Abscess boil - what is it?
In order to determine that it is a boil that has formed on the body, it is necessary to conduct a visual inspection of the affected area. The inflammation has the appearance of a cone-shaped seal, red in color, with a yellow rod inside. It is by these signs that you can easily distinguish a boil from other skin formations. The size of the rod can reach 7 or 10 centimeters, and due to the peculiar location of the abscess, in the hair follicle, hair may be found in the center of the papule.
When an infection enters the inflamed area, in most cases an abscess boil forms, which provokes a large accumulation of pus in the papule.
This process is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms:
- severe pain;
- formation of a hard nodule;
- redness and inflammation of the affected area;
- increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees;
- weakness.
Moreover, this form of boil does not burst on its own, but continues to accumulate pus in the subcutaneous area, forming a strong compaction. If a compaction forms in an abscess boil, it is necessary to consult a specialist, since such a complication requires surgical intervention and does not go away on its own.
Signs
A thickening appears on the skin. Very quickly, literally within the first hours, the following are noted:
- redness;
- severe pain;
- purulent contents.
Once the head becomes visible, the pain intensifies. Due to the accumulating purulent contents, the head of the abscess appears whitish-yellow.
As the boil matures, the following may appear:
- increased body temperature;
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- local change in blood circulation.
After the boil breaks out, the pus flows out and the recovery stage begins. After healing, a scar may remain in its place.
Causes of furunculosis
Boils are inflamed and painful cavities in the skin filled with purulent masses. When several such formations form on the skin, a disease called furunculosis begins. Such subcutaneous abscesses can vary in size, from the size of a pea to even the size of a walnut. Such formations require mandatory treatment, which can be successfully carried out at home.
The localization of furunculosis is varied and can affect any part of the human body, but the most commonly affected areas are:
- neck;
- armpits;
- buttocks;
- groin area;
- face;
- rib cage.
At the same time, the formation of deep boils - carbuncles, which can rapidly develop, spread over the surface of the body and penetrate into the bloodstream, aggravating the patient’s already dangerous condition, is very dangerous. To accurately determine the degree of furunculosis, you need to contact a specialist who will conduct an examination and prescribe the correct treatment, with the ability to carry it out at home.
The most effective and fastest way to remove boils is to use baked onions, and this method does not exclude the use of medications.
The causes of the formation of furunculosis, or single boils, are considered to be damage to the skin by infection with Staphylococcus aureus, while it can also be affected by type A and B streptococci, epidermal types of streptococci and other pathogenic microorganisms.
Furunculosis can form in the presence of certain diseases in the body:
- pathological conditions of the digestive organs;
- disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system;
- kidney diseases;
- decreased protective functions of the epidermis;
- decreased immunity;
- history of chronic infectious diseases.
Infectious diseases that occur in a chronic form include pharyngitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, and intestinal dysbiosis. Also, pathogens that provoke the development of boils can enter the body through microtraumas of the skin, at the site of which a boil subsequently forms. Therefore, an important factor influencing the occurrence of boils is immunity, and with a decrease in its protective functions, there is a high probability of developing the disease.
If immunity is at the proper level and protects the body from infections, then the development of furunculosis comes to naught, since the invading bacteria do not have a chance to develop and reproduce. At the same time, failure to comply with personal hygiene rules increases the chance of survival of pathogenic microflora in unsanitary conditions.
A boil that appears on the human body indicates a decrease in protective functions in the body and a serious malfunction of the immune system. This can occur with the development of certain deviations:
- blood circulation disorders;
- stressful situations;
- psychological, physical and emotional stress.
In addition, a decrease in immunity can be triggered by disturbances in metabolic processes that affect the functioning of the entire body.
In order to get rid of an unpleasant boil, you must first contact a specialist who will recommend effective methods for removing the boil. At the same time, it is not recommended to remove, squeeze out or cut the abscess at home, as it can only worsen the condition. During the examination, the doctor will reveal the degree of complexity of the disease and recommend drug therapy, in which you can also use traditional methods of treating boils at home.
But it is not recommended to self-medicate, or resort exclusively to therapy with folk remedies, without the use of pharmaceutical drugs. Only complex treatment can achieve lasting results and complete removal of the boil.
Treatment of furunculosis at home
A furuncle, and with the accumulation of several foci of inflammation - furunculosis, is accompanied by suppuration, fever and can lead to serious consequences, and sometimes surgical intervention.
At home, you can get rid of furunculosis with high success if you use proven methods and follow special recommendations.
First, you should always wash your hands with soap and water before touching a boil and after touching its head and stem. Secondly, antibacterial agents, if prescribed by a doctor, are applied carefully, without touching the affected area, 3 or 4 times a day.
Also, an excellent way to warm and provoke a natural breakthrough of a boil is to use compresses that are applied to the affected area for 10-15 minutes, several times a day, for example, with baked onions or honey cake. Thus, it is possible to reduce pain in the boil and speed up its maturation. After which it is recommended to cover the inflamed area with a clean gauze bandage and wait for it to break through. At the same time, you cannot pierce, scratch or squeeze out the boil yourself, because this can aggravate the condition and cause an infection.
After the boil has opened on its own, you should carefully remove all accumulated pus, treat the open wound with hydrogen peroxide and apply a dry and tight bandage. Such measures for treating an opened boil must be carried out daily until it is completely healed.
As traditional methods of treating furunculosis, various infusions, ointments and compresses prepared independently are used. To do this, you can use proven tools:
- The yolk-honey mixture will help get rid of boils in a short time. To prepare it, you need to combine 2 raw yolks, 1 tablespoon of honey, 0.5 teaspoon of soda and a little wheat flour. All ingredients are mixed and the resulting mass is applied to the abscess until it is opened;
- aloe is often used to treat boils; to do this, you need to wash the freshly cut leaf of the plant, chop it and squeeze the juice out of it. A bandage soaked in aloe juice is tied to the area affected by the boil and left for 4 hours, after which it is changed. If the boil does not break out, then the inflammation goes away.
In addition, at home you can use pharmaceutical products to treat boils. For example, in a pharmacy you can buy a number of external and local antibacterial drugs:
- during the process of maturation of the boil, the affected area can be treated with a solution of boric or salicylic alcohol, applying a warm cloth on top to warm it and accelerate its maturation;
- with the systematic formation of boils on the body, it is necessary to use vitamin complexes, dietary supplements and medications that increase the body’s natural resistance;
- when opening a boil, it is necessary to remove the rod with pus and part of the infected blood, then treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide and apply a sterile bandage with Vishnevsky ointment.
However, it is not recommended to use this type of ointment if the boil has not opened, otherwise phlegmon may develop.
It is important to remember that if a rod does not appear in the boil within 4-5 days, you should urgently consult a specialist. This may indicate the development of complications during the course of the disease, since the normal maximum time for a boil to fully mature is 7 days. If the formed lump does not burst, but begins to grow, then the only way to get rid of it is surgery.
Rules of traditional therapy
Furunculosis requires immediate medical attention. The doctor will assess the condition and develop a therapeutic regimen. Consultation with a specialist is required if the abscess is located in the following places: face (nasolabial triangle), head, armpit, groin, neck and other places where lymph nodes are concentrated. In other cases, treatment of chiria on the body with folk remedies is agreed upon and selected together with the doctor.
You cannot prescribe antibiotic therapy yourself. Incorrect selection of drugs provokes the development of dysbiosis, which is difficult to correct.
If, after prolonged use of pulling compresses or bandages, the pus does not come out, an autopsy is performed surgically. Otherwise, an abscess may develop.
After a breakthrough, careful home care is required: daily dressings, no contact with water.
Furuncle of the external auditory canal
A furuncle in the ear canal may occur due to infection of hair follicles, cerumen or sweat glands by staphylococcal bacteria. Such lesions occur when the tissues of the ear are injured by:
- cleaning cavities from accumulated sulfur;
- scratching for itchy dermatoses;
- avitaminosis;
- purulent discharge from the middle ear;
- decreased immune system resistance;
- diabetic disease;
- overwork in the chronic stage;
- tuberculosis;
- allergic manifestations.
The main symptoms of a boil in the external auditory canal are:
- irritation and itching inside the ear;
- sharp pain;
- pain radiating to the jaw, eyes, head, intensifying during chewing and yawning;
- fever and increased body temperature;
- lack of appetite;
- increased unpleasant symptoms during sleep;
- insomnia and sleep disorders;
- poor passage of sound to the auditory centers;
- formation of a yellow head over the swelling;
- partial hearing loss in the affected ear;
- If the growth in the ear is damaged, profuse suppuration and leakage of pus may occur.
In order to remove a boil in the ear, you can seek help from a doctor, and you can also resort to traditional methods of treating boils at home. One of the fastest and safest ways to cure a boil is to use baked onions in the oven or microwave. To do this, make a funnel in the onion, pour linseed oil into it, cover the formed bowl with a slice of bread and bake for several minutes. After this, the squeezed juice is instilled into the diseased ear canal.
You can also use iodine tincture when the first symptoms of a boil in the ear appear, lubricating the affected area until it is completely cured. If you take a linen cloth and soak it in vegetable oil, rub it with garlic, roll it up and place it in the ear canal, you can quickly treat a boil. To do this, it is recommended to use this method 2 times a day.
Boil on the tailbone
The formation of a boil on the coccyx occurs after an infection of the hair follicle. Given that there are a large number of hair follicles in this area, it is necessary to carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene or carefully remove excess hair, carrying out disinfection after such procedures. The development of a boil on the coccyx occurs when pathogenic microorganisms enter the skin pores.
The main reason for the appearance of a boil on the tailbone, as in other areas, is a decrease in immunity, because in this case the body cannot fight infections. Therefore, it is necessary to make every possible effort and eliminate the negative factors that provoke this condition:
- lack of rest;
- lack of hygiene procedures;
- stressful conditions;
- autoimmune and chronic diseases;
- bad habits.
Treatment of a boil depends directly on its stage of maturation. First of all, if you suspect a boil, you should immediately consult a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis, and successful treatment can be carried out at home.
As a comprehensive treatment, you can use antiseptic ointments prescribed by a doctor and folk remedies. At the same time, you cannot squeeze, pull, or in any way try to remove the boil yourself, otherwise you can complicate the disease and cause a secondary infection.
The best remedies for treating boils are the following recipes:
- honey cake - made from flour and honey, which are combined in proportions to form a stiff dough. The formed cake is applied to the boil, covered with gauze soaked in alcohol or vodka and secured with a band-aid. This method allows you to quickly draw out suppuration from a boil, usually in 1-5 sessions;
- One of the effective ways to treat a boil at home is to use baked onions. To prepare the product, you need to bake 1 large onion in the oven, cut it into two parts and apply the warm cut to the boil, and then secure it with a tight bandage and leave it in that position for 20-30 minutes. There is another option when a gruel of baked onions and a couple of drops of camphor oil are applied to the abscess. This recipe allows you to pull out accumulated purulent masses from the tumor;
- A quick method to speed up the breakout of a boil is to use black bread. To do this, soften a slice of bread, add a pinch of salt to it and apply it to the formation, covering it with a napkin and fixing it.
Traditional methods of treatment allow the boil to go away as quickly as possible, especially since it is recommended to use them in conjunction with medications.
Furuncle on the face
A boil located on the face is not only an aesthetic problem, but also a dangerous disease, since it is located close to the brain. At the same time, boils that arise in the area of the nasolabial triangle are especially dangerous. It is this area that is most intensively supplied with blood, and there is a high probability of infection entering the bloodstream, which leads to damage to the entire body.
To diagnose a boil on the face, it is enough to compare your photos and photos of patients with a clearly established diagnosis, as well as compare the symptoms:
- a lump located deep in the skin, with a yellow rod in the center;
- pain and inflammation of the affected area;
- gradual growth of the inflammation zone;
- formation of a purulent head (after 2-3 days).
You can treat a boil at home only under the supervision of a specialist and after consultation with him. It is forbidden to squeeze, pull or make a poultice of the boil; it is also not recommended to smear the closed boil with Vishnevsky ointment until it breaks .
In the initial stages of abscess formation, the inflamed area can be treated with iodine. This event reduces pain and reduces inflammation. At the same time, the most effective medication used at home is the drug Dimexide, in liquid form.
Treatment with this drug must be carried out daily, as the drug penetrates into the deep layers of the epidermis and has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. If a boil appears on the neck, face or even back, you can use ichthyol stickers, but you should not perform hygiene on the affected area, as there is a possibility of the problem spreading to uninfected areas.
As a complex therapy with folk remedies, you can use the following recipes:
- One of the effective methods for treating boils is onion cakes with soap. to prepare this product, you need to combine baked onions with shavings of laundry soap and apply the resulting cake to the formation, in a ratio of 2:1, and secure with a band-aid for a couple of hours;
- Propolis, which must be infused with alcohol, and applied to purulent inflammation, will also help to quickly cure a boil;
- an infusion of calendula flowers has a strong antimicrobial effect, so it is recommended to wash the boil as well.
In addition, taking vitamins, in particular brewer’s yeast, will help in the fight against boils on the face; they cleanse the skin of the face, prevent infections from penetrating into the tissues and increase the overall tone of the body.
Onions and garlic
Freshly squeezed onion or garlic juice is one of the most effective means for quickly removing boils from the skin of the legs, arms, armpits, thighs or buttocks. The preparation of the remedy is very simple - grate a large onion or 10-12 garlic cloves and squeeze out the juice from the resulting mass.
After this, you should moisten a small piece of gauze in the juice and apply it to the abscess, leave the compress for 40-45 minutes. The procedure is repeated daily until the abscess breaks. After this, onion or garlic juice cannot be used.
The fight against boils can be done using baked onions. This method is most effective in treating abscesses on the body - arms, armpits, legs or groin area. Baked onions are not used to remove boils on the face.
A recipe with baked onions can be used to treat boils in children and pregnant women.
Cut the peeled onion in half, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven preheated to 120° for 6-8 minutes. After the baked vegetable has cooled to room temperature, apply it to the sore spot and secure with a bandage.
During pregnancy
Boils that appear on the body are an unpleasant phenomenon, especially during pregnancy. The course and formation of boils during pregnancy follows a standard pattern, without exception. It must be remembered that the female body, during such a delicate condition, is reconstructed at the hormonal level, which can create some complications, plus, the use of most medications, or even almost all, is not recommended. Traditional methods of treating furunculosis at home will come to the rescue in such a situation.
First of all, you should seek the help of a specialist, because only a doctor will identify the cause of the boil, and this is known to be an infection that can harm not only the woman, but also the unborn baby.
To treat the cause of the disease, the doctor may prescribe safe antibacterial agents, in combination with natural remedies prepared at home.
The action of traditional methods is aimed at reducing inflammation and rapid breakthrough of the boil:
- the baked or boiled onion is crushed into a paste, chopped garlic is added and applied to the affected area;
- Compresses made from tomato juice will help quickly bring the boil to maturity. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of glycerin to 250 ml of tomato juice and stir. The mixture is applied on gauze to the boil 3 times a day, until the boil is completely open;
- herbal compresses will relieve inflammation and pain. They are prepared from chamomile and sage, which are mixed in equal quantities, brewed and applied to the boil for 30 minutes.
At the same time, it is necessary to carry out measures that increase immunity - take vitamins, minerals and eat a balanced diet.
First aid
First of all, you need to fight to relieve inflammation and prevent the development of furunculosis (multiple boils). Here folk recipes will come to the rescue, such as baths with pine extract lasting up to 20 minutes. This option is good for single abscesses.
If a purulent nodule has nevertheless formed, any baths are canceled. At the second stage, ointments are used to promote the maturation of the boil, and a warm dry compress (heated towel, bag of salt) is also applied.
Before performing any procedure, hands must be treated with an antiseptic.
For unbearable pain, take painkillers.
When the abscess has opened and the contents have come out, the wound must be disinfected, a wound-healing agent applied and covered with a sterile napkin.
In children
Treatment of furunculosis sometimes drives parents to extreme measures. Some even resort to conspiracies, but there is nothing you can do to cure your child. In this case, the most correct thing would be to consult a doctor and observe hygiene standards.
Treatment of furunculosis in children can be successfully carried out at home, under medical supervision. Boils form in children when the skin is damaged by staphylococcal infections, and treatment must be unique - fast, effective and safe. That is why many experts recommend, along with medications approved for use in children, to resort to traditional methods of treatment.
To safely treat your baby, you should not try to remove the boil, squeeze it out, or follow recommendations from provocative videos. First of all, you should understand the degree of maturation of the boil, whether there is a dense lump under the skin or whether the boil is going through the first stage of development and a pustular head will soon appear.
To treat boils localized to any part of the body, be it the back, face or buttocks of a child, you can use a decoction of burdock. It cleanses the child's body of waste, toxins and infections. It is recommended that the child take the product three times a day for 5 days. Echinacea is also an effective remedy for boosting immunity at home. In addition to increasing protective functions, it has an antiviral effect and eliminates the cause of the boil.
An external and internal remedy for treating boils at the same time, with high efficiency, is goldenseal. It must be brewed in the proportion of 2 tablespoons of dry powder per 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes and take 2 teaspoons per day orally, or lubricate the boil with the solution. It must be remembered that self-squeezing, cutting out or removing a boil can lead to its re-infection and even greater spread of suppuration throughout the skin.
When is the best time to consult a specialist?
There are a number of cases when a visit to the doctor is still necessary. For example, if:
- the head of the boil is not formed;
- you are experiencing very severe pain;
- treatment does not give any results within 3 days;
- there is a lot of pus in the boil;
- increased general body temperature;
- reddish stripes begin to diverge from the boil (the first signs of lymphangitis).
Without timely treatment, furunculosis can become a fairly serious disease, including due to the complications it can cause. These include blood poisoning caused by the entry of an infectious agent into the bloodstream and the spread of furunculous rash to other parts of the body.
Remember that any disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Do not neglect the basic rules of personal hygiene, take care of your health and immunity.
We suggest you familiarize yourself with Removing acne and blackheads on the face