Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Anyone can develop a boil. However, people with certain illnesses or medications that impair the body's immune system (the natural defense system against foreign materials or microbes) are more likely to develop boils. Among the illnesses that can be associated with impaired immune systems are diabetes and kidney failure. Diseases, where there is inadequate antibody production (such as hypogammaglobulinemia), that are associated with deficiencies in the normal immune system can increase the tendency to develop boils.
Many medications can suppress the normal immune system and increase the risk of developing boils. These medications include cortisone medications (prednisone
[Deltasone, Liquid Pred] and prednisolone
[Pediapred Oral Liquid, Medrol]) and medications used for cancerchemotherapy.
What is the treatment for a boil?
Home treatment is an option for most simple boils. Ideally, treatment should begin as soon as a boil is noticed since early treatment may prevent later complications.
The primary home remedy for most boils is heat application, usually
with hot soaks or hot packs. Heat application increases the circulation
to the area and allows the body to better fight off the infection by bringing antibodies and white blood cells to the site of infection.
As long as the boil is small and firm, opening the area and draining the boil is not helpful, even if the area is painful. However, once the boil becomes soft or "forms a head" (that is, a small pustule is noted in the boil), it can be ready to drain. Once drained, pain relief can be dramatic. Most small boils, such as those that form around hairs, drain on their own with hot soaks. On occasion, and especially with larger boils, medical treatment is required. In this situation, the boil will need to be drained or "lanced" by a health-care practitioner. Frequently, these larger boils contain several pockets of pus that must be opened and drained.
Antibiotics are often used to eliminate any accompanying bacterial infection,
especially if there is an infection of the surrounding skin. However, antibiotics are not needed in every situation. In fact, antibiotics have difficulty penetrating the outer wall of an abscess well and often will not cure an abscess without additional surgical drainage.
Staphylococcus or Staph is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases. Staph infections can cause illness directly by infection or indirectly by the toxins they produce. Symptoms and signs of a Staph infection include redness, swelling, pain, and drainage of pus. Minor skin infections are treated with an antibiotic ointment, while more serious infections are treated with intravenous antibiotics.
Night sweats are severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment.
MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria causes skin infections with the following signs and symptoms: cellulitis, abscesses, carbuncles, impetigo, styes, and boils. Normal skin tissue doesn't usually allow MRSA infection to develop. Individuals with depressed immune systems and people with cuts, abrasions, or chronic skin disease are more susceptible to MRSA infection.
Acne is a localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of oil glands at the
base of hair follicles. This inflammation, depending on its location, can take the form
of a superficial pustule (contains pus), a pimple, a deeper cyst, congested pores, whiteheads, or blackheads. Treatments vary depending on the severity of the acne.
Ingrown hairs may be caused by improper shaving, waxing or blockage of the hair follicle. Symptoms and signs of ingrown hairs include itching, tenderness, and small red pus bumps. Ingrown hairs usually heal on their own, but topical antibiotics, chemical depilatories, and hair-removal laser may be used in the treatment of ingrown hairs.
Cysts are saclike structures that can occur throughout the body and usually contain a semisolid, liquid, or gaseous substance. Infections, tumors, genetic conditions, chronic inflammatory conditions, and wear and tear can cause cysts. Though some cysts may be palpable, others may not produce any symptoms. Treatment depends upon the location and cause of the cyst.
A pilonidal cyst is a cyst that forms near the cleft of the buttocks. The cysts are thought to be caused by the penetration of loose hairs into the skin. Symptoms and signs include pain, swelling, redness, warmth, and drainage of pus from the area of the cyst. Treatment of a pilonidal cyst involves incision and drainage.
Sporotrichosis is a skin infection caused by a fungus called Sporothrix schenckii. The fungus, which may be present in sphagnum moss, thorny plants, or baled hay, enters the skin through punctures and small cuts. Symptoms include painless bumps on the skin near the site of infection. The nodules may open and look like boils. The infection is treated with potassium iodide or itraconazole (Sporanox).
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