A boil is a skin infection that starts in a hair follicle or oil gland. At first, the skin turns red in the area of the infection, and a tender lump develops. After 4-7 days, the lump starts turning white as pus collects under the skin.
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| painful boil on the calf of my leg...note the swollen part |
A boil starts as a hard, red, painful lump usually less than an inch in size. Over the next few days, the lump becomes softer, larger, and more painful. Soon a pocket of pus forms on the top of the boil. These are the signs of a severe infection:
-The skin around the boil becomes infected. It turns red, painful, warm and swollen.
-More boils may appear near or around the first or the old one.
-A fever may develop.
-Lymph nodes become swollen.
-Difficulty to move may increase if infected area is somewhere in the lower part of the body.
Most boils are caused by a germ (staphylococcal bacteria). This germ enters the body through tiny nicks or cuts in the skin or can travel down the hair to the follicle.
Boils Treatment - Self-Care at Home
-Apply warm compresses and soak the boil in warm water. This will decrease the pain and help draw the pus to the surface. Once the boil comes to a head, it will burst with repeated soakings. This usually occurs within 10 days of its appearance. You can make a warm compress by soaking a wash cloth in warm water and squeezing out the excess moisture.
-When the boil starts draining, wash it with an antibacterial soap until all the pus is gone. Apply a medicated ointment and a bandage. Continue to wash the infected area 2-3 times a day and to use warm compresses until the wound heals.
-Do not pop the boil with a needle. This usually results in making the infection worse.
-Do not press the boil before it really matured as it will develop the infected area. The best time to do so is when the pain is reducing and the core is developed with some itchy around it.
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