What Are Furuncles And Carbuncles ?

Furuncles and Carbuncles are small to large sized boils that form under a person's skin due to a bacterial infection of the hair follicles. The boil will usually grow in size and then rupture and drain out on its own. However if the boils continue to remain over a period of time (say more than 2 weeks) one would need  to seek medical attention and get the necessary treatment.

Symptoms:

Boils are typically characterised by the formation of bumps under the skin that are reddish in color. As the bump gets filled with pus it continues to increase in size and finally ruptures and drains out. Smaller boils like furuncles usually drain out on their own and heal within 1 or two weeks. However larger boils (or) clusters of boils like carbuncles tend to heal more slowly and can also result in serious infections.

When To See A Doctor ?

Smaller boils are easy to take care of as they break and drain out on their own and one may not need to see a doctor immediately. However in the case of very large boils or boils which do not heal on their own or if they keep appearing in the same or different areas of the body you would definitely need to see a doctor about it. You should also look out for red lines across the boil as this could indicate that the bacteria has penetrated into your lymphatic system in which case you have to see a doctor immediately.

Causes:

Boils occur when certain hair follicles on the skin get inflammed due to a bacterial infection. Boils are generally caused by staph bacteria which can enter through a breakage or opening in the skin. The accumulation of pus in the boils is composed of a mixture of old white blood cells, bacteria and dead cells.

Boils - Complications:

If the bacteria in the boils manage to enter your bloodstream, it can spread to various other parts of your body and can turn deadly. Once the bacteria enters the bloodstream it can result in sepsis (or) blood poisoning. Symptoms of blood poisoning include fever, weakness and an increased heart rate. Blood poisoning is a very serious condition and should be treated as soon as possible.

Boils Treatment:

 To treat small boils take a warm compress and gently apply it on the boil to reduce pain and increase circulation to that area. When the boil gradually turns into a head it will eventually break and drain out on its own. Once the boil drains out care should be taken to wash the affected area using soap and clean warm water.If the infection is severe or the boils are large in size, your doctor may prescribe certain antibiotics to take (or) may use a sterile gauze to keep the incision open and allow the pus to continue to drain out.

Prevention:

Some simple steps like washing your hands regularly , cleaning your wound frequently with soap and water, and not sharing your personal things like clothes, towels, razors etc with other people can help in preventing boils and other staph infections.