The term boil is used to describe a deep, painful inflammation of a hair follicle. In the course of the inflammatory processes, the surrounding tissue is usually also affected.
Introduction
Furuncles are among the five most common skin diseases. They occur independently of the age of the affected persons and their physical condition. Also between the sexes no differences in the frequency of the occurrence of boils can be observed.
A furuncle develops, regardless of its exact localization (for example on the head), when bacterial pathogens or skin fungi penetrate the hair follicles lying in the skin via a leak in the skin barrier. In the majority of cases, the development of a boil can be attributed to a staphylococcal infection. Particularly in areas of the body where increased sweat is secreted, boils can often be observed.
For this reason, the anal region, the back and the head are among the most frequent locations for the development of a boil. Although a boil is basically a so-called hair follicle inflammation, the inflammatory processes usually spread to the surrounding tissue. In the course of the disease, the region around the infected hair follicle fills with fluid.
As a result, the affected individuals experience visible swelling, which is typical of a boil. In addition, the skin over the inflammatory processes feels tense and overheated. In principle, it is a harmless inflammation, but on the head, all boils located above the upper lip are considered a potential risk for the development of meningitis or inflammation of the brain.
There is a risk that the pathogens spread via the venous vessels of the face into the area of the brain and cause secondary diseases. If several boils develop on hair follicles that are close together, the individual local inflammations can merge into one another. The resulting skin change is called carbuncle.
In many cases the boils heal completely without medical treatment. However, the symptoms associated with the inflammatory processes can usually be effectively alleviated by taking medication. A boil that is accompanied by extensive inflammatory processes, however, usually requires medical treatment. Even melted boils that merge into a carbuncle usually require medical treatment.
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