The center of the boil becomes filled with white blood cells, bacteria, and proteins often known as “pus.” Different causes of skin boils create different types of boils.
There are four main types of boils:
Furuncle or carbuncle. This kind of skin abscess is brought on by a bacterium called Staphylococcus aurus. It is often accompanied by fever or chills.
Cystic acne. This type of boil occurs when oils ducts become clogged and infected. It is most common around the face. It is particularly common in adolescents.
Hidradenitis suppurativa.
With this condition, multiple skin boils form in the armpits or groin due to infected sweat glands. Antibiotics are likely to be not effective and a surgical procedure to get rid of the sweat glands is usually required.
Pilonidal cysts.
These skin boils usually form within your crease of the buttocks. They begin as tiny infections along the hair follicles. The irritation from the direct pressure of sitting causes the inflammation to grow. These boils often form after long trips when one could have been sitting for prolonged periods of time.
There are other forms of skin boils, but these are the most common types.
Causes of skin boils
Common causes of skin boils include bacteria which may enter the skin if a foreign object such as a splinter becomes lodged in the skin, ingrown hairs, clogged hair follicles, clogged oil ducts, and clogged sweat glands.
Prevention
Skin boils can often be prevented. If you get a splinter of other foreign objected under your skin, remove it with tweezers. If you cannot grasp the object with tweezers, try gently squeezing the skin and pushing the object toward the surface of the skin. If you're unable to remove the item, see a doctor. Don't leave the foreign object under your skin, as you'll probably develop an infection.
If you have ingrown hairs, try applying hot, moist compresses to the area. Then use tweezers and try to gently free the hair from the skin. Take care not to break the skin, however. Don’t worry if you're unable to free the hair; most ingrown hairs will heal on their own.
To prevent cystic acne, wash the face twice each day with mild soap and water. For anyone who is susceptible to acne, use a delicate cleanser designed to prevent acne. Wear minimal makeup, as cosmetics can clog the oil ducts and result in acne and boils.
Boil Treatment
Skin boils can often be treated at home with hot soaks or hot packs. Boil treatment should begin the moment the boil is formed for best results. Heat application increases circulation and brings antibodies and white blood cells (which help fight infection) to the surface of the skin.
Sometimes the suitable boil treatment depends upon the reason for skin boils. Boils brought on by an infection can be treated with antibiotics. In other cases, a doctor will have to surgically open the boil to drain the pus. If this is the case, make certain to follow the doctor’s instructions about how to care for the site afterward so that you can prevent further infection. Don’t attempt to squeeze or poke boils to drain them on your own. That can cause the infection to spread and worsen.
As mentioned earlier, hidradenitis suppurativa boils do not always respond to antibiotics and sometimes sweat glands have to be surgically removed.
Author Resource:
If the natural treatments listed above don’t help, consider an effective treatment for boils using a homeopathic spray that's easy, non-messy and starts to work in as little as 24 hours.
Learn more information on boils and see Pictures of Boils.
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