No matter where you get them, boils (also known as skin abscesses) are difficult to deal with, and they usually erupt in the worst possible places under your arms, along creases and skin folds, inside the thighs, on your face just about anywhere and they can be excruciating so you will need to see your private GP!
Boils are localized infections caused by bacteria or toxins that find their way into your skin and infect deep skin tissues. They often start out as reddened, tender spots which then become hard, painful nodules that fill with white blood cells (pus) and form a “head.” The skin surrounding a boil is often angry, red and extremely sensitive. If the boil does not erupt and drain in some cases the skin must be lanced by a physician to clean out the infection. Some people suffer from repeated outbreaks of boils (Furunculosis).
There are a number of treatment and prevention options for boils ranging from old-home remedies from private doctors passed down over the generations to medical interventions and surgery.
The one important thing to remember is that boils are most commonly related to low immune system functioning.
By boosting the immune system, you’ll be able to prevent boils and recurrent infections.
Your primary care doctor or private gynaecologist can diagnose a boil by visual examining your skin.
But sometimes they take a sample of pus to check for the type of bacteria it contains.
In some cases involving recurrent boils on the face, the doctor may need to consider acne as a possible diagnosis.
If you have frequent recurrences of boils within a short period of time, your doctor may do blood tests to check for diabetes or other medical conditions that can increase your risk of repeated infections.
Your doctor can make a culture from pus taken from the boil or carbuncle to confirm the
diagnosis of a staphylococcal infection.