this wall is broken down, the infection rapidly spreads outward.
• Treat all minor wounds and insect bites properly to lessen the likelihood of infections and the forming of boils.
Medical treatment
Your doctor may open and drain the boil, culture the pus, and order sensitivity studies on the staph germs found. These studies will help your doctor identify the antibiotic that will most effectively fight the infection. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics to be taken by mouth. Many staph infections have become resistant to penicillin. Other antibiotics that may be used include erythromycin, oxacillin, cloxacillin, methicillin, and cephalosporin. For repeated attacks of boils, your doctor may recommend nose and throat cultures of the patient and the entire family to identify carriers of the staph germs. Antibiotic ointments applied in the nose and antiseptic baths may be prescribed.
*24/84/5*
