Boils, or furuncles, are infected hair follicles that can be caused by bacteria or fungi. They often heal on their own but can be treated with warm compresses and kept clean to avoid reinfection. Multiple boils can form a carbuncle, and abscesses require medical treatment to avoid complications.
A furuncle is an infected hair follicle. Better known to laymen as boils, boils are quite common and can appear in people of all ages and levels of physical condition. They often clear up on their own without treatment, but there are certain steps that can be taken to speed healing, and boils can sometimes benefit from being treated by a doctor.
Boils occur when bacteria or fungi find their way into a hair follicle, causing a small infection. Staph bacteria are often the culprit. The furuncle will swell, fill with fluid and cause discomfort. The site is often warm to the touch and may even be sore. In a location like the ear or nose, a boil can be extremely irritating.
The furuncle cannot heal until the infected material is drained. Typically, after several days, the boil breaks open, allowing the material built up inside to drain so that healing can begin. Applying warm compresses can speed up this process. Once a furuncle has opened, it’s important to keep it clean to avoid reinfection. The site should be washed regularly with warm soapy water and should be kept away from dirty environments.
Sometimes multiple boils appear, in which case they can join together and form a carbuncle. Like boils, carbuncles often heal well on their own, although they can be painful and unsightly for a few days beforehand. If the infection doesn’t clear up or seems to be getting worse, a doctor can manually drain and clean it. After this treatment, the boil should heal as long as it stays clean.
In addition to keeping the site clean, some people take anti-inflammatory medications to reduce inflammation. This can make the site less painful and will reduce the inflamed and reddened appearance of the boil.
Sometimes, the boil turns into an abscess, a more serious infection. Abscesses need to be treated because they cannot drain and resolve on their own. Left untreated, they can cause serious complications, even eating into bone and damaging the muscles in the surrounding area. It’s not a good idea to try to drain and clean an abscess at home, as tissue may be missing, which could cause the abscess to spring up. If the site of the infection is particularly large, a doctor may need to leave a drain in for several days to allow the abscess to drain the infected fluid before it closes again.
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