How and with what to treat boils and chiria: tips and recommendations

Description

A boil in the head area is the most dangerous pathological process on the skin. It appears due to inflammation inside the hair follicle and nearby tissue.

The pathology is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which penetrate the skin through minor injuries.

If a growth is detected on the head, you should immediately seek help from a specialist.

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Typically, the provoking factors for its appearance are varied, but the main one at the moment is considered to be the influence of staphylococcus on the scalp. Infection with such a microorganism occurs through the hair follicle.

During the formation of a boil, purulent contents appear in the upper part. It is forbidden to press on it, otherwise the infection will spread to the head.

How are these two names different?

Contents
Furuncle and boil are synonyms, i.e. these two names refer to the same problem, namely inflammation of the hair follicle. The name “furuncle” is used in medical terminology, and “boil” is the popular designation for this disease. Some patients believe that these are two different conditions and a boil is a serious inflammation, and a boil is small purulent pimples. In fact, there are no differences, and no matter what you call the boil, it requires taking yourself seriously and selecting an adequate treatment regimen.

Causes

Boils on the scalp are considered the result of various pathologies within the human body. Having established the cause of the pathology, it is possible to prescribe effective treatment.

Skin contamination

The influence of chemicals, coal and other harmful substances. In particular, prolonged friction with these substances has a negative effect on the formation of dermal disease.

The chemical composition of these products often has a detrimental effect on the condition of the skin. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the use of products containing toxins, or to protect yourself when working with them.

Skin pathologies

If there is a skin disease with itching, a boil may appear, since during the scratching process a minor injury is created and the infection gets inside. In this regard, it is necessary to promptly eliminate any concomitant skin diseases.

Use of household chemicals

Using a shampoo of inadequate quality (moisturizing, for oily hair, or with a drying effect) increases the risk of injury to the dermis. In this regard, the likelihood of pathogenic microflora penetrating inside increases.

Rare or frequent hair washing

This often dries out the skin excessively, and improper care of this area of the head leads to the emergence of pathogenic microflora. The scalp should not be excessively dry or oily.

Increased sweating

A boil often appears as a result of excessive sweating and sebum secretion, since clogging of the sebaceous glands becomes a provoking factor in the inflammatory process, and, as a result, a new formation appears.

Increased sweating creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. In this regard, it is necessary to strictly adhere to hygiene rules.

Reducing the body's response to viruses

In such a situation, staphylococcus provokes the appearance of such growths. It is necessary to adhere to the rules of personal hygiene and follow medical instructions regarding preventive measures. If the pathology manifests itself as numerous acne, you should consult a doctor.

Immune system disorders

Weakened immunity often becomes the reason that infection enters the human body. When it works properly, viral agents are suppressed and do not cause pathological processes.

In this regard, it is necessary to strengthen your own immunity by leading an active lifestyle and taking immunomodulatory drugs, if necessary.

Metabolism problems

This leads to imbalances between the intake and expenditure of vitamins within the body. For example, if diabetes mellitus is observed, then a violation of blood flow in the capillaries is detected.

As a result of such a failure, the skin will not receive the required amount of nutrients and oxygen. The protective characteristics of the dermis will be reduced, and viral agents will enter it.

Malfunctions of internal systems

The pathological process occurs during disorders in the central nervous system, vascular and endocrine systems, in the digestive tract and liver. This can be caused by various triggering factors. Their timely elimination will avoid adverse consequences.

Bad habits

The appearance of unpleasant symptoms in the process of obesity, overheating or hypothermia, as well as with excessive drinking of alcohol and smoking.

An unbalanced diet and leading a passive lifestyle have a negative impact on the general condition of the skin. In this regard, it is necessary to normalize nutrition and carry out feasible physical activity.

Clinical picture

At the very beginning of the development of the pathological process, the skin of the scalp turns red, an inflammatory process develops on it, and a feeling of itching and pain occurs. Against the backdrop of ongoing processes, the intensity of hair loss may increase.

If you scratch your head at this moment, you can see how the hair falls out along with the bulb, along the perimeter of which pus has formed. Along with this, with the development of the designated pathological process, patients may develop severe peeling of the skin in this area and an increase in skin oiliness.

Ulcers on the scalp are usually small and white, and also resemble goose bumps from the outside. Often, quite a lot of such neoplasms appear, and in the process of combing the hair, they release a purulent consistency with blood.

Development of infiltrate – inflammation of the hair follicle occurs. There is redness, thickening and swelling on the surface of the skin, which can reach 3 cm. When you press on this area, pain or tingling is felt.

Stage of suppuration and necrosis - occurs 2-3 days after the development of infiltration. A core consisting of dead cells forms under the compaction, and purulent exudate forms around it.

Bacteria secrete two substances: coagulase - blocks lymphatic vessels, thereby preventing the infection from spreading to neighboring tissues, and hyaluronidase - dissolves connective tissue, which facilitates the penetration of bacteria into the deeper layers of the skin. In the second case, you may notice the following symptoms:

pulsation of the abscess;
strong pain;
headache;
temperature increase;
general deterioration of condition.

Externally, the boil becomes cone-shaped, and at its top a white spot appears - a papule, in the place of which, when the abscess ripens, the contents are opened and expelled.

Stage of suppuration and necrosis	Occurs 2-3 days after infiltration. The formation “ripens” and takes on a cone-shaped shape. Its shaft comes out mixed with pus and ichor. A purulent abscess can be opened surgically if the head does not come out on its own.
Healing	The wound heals quite quickly, the swelling subsides, and the skin becomes a normal shade. Sometimes a small scar may remain.

Healing – the resulting wound begins to heal, swelling begins to subside, and the skin acquires a normal shade. The duration of healing depends on the depth of tissue damage.
If one or several abscesses form at the same time, which quickly disappear, then the acute stage is diagnosed. With frequent relapse and consistent formation of boils over a long period of time, they speak of chronic furunculosis.
Boils on the head cannot be squeezed out or pierced yourself, as these formations are dangerous due to their complications.
The proximity of the vessels supplying the brain threatens the spread of infection to the brain tissue, which can cause the following consequences:
1. Meningitis. Encephalitis.
Spread of infection throughout the body.
Blood poisoning.
Lymphangitis and lymphadenitis.

Opening an abscess on your own, even if no complications arise, can provoke prolonged tissue healing, which, in turn, can cause hair follicles to fall out and a scar to form.

Symptoms

It can be difficult to detect an inflammatory process on the back of the head. The initial sign will be discomfort when touched on any part of the skin.

The patient can feel a slight swelling on his own.

Externally, a boil on the scalp has the following symptoms:

Difference between abscess and eel

How to distinguish a boil from acne? The difference between these two entities is as follows:

severe pain;
red lump on the skin;
there is an inflamed follicle inside;
when the boil matures, a pale green stem appears in its center;
After a while, the abscess opens and the purulent contents are removed.

In some cases, the boil is accompanied by low-grade hyperthermia, nausea, loss of appetite and increased fatigue.

Acne and boils differ in the severity of symptoms. How to determine the type of education? If a pimple appears, usually there is no severe pain when you touch it, but with boils the pain syndrome is pronounced even if you don’t touch it. Such sensations continue until the purulent core is completely ripe. The area where it ripens also differs in appearance - the skin is deeply affected.

The appearance of acne is triggered by the activation of pathogenic microorganisms that are constantly present on the human epidermis; normally, the immune system copes with them. Pimples appear due to blockage of sebum. And when pathogenic microorganisms join this secretion, inflammation begins. But it is not as pronounced as with the development of a boil. The human immune system neutralizes the activity of staphylococci and streptococci, which cause purulent processes in the sebaceous glands. With a pimple, a core does not form in the center, and the amount of purulent content is minimal.

The appearance of acne is caused by the activation of pathogenic microorganisms

Diagnostics

It is easy to detect a tumor in the head area. The specialist carries out an external examination and, when it is necessary to make a diagnosis, other diagnostic measures of the damaged area.

To determine the provoking factors in the formation of such a pathological process, a specialist carries out urine and blood tests, and diagnostics to detect failures of organs and systems.

Sometimes the examination requires consultation with a specialist.

If there are difficulties with the maturation of the rod, a specialist may prescribe a blood culture test. Such research is required to prevent plasma contamination in time.

Preventive actions

What is the difference between a boil and a boil? The answer is simple - it’s the same education. To prevent its occurrence, it is recommended to follow simple recommendations:

adjust your diet, include a large amount of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, this will help strengthen your immune system;
periodically take multivitamin complexes;
promptly disinfect damaged areas of the skin - cuts, abrasions, bites, microcracks;
if possible, avoid hypothermia and sitting on a cold surface;
Do not treat yourself with antibacterial drugs, without the supervision of a specialist.

If you follow simple measures, you can prevent the appearance of boils.

Treatment

Therapy, which is prescribed by a specialist in the process of forming a boil on the head, involves a set of measures. They are aimed at stopping and reducing inflammation.

Often, patients go to the hospital in a situation where surgical intervention is impossible. The treatment regimen for a boil is determined by the doctor during the first examination of the growth.

Stages

The treatment method is used based on the stage of formation of the pathological process:

First. In a clinical setting cutting near the affected area, treatment of the tumor with alcohol, physiotherapeutic procedures with an antibiotic or quartz irradiation, and tissue cooling are carried out.
Second. The contents are removed from the boil. Next, the doctor stops the viral and inflammatory process through local treatment and applies a bandage with Trypsin and Salicylic acid.
Third. In addition to surgical intervention, a specialist must prescribe antibiotic . This makes it possible to significantly accelerate the reduction of the infectious process and heal the wound in the shortest possible time.
Fourth. When the boil has opened, active indifferent ointments . Their use makes it possible to guarantee stable protection of granulation tissue from infection in the shortest possible time.

The only exception would be a tumor in the temporal region, which can form as a result of significant exhaustion after treatment for other chronic diseases. Surgical intervention on such a formation is quite dangerous, so the specialist recommends alternative ways to eliminate unpleasant symptoms.

Conservative therapy

Drug therapy involves the use of local medications. Initially, the boil is treated with an antiseptic solution: Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate. Afterwards, the swelling and the area near it are directly lubricated with Fukortsin.

To dry the wound, it is permissible to use salicylic acid. The use of ichthyol ointment helps to speed up the breakthrough of purulent formation.

Then, when the boil is opened, it is treated with antiseptics, then healing ointments are applied. It is allowed to use Solcoseryl, Actovegin.

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It is prohibited to crush such a tumor yourself. There is a possibility of damage to small blood vessels and rapid penetration of infection into the brain.

Antimicrobial agents for internal use are prescribed only in the presence of multiple furunculosis and the appearance of adverse consequences. In such a situation, Cifran or Flemoxin are used for 5 days.

Physiotherapy

To speed up the opening of purulent contents, physiotherapy can be used:

UV irradiation of suppuration (quartz irradiation);
magnetic therapy;
electrophoresis with dioxidine or hydrocortisone.

Therapy is carried out in a clinical setting. When the use of medications does not produce a positive effect, surgery is used. It involves cutting the abscess and washing it with an antiseptic.

Next, a clean bandage is applied. Dressing is carried out every other day, each time the wound is treated with antiseptic agents.

Is it possible to speed up the maturation of a boil?

The maturation of a boil is a long and painful process (in general it takes 7-10 days), because its head is formed only on the 3rd day, and all this time the person experiences severe aching pain at the site of the abscess formation. Doctors usually recommend waiting until maturity, but to make this process go faster, you can do something and act in different ways:

1. Home Remedies:

Soap-onion gruel: bake the onion in the oven, and then pass it through a meat grinder. Add grated laundry soap to it and mix thoroughly. Use this mixture as a compress, applying it 2 times a day.
Take an aloe leaf, wash it in running water, cut the leaf lengthwise and apply it to the boil - fix it with a band-aid for 2-3 hours. Aloe has the property of drawing internal pus to the surface, and thus the maturation of the boil will accelerate. In addition, aloe is excellent at healing wounds, and therefore, after the abscess breaks, you will need this miracle flower again.
If you don’t have aloe, then to speed up the ripening of the boil you can use a Kalanchoe leaf, a cabbage leaf or grated raw beets - make a compress from them and apply it overnight.
Hot decoctions of herbs (celandine, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, verbena, bird cherry) in the form of compresses will also help.

2. Use of medications and physical therapy:

The application of Levomikol, ichthyol or Vishnevsky ointment can, just like an aloe leaf, draw the infection out, and therefore accelerate the maturation of the boil. In addition, these products have strong antibacterial properties, relieve inflammation, and therefore are considered the most effective.
You can apply a compress of hypertonic sodium chloride solution (you can buy it at a pharmacy or make it yourself - 1 tablespoon of table or sea salt per 0.5 cup of boiling water).
The doctor may also prescribe an antibacterial blockade - applying antibiotics to the site of the rash. However, this method usually promotes the reverse development of the boil.
But ultraviolet irradiation in dosed sessions can both accelerate the maturation of the boil and contribute to its disappearance.

What not to do while the boil is “ripening”

Many are in a hurry to quickly get rid of the troubles associated with the appearance of a boil, but there are a number of prohibitions - what to do with furunculosis (and you should not neglect this!):

It is not advisable to wash the affected area with soap so as not to spread the infection to other areas of the skin. Instead, treat the abscess several times a day with salicylic or camphor alcohol, calendula alcohol tincture, fucorcin or iodine.
The process of boil ripening will not speed up in any way if you try to squeeze it or perform other mechanical actions. This only further injures the surrounding tissues.
Even if the boil is ripe, but has not burst, then be patient and wait! A boil can only clear itself.

Be healthy!

Prevention

A boil in the head area appears as a result of neglect of hygiene rules. Their observance is required in order to maintain health. These include:

Strengthening the immune system : consuming plenty of vitamins. Implementation of hardening in the shower, giving up bad habits (alcohol and smoking).
Adjusting your own diet . Healthy food products: vegetables, fruits. Flour and smoked foods are limited.
Purchasing cosmetic and hygiene products of proper quality.

Hemangioma

The tumor is reddish in color. Appears in newborns. It should be treated only under the supervision of a doctor, since if it is damaged, various complications can arise.

This is the name of a lump that is formed as a result of a congenital anomaly of vascular development. Some types of this vascular tumor resemble a red growth. There are cases when through the tubercle on the head you can see the same irregular interweaving of blood vessels.

This type of disease poses a significant threat to human health, since the tumor can grow rapidly and become malignant. It can appear on such areas of the head as the forehead, ears, cheeks. Such a bump on the head can appear in representatives of both sexes and at any age.

This is a fairly large bump on the head, which occurs due to out-of-control vein growth. This formation is red in color, and the skin underneath is dotted with small vessels. It should be especially noted that this is the most dangerous type of all buds. After all, hemangioma leads to the destruction of all nearby tissues.