Overview

Boils and carbuncles are painful, pus-filled bumps that form under your skin when bacteria infect and inflame one or more of your hair follicles.

Boils (furuncles) usually start as red, tender lumps. The lumps quickly fill with pus, growing larger and more painful until they rupture and drain. A carbuncle is a cluster of boils that form a connected area of infection under the skin.

You can usually care for a single boil at home. But don't attempt to prick or squeeze it — that may spread the infection.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Symptoms

Boils

Boils can occur anywhere on your skin, but appear mainly on your face, neck, armpits, buttocks or thighs — hair-bearing areas where you're most likely to sweat or experience friction. Signs and symptoms of a boil usually include:

• A painful, red bump that starts out about the size of a pea
• Red, swollen skin around the bump
• An increase in the size of the bump over a few days as it fills with pus (can sometimes reach the size of a baseball)
• Development of a yellow-white tip that eventually ruptures and allows the pus to drain out

Carbuncles

A carbuncle is a cluster of boils that form a connected area of infection. Carbuncles often occur on the back of the neck, shoulders or thighs. Compared with single boils, carbuncles cause a deeper and more severe infection and are more likely to leave a scar. People who have a carbuncle often feel unwell in general and may experience a fever and chills.

When to see a doctor

You usually can care for a single, small boil yourself. But see your doctor if you have more than one boil at a time or if a boil:

• Occurs on your face
• Worsens rapidly or is extremely painful
• Causes a fever
• Is more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) across
• Hasn't healed in two weeks
• Recurs

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Causes

Most boils are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria commonly found on the skin and inside the nose. Boils sometimes develop at sites where the skin has been broken by a small injury or an insect bite, which gives the bacteria easy entry.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Diagnosis

Your doctor will likely be able to diagnose a boil or carbuncle simply by looking at it. He or she might suggest sending a sample of the pus to a lab for testing. This may be useful if you have recurring infections or an infection that hasn't responded to standard treatment.

Many varieties of the bacteria that cause boils have become resistant to certain types of antibiotics. So lab testing can help determine what type of antibiotic would work best in your situation.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Complications

Rarely, bacteria from a boil or carbuncle can enter your bloodstream and travel to other parts of your body. The spreading infection, commonly known as blood poisoning (sepsis), can lead to infections deep within your body, such as your heart (endocarditis) and bone (osteomyelitis).

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Prevention

It's not always possible to prevent boils, especially if you have a weakened immune system. But the following measures may help you avoid staph infections:

• Wash your hands regularly with mild soap. Or use an alcohol-based hand rub often. Careful hand-washing is your best defense against germs.
• Keep wounds covered. Keep cuts and abrasions clean and covered with sterile, dry bandages until they heal.
• Keep personal items personal. Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels, sheets, razors, clothing and athletic equipment. Staph infections can spread via objects, as well as from person to person. If you have a cut or sore, wash your towels and linens using detergent and hot water with added bleach, and dry them in a hot dryer.

Lifestyle and home remedies

For small boils, these measures may help the infection heal more quickly and prevent it from spreading

• Warm compresses. Apply a warm washcloth or compress to the affected area several times a day. This helps the boil rupture and drain more quickly.
• Never squeeze or lance a boil yourself. This can spread the infection.
• Prevent contamination. Wash your hands thoroughly after treating a boil. Also, launder clothing, towels or compresses that have touched the infected area, especially if you have recurrent boils or carbuncles.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Risk factors

Although anyone — including otherwise healthy people — can develop boils or carbuncles, the following factors can increase your risk:

• Close contact with a person who has a staph infection. You're more likely to develop an infection if you live with someone who has a boil or carbuncle.
• Diabetes. This disease can make it more difficult for your body to fight infection, including bacterial infections of your skin.
• Other skin conditions. Because they damage your skin's protective barrier, skin problems, such as acne and eczema, make you more susceptible to boils and carbuncles.
• Compromised immunity. If your immune system is weakened for any reason, you're more susceptible to boils and carbuncles.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com