Boils are pretty common. They develop in a hair follicle – the pore that surrounds a strand of hair – and the skin around it. Several health problems can cause boils. Your doctor will need to check you out in order to figure out the cause. In the meantime, you’ll want to try to treat the boils on your own at home.
What’s a Boil?
A boil, also called a furuncle, might start out as a tender or sore, swollen spot on or under the skin in a darker color than the rest of your skin. On Black skin, it might be purple or a darker flesh tone. On lighter skin, it could look pink or red.
It can range from the sie of a pea to a golf ball. They usually grow quickly and spread to other areas of the body.
They can also join with other boils to form a cluster. This is called a carbuncle.
Boils eventually fill with fluid or pus. You may see that they have a white or yellow center at this time. As the pus builds up, the pain can get worse. When the boil drains, it will hurt less. Sometimes a boil drains on its own. You might notice oozing, weeping or crusting. But they usually need to be opened and allowed to drain.
Causes of Boils
Boils or hard, oozing bumps themselves aren’t a health condition. But they can be a symptom of something else. Here’s a look at some of the problems that can cause oozing bumps and boils.
Staph infection. The most common cause of boils is infection with a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, or “staph” for short.
If you have a staph infection, depending on how severe it is, you could also have:
- Trouble breathing
- Fever
- Chills
Other bacteria, besides staph, can also cause boils. The symptoms of other bacterial infections would be similar to those of a staph infection.
Fungal infections. These can also cause boils or painful pus-filled bumps. Depending on the type of fungal infection and how severe it is, you could also have:
- Asthma-like symptoms
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle aches or joint pain
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Chest pain
- Itchy or scaly skin
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This inflammatory skin disease happens when your hair follicles get blocked for reasons experts don’t understand. With this condition, you might also notice:
- Blackheads, especially pairs of them, in small, pitted areas of the skin, such as acne scars
- Painful pea-sized lumps, starting with one that lasts weeks or months, followed by more later, in areas where skin rubs together or where there are more sweat glands
- Oozing, weeping bumps that fill with pus, then break open and drain
- Tunnels that form under the skin, connecting the lumps and draining blood and pus
If you think this might be the cause of your boil, it’s important to see a doctor right away. HS is a long-term disease with repeated flares. You’ll need medicine and possibly surgery to manage the symptoms. The sooner you get a diagnosis and care, the better you will do.
What to Do About Boils
Most boils clear up in a couple of weeks without the need for a doctor’s attention.
During that time, you can take steps to ease the discomfort and speed the healing process. Simply place a warm, damp washcloth on the boil several times a day. Make sure to use a clean cloth every time. The heat can soften up the pus to relieve pressure and help it drain.
When to See a Doctor
If you have a boil that doesn’t clear up in a couple of weeks with self-care, you need to have it checked out. A doctor can figure out the root cause and treat that.
You should also see a doctor if you have more than one boil or a boil that:
- Is on your face
- Affects your vision
- Gets worse fast or gets worse with self-care
- Is extremely painful
- Came with a fever
- Comes back
A boil that’s very painful, won’t go away or keeps coming back, and causes scarring could also be a sign of HS. Boils from this condition might make it hard to move. They also tend to appear in more than one place on your body, often where skin rubs together, like an armpit. If you have any of these signs, see a doctor.
Show Sources
Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images
SOURCES:
Mount Sinai: “Boils.”
Mayo Clinic: “Boils and carbuncles,” “Hidradenitis suppurativa.”
Minnesota Department of Health: “About Staphylococcus aureus.”
Cleveland Clinic: “Boils & Carbuncles.”
Northwestern Medicine: “Symptoms of Fungal Infections.”
