How to Care for a Boil

A boil is a skin infection, most often caused by the microbe Staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria gets into a hair follicle, forms pus, and the result is a boil when the pus moves upwards and reaches the surface of the skin.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Washcloths
• Antibacterial Ointments
• First Aid Kits
• Saline Solutions

1. Avoid squeezing a boil, as this may spread the infection.

2. Allow the boil to come to a head and open on its own. Applying a warm compress two or three times a day will speed up this process.

3. Keep the area very clean, especially after the boil has begun to drain.

4. Apply a saline solution once the boil has opened. Mix 1 tsp. table salt with 1 c. hot water. Wet a washcloth in the solution and apply it to the boil. This can help dry it out and reduce the amount of pus.

Tips & Warnings

• Most boils heal on their own. You should see a doctor if the area becomes increasingly red and inflamed, or if it does not go away within two weeks.

Who Can Help:

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[labellefleur100]

on 2/14/2009 Boils are gross but for some of us they are tempting to pick at which is a no-no. You will increase your chance of infection. Great advice! 5*

[musicdiva]

on 2/12/2009 Barbmarch58 is RIGHT!! Don't wait!! MRSA has become so aggressive...I had a tiny one under my armpit and thought it was just an infected hair. WRONG!! Wound up at the doctor 2 days later with a lump the size of a hald dollar and about 1 1/2 inches high!! And the pain was unbearable not including the fact I had started throwing up and running a fever. After massive doses of antibiotics (that also make you feel awful)by injection and by mouth and steriod injections and pain meds, it took 3 weeks for this thing to go away. If the boil has a hard knot to it, no matter how small, GO TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. It could save you life!!

[BarbMarch58]

on 2/4/2009 I had a very small boil (less than one-eighth inch in diameter) that GREW TO THE SIZE OF A HARD-BOILED EGG in 4 hours. I was rushed to the ER where I had emergency surgery and the "boil" turned out to by a life-threatening MRSA infection. I was hospitalized for 7 days in isolation and almost lost my life. It took 5 days for the white cell count to "turn the corner" and only then did the doctors know that I'd live. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!!

[peterpan56]

on 5/10/2008 simple and strait forward advice.
http://health-pictures.com/infection/boil-infection-picture.htm

on 6/30/2006 My daughter suffered from boils. Read what you can on Tea Tree Oil. It helped her boils go away. I had tried many other methods, this seemed to work the best for us. Now I use the oil for many different things. Read up and become informed.