What are boils and carbuncles?

A boil is a round, red, painful, pus-filled sore on the skin. A carbuncle is a large severe boil or group of boils that develop close together due to the spread of the infection.

How do they occur?

Boils commonly develop as a result of bacteria that infect hair follicles (the small pits out of which hair grows).

Staphylococcus aureus is the name of the bacteria that usually infect hair follicles. These bacteria normally live on the skin, particularly on certain parts of the body (rectum, nose, mouth, and genitals). The bacteria cause an infection only if they enter another area of the body through a scrape, irritation, or injury of some kind.

Boils and carbuncles frequently form in moist areas of the body such as the back of the neck, buttocks, thighs, groin, and armpits.

Weakened resistance to infection as a result of a chronic condition, such as diabetes or kidney or liver disease, may also cause boils and carbuncles.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of a boil are:

• redness

• swelling (lump)

• tenderness to touch

• a lump filled with white or yellowish pus forming a head or tip

• severe pain.

Symptoms of carbuncles are similar, but more severe than those of boils.

How are they diagnosed?

Your doctor will examine the infected area. Tell the doctor if you have had a boil or carbuncle longer than 2 weeks or you frequently have them recur.

To diagnose the cause of your condition, the doctor may request that you have a blood or urine test. These tests may help determine if there is an underlying condition causing the sores, such as diabetes mellitus, kidney or liver disease, or cancer.

How is it treated?

Treatment for boils and carbuncles may consist of both self- help and treatment by your doctor. A boil can sometimes be treated at home, but a carbuncle often needs medical treatment.

For treatment at home you can:

• Apply warm, moist compresses to the affected area, being careful not to burn yourself. A warm washcloth soaked in warm water will do.

• Clean the sore with antiseptic soap and protect it with a loose gauze dressing until it has healed.

• Take acetaminophen or other pain reliever.

• Maintain good personal hygiene.

These steps will help relieve the pain, reduce the risk of spreading the infection, and promote healing.

If a boil does not drain and heal using the suggested self- treatment steps, or if the boil lasts longer than 2 weeks, see your doctor.

Your doctor may recommend that you take antibiotic drugs to heal the infection. The doctor may drain the boil or carbuncle by opening it with a sterile needle or scalpel. After the sore has been opened, it should be covered with a loose, gauze dressing until it heals.

If you have an underlying illness, such as diabetes, the doctor will want you to schedule regular appointments so your condition can be monitored. If your boil or carbuncle does not heal properly or if new symptoms develop, contact your doctor.

How long will the effects last?

If a boil lasts longer than 2 weeks, a doctor should see it for treatment. The boil should heal within 2 weeks after it is treated.

A carbuncle often requires medical attention. Depending upon the severity of the condition and treatment, the carbuncle should heal in 2 to 3 weeks.

The doctor will want to see you for a follow-up visit if he or she prescribes any drugs to treat the infection, such as antibiotics.

How can I take care of myself?

Be sure to follow the instructions your doctor gives you. Take any prescribed medication, such as antibiotics, as directed.

What can I do to help prevent boils and carbuncles?

To help prevent boils and carbuncles from spreading and recurring:

• Do not burst the boil yourself. This can cause the infection to spread.

• If the boil does burst, clean it with an antiseptic soap or with alcohol, and cover it with a loose, gauze dressing.

• Wash clothes that touch the infected area in hot, soapy water on a daily basis. Dry clothes on the hot setting if you use an automatic dryer. Ironing will also help to sterilize clothing.

• Wash your hands after touching the sore, especially before touching any food.

• Have any underlying illness treated so your resistance does not wear down and you again become susceptible to infection.

• Maintain good personal hygiene.