Why prone to boils

Give pain relief if necessary Give your child paracetamol, if needed, to help with the soreness. What treatments are available if my child's boil gets worse?

Antibiotics if there are several boils, or they are large and painful, your doctor will usually prescribe antibiotic medicine if your child needs to take antibiotics, follow your doctor's instructions and take them until they are finished, even if the boils have gone Surgery - incision and drainage If your child's boil has become an abscess, it may need a small operation.

Normally, there are no problems. Check out how to stop skin infections. Email us now. Print this page. Skin Infections - Checking Them. Topics A-Z or. About Copyright Disclaimer Privacy. Back to top. Featured Normal Sleep Patterns.

Parenting Teens - Communication. Nutrition Months. Parenting Skills. Sleeping Sound. Top 25 pages. Featured Fever. Brain Injury. Cerebral Palsy. Child Abuse. Childhood Cancer. Childhood Illness - The Basics. Common Problems. Developmental Disability. Disability Support. Newborn Babies. A boil is a painful, pus-filled bump under your skin — the result of a bacterial infection of one or more hair follicles. A carbuncle is a cluster of boils — painful, pus-filled bumps — that form a connected area of infection under the skin.

A boil is a painful, pus-filled bump that forms under your skin when bacteria infect and inflame one or more of your hair follicles. A carbuncle is a cluster of boils that form a connected area of infection under the skin. Boils furuncles usually start as reddish or purplish, tender bumps. The bumps quickly fill with pus, growing larger and more painful until they rupture and drain.

Areas most likely to be affected are the face, back of the neck, armpits, thighs and buttocks. You can usually care for a single boil at home. But don't attempt to prick or squeeze it — that may spread the infection. Boils can occur anywhere on your skin, but appear mainly on the face, back of the neck, armpits, thighs and buttocks — hair-bearing areas where you're most likely to sweat or experience friction.

Signs and symptoms of a boil usually include:. A carbuncle is a cluster of boils that form a connected area of infection. 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.

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:. Most boils are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacterium commonly found on the skin and inside the nose. Skip to main content.

Home Skin. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms of boils Risk factors for boils Other infections Self-help options Treatment for boils Where to get help. A boil, or furuncle, is an infection of a hair follicle caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus S. This common bacterium inhabits the skin, and approximately one third of the population carry the germ in their noses.

Certain areas of the body are more susceptible to boils, including the face, throat, armpits, groin and buttocks. A boil on the eyelid is known as a stye. A carbuncle is an aggregate of connected furuncles and has several pustular openings.

Boils usually resolve by themselves, but severe or recurring cases require medical treatment. Options include lancing and draining the boil, and antibiotics. Symptoms of boils The evolution of a boil includes: A small area of skin becomes inflamed and tender A painful lump appears After a few days, a white or yellow head forms The boil bursts The pus drains out The site heals A scar may form, depending on the severity of the boil.

Risk factors for boils Cuts, abrasions or scratches allow the bacteria to gain access to deeper tissues. Certain factors make a person more susceptible to outbreaks of boils, including: Diabetes — recurring boils may be symptomatic of uncontrolled diabetes, especially for people aged over 40 years.

Poor hygiene — sweat and dead skin cells in natural creases and crevices, such as the armpit, provide a hospitable home for bacteria.

Broken skin — other skin conditions, such as eczema, can break the skin surface. Other infections Staphylococcus bacteria can cause a range of infections, from relatively mild to severe and life threatening.