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A boil can be very painful. The medical term for it is furuncle, and it is usually very tender, round and filled with pus.
You can get a boil from a bacterial infection, an illness, stress, food allergy, lowered resistance, poor diet, shaving, plucking hairs or poor hygiene. Many times a boil is caused by an infected hair follicle or in-grown hair. Shaving or plucking hairs can cause hair follicles to get clogged and infected. Staphylococcus is the bacteria that is usually found in the pus of a boil.
A boil could be forming under your skin if you see a red, swelling area of skin that itches and is slightly painful. Within the next 24 hours is will get really red, really painful and fill up with pus. Boils are most common on the neck, face, scalp, rear end and underarms.
Sometimes a boil’s bacteria can spread to a lymph node that is nearby. If there is a boil on the neck, check the lymph glands for swelling and tenderness. A doctor’s check up is needed in this case. When a person gets a series of many boils, it is also wise to have a Doctor’s check up to see if there is any internal problems being brought out in the skin. Look for signs of fever and lethargy when you have a boil to determine if you need to go to a doctor.
If the boil you have is just an ordinary boil, like most are, then leave it alone. Do not squeeze or puncture it in any way. You can spread the staphylococcus infection around and get more boils. Do not cover a boil with Band-Aids. You can apply a warm wash cloth to the boil for 20 minutes on and off through out the day to soften it.
To prevent boils keep your skin and fingernails clean. Improve a diet that is filled with junk food to one of vegetables and fruits. Avoid plucking hairs and use a sharp razor when shaving.
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