Treat Boils

Boils not only look unsightly, they also hurt. These purulent lumps, one to two centimeters in diameter, occur spontaneously singly or clustered and can basically develop anywhere there is hair on the skin. The following boils are the most common: Boils on the face, neck and armpits, as well as boils on the buttocks, boils on the anus and boils in the pubic area and on the thighs. However, there are also boils in the ear and boils on the nose. In a boil, the hair follicle and surrounding tissue are painfully inflamed.

How a boil develops

A boil develops when bacteria, usually Staphylococcus aureus from the nasopharynx, are able to invade the skin along tiny skin lesions – and especially when the skin’s local immune system is weakened. They then travel deep along a hair follicle or along sweat glands and infect the hair follicle. The inflammation quickly spreads to the tissue around the hair follicle. In addition, a kind of capsule forms around the invaders, making it harder for the immune system to detect the bacteria behind their camouflage coat. Tissue cells are destroyed, immune cells rush in, and pus forms.

Boils: causes and triggers

The pus may eventually break through the surface of the skin and empty out. Factors that promote the formation of a boil are:

  • An unrecognized or inadequately controlled sugar disease (diabetes).
  • Too tight-fitting clothing that rubs against the skin
  • Insufficient disinfection after shaving or depilation.

Why boils can be dangerous

Unite several adjacent boils, a carbuncle is formed. Then a larger area of skin is affected. In extreme cases, the lymphatics of the skin can become inflamed and the lymph nodes swell. There is also a risk that the causative bacteria will enter the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. For a boil to be dangerous, it is important in which part of the body surface it forms. If a boil occurs on the face, it is particularly dangerous. There is a risk with a boil on the face that pathogens can lead to cerebral venous thrombosis or meningitis via the venous bloodstream.

Treatment: what not to do

One thing is taboo during boil treatment: squeeze the boil. If you do squeeze and the boil is not fully mature, this abscess may open inward. In the worst case, this can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis). Dangerous infections or the formation of so-called fistula ducts are also possible. The effect of traction ointment is controversial among experts. Under no circumstances should you use traction ointment in the intimate area, which is not suitable for the intimate area.

Therapy for a boil

In the initial phase of the still “immature” boil without a plug of pus, a vasodilating boil ointment can be helpful. This boil therapy accelerates the maturation of the boil. If a boil is mature, the physician will incise it with a scalpel to prevent the bacteria from advancing further into the surrounding tissue by relieving pressure. The doctor must decide if, in addition to cutting it open, it is appropriate to take antibiotics for 14 days. In the case of broken furuncles, it is advisable to place soft, lukewarm cloths on them. In the case of deep-lying furuncles, however, there is a risk that the actual focus of inflammation is not or not completely eliminated. Then it will come relatively soon again to the furuncle formation.

Furunculosis: Repeatedly occurring boils

In the case of repeatedly occurring boils – a condition known as furunculosis – it may therefore be advisable to surgically remove the focus of inflammation and any previous scar tissue. In the case of furunculosis or, if a deeper-lying abscess has been surgically removed, it is a good idea, in addition to conventional boil therapy, to administer a type of vaccination with the pathogens detectable in the pus to better arm the immune system (autovaccine). Good hygiene is also important in boil therapy:

  • Always wash hands thoroughly with soap after touching the boil.
  • It is advisable not to bathe, but to shower to prevent transmission to other areas of the skin.
  • Towels and bed linen should be washed at high temperatures.
  • Those who sweat quickly and often should wear airy clothing, as heavy sweating also promotes the development of boils.