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A boil is an abscess or an infection of the skin and are most often caused by Staphylococcus. The boil starts off as a blemish on the skin at the base of the hair follicle, which is tender to touch and red in color. It firms up over time when the core fills with white blood cells.
This happens when the white blood cells are trying to fight an infection. The boil grows and becomes more painful as the pus starts forming. Eventually the pus comes to a head and can be drained. This draining can be done either surgically or at home through the surface of the skin.
Boils are generally located on the skin area of the chest, breasts, neck, face and buttocks. Some of the symptoms of boils include bumps on the skin which get larger every day, fever, a dome shaped nodule and pain around the area that is infected. Boils are normally contagious, so if the boil area is handled it can spread to other parts of the body. Carbuncles are multiple boils that occur on the skin in the form of clusters of red and cause a lot of skin irritation. They tend to form tunnels beneath the surface of the skin. Some of the causes include poor hygiene, poor nutrition, and illnesses like flu or cold. The staph bacteria at times also spread through contact with contaminated towels, washcloths, hairbrushes and so on. Diabetes and other diseases and infections lower the body’s immune system and can also be the cause of boils occurring.
Some ways to treat boils is to apply heat to the boil by applying a warm cloth or a hot water bottle. This can be done three or four times daily. Prevent the spread of the boils by having baths regularly, using clean and sterile towels and clothes. Increase in the intake of Vitamin C during an infection can help to boost the patient’s immune system. Garlic and onions are an effective home remedy. They can be applied on the boil area and help them to ripen and break. Boils can also be treated with bitter gourd. A boiled a cup of bitter gourd with a teaspoon of lime juice drunk on an empty stomach can also be of great help. Milk cream forms a great poultice along with vinegar and turmeric powder. Usage of betel leaves helps the boils rupture faster and can then be drained. Cumin seeds can be made into a paste with water and then applied. Similarly, parsley steeped in boiled water can be wrapped in a linen cloth and applied over the boil. A well balanced diet can help the immune system fight the infection too.
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