Boils are round, puss filled areas on the skin resulting from bacterial infection. Usually healed within ten to twenty five days, they stem from a variety of factors including poor nutrition and a depressed immune system.

Boils usually start as red, tender lumps. The lumps quickly fill with pus, growing larger and more painful until they rupture and drain. Although some boils disappear a few days after they occur, most take about two weeks to heal.

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. Sometimes boils occur in clusters called carbuncles. Although anyone can develop these painful infections, people who have diabetes, a suppressed immune system, or acne or other skin problems are at increased risk.

Types of boils

There are several different types of boils :

Furuncle or carbuncle
Cystic acne
Hidradenitis suppurativa
Pilonidal cyst

Symptoms of Boils

The skin around the boil becomes infected. It turns red, painful, warm, and swollen.
More boils may appear around the original one.
A fever develops.
Lymph nodes become swollen.

Causes of Boils

Boils develop when bacteria infect the hair follicle and bores into the skin’s deeper layers. The most common microorganism to be involved is staphylococcus aureus.

skin infections of Boils

Diabetes .
Problems with the immune system .
Poor nutrition .
Poor hygiene .
Exposure to harsh chemicals that irritate the skin.

Treatment of Boils

Self Treatment:are a great way to help manage the pain and swelling associated with boils. Boils often come on unexpectedly, sometimes in the middle of the night. Be prepared by taking a look at these self-help tips. These treatments will help reduce the heat and swelling of boils and work to end the outbreak more quickly.

Medical Treatment:may be an option for you, especially if you have a particularly chronic boil or boils that recur often. Your doctor can offer you a variety of medications and treatments to end the pain of boils quickly and easily. Medical treatments also prevent the spread of the infection to surrounding skin. Medical treatments often work well in combination with self-treatment.

Other Boils treatments

Warm-water enema
Dry massage followed by cold sponge
Avoid constipation
Hot Epsom salts bath
Avoid tea/coffee, cakes, pastries, condiments and sauces.

Home Remedies for Boils

Garlic and Onion:Garlic and onions have proved most effective among the several home remedies found beneficial in the treatment of boils. The juice of garlic or onion may be applied externally on boils to help ripen them, break them, and evacuate the pus. An equal quantity of the juices of these two vegetables can also be applied with beneficial results. Eating of two to three pods of garlic during meals will also bring good results.

Bitter Gourd:Bitter gourd is another effective home remedy for blood-filled boils. A cupful of fresh juice of this vegetable, mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice, should be taken, sip by sip, on an empty stomach daily for a few months to treat this condition.

Cumin Seeds:Cumin seeds are beneficial in the treatment of boils. The seeds should be ground in water and made into a paste. This paste can be applied to boils with beneficial results.

Milk Cream:Milk cream is beneficial in the treatment of boils. One teaspoon of milk cream, mixed with half a tea spoon of vinegar, and a pinch of turmeric powder, makes an excellent poultice. It helps in ripening the blood boils and in their healing without allowing them to become septic.