Furuncle – What is it, Symptoms and Treatments
What is a boil: A boil is a skin infection caused by bacteria that involves a hair follicle, the sebaceous gland, and the subcutaneous tissue next to it. Its main characteristic is the formation of a reddish, painful, hardened and hot nodule, with a yellowish area in the central part, indicative of the presence of pus. The size of the boil can vary according to the depth of the infected tissues.
Boil Symptoms: Boils can appear anywhere on the body but are most common on the face, neck, armpits , buttocks, and thighs. A boil may start as a swollen, tender, pinkish-red lump. Over time, it will look like a balloon filled with water or a cyst. The pain gets worse as it fills with pus and dead tissue and increases when it is drained. It is possible for the boil to drain itself.
- The appearance of a red, painful, pus-filled lump
- Redness and sweating of the skin around the abscess
- Gradual growth in the size of the nodule as it fills with pus
- Emergence of a yellowish area in the central part of the boil , which can eventually rupture, allowing pus to leak out
- Fatigue, malaise, itching before the boil develops and fever.
You should never squeeze a boil . The drainage process, when indicated, has to be done in an aseptic and non-traumatic way to reduce the risk of aesthetically undesirable scars and prevent new bacteria from penetrating into the skin. Draining the wrong way can facilitate re-infection of the area and the spread of bacteria into the bloodstream.
Boils usually break spontaneously after a few days. In most cases, moist compresses with hot water, at least 3 times a day, are sufficient to accelerate spontaneous drainage. Do not use ointments to treat boils on your own. In most cases they are not necessary. Cleaning the lesion can only be done with mild soap and water. antibiotics are also not usually necessary.
In cases of large abscesses, which do not drain spontaneously after a few days, a small incision made by the doctor may be indicated to speed up the healing process. Medical drainage is usually done in cases of boils that:
- They last more than 10 days.
- They have an extensive inflamed area around them.
- They are located in areas at risk for complications, such as the face and regions close to the spine.
- They cause fever.
- They are multiple lesions (carbuncles).
When to use antibiotics: In some situations, the use of antibiotics after drainage of the abscess may be indicated. Are they:
- Multiple abscesses.
- Furuncle more than 2 cm in diameter.
- Furuncle with extensive area of cellulite (inflammation) around it
- Fever.
- Absence of improvement of the lesion after drainage.
- Patients with some degree of immunosuppression.
The use of antibiotics is not always necessary. It depends on the severity of the case and the clinical condition of the patient. When the physician opts for treatment with antibiotics , oxacillin, flucloxacillin, cephalexin, cephradine, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or clindamycin are valid options.