Archive for January, 2010

The word abscess refers to the accumulation of the pus in a cavity due to an infection. Such an abscess on skin may be found in any part of the body and also in the soft tissues below the skin. Doctors may have to perform a surgery to get rid of them if they are extensive in nature.

The abscess on skin may develop from a hard and red pimple to a soft and pus filled one. This pus is usually white in color and it consists of white blood cells, dead tissue and bacteria. Usually, the abscess is an aftermath of a bacterial infection. However, all bacterial infections may not result in the accumulation of pus in the skin.

Some of the bacteria produce harmful toxins in the body. The immune system tries to get rid of these bacteria by sending white blood cells to the infected part. During this tussle between the bacteria and the immune system some of the body’s tissues consequently die. This creates a gap which may get filled by the pus. If the abscess on skin is left unattended and becomes large, the gap thereby formed gets bigger and is filled with more pus.

Fungi may also lead to the formation of skin abscess in case of a wound.

When the abscess is mild, it may get cured on its own. Skin grows once again on the affected part. However, if the abscess is large or is within the body, then it needs to be removed by surgery. The doctor makes an incision to drain out the pus.

It is not advisable to drain or lance the large boils on ones own. Skin abscess is contagious and any kind of meddling with it may result in the spread of the infection. A high standard of hygiene is essential to tackle this skin problem.

If a small abscess gets drained by itself, anti septic powder should be sprinkled over it and the wound should be kept covered.

The abscess which consists of two gaps linked by a narrow isthmus in the hands or feet is known as collar- button abscess.

Apart from the bacteria named staphylococci, fungus may also cause abscess. The abscess in the liver is caused by amoebae. In this type of an infection, the organ gets infected either by the blood flow or the penetration of the tissues beneath the skin, which has an infected bite or a wound.

The smaller abscesses bring about pain but the larger ones may cause fever, chills etc because they occur as a result of an internal infection.

One needs to consult the doctor immediately if the abscess is large one with red streaks appearing around it.

If the abscess is small, then warm compresses several times daily, may be beneficial. It improves the blood circulation in the infected area resulting in quick recovery.

Draining of the larger ones is best done medically. The doctor makes an incision on the skin through which the pus is removed either by a pipe or by leaving the cut open. The skin area around the abscess has to be numbed before making an incision.

The abscess usually gets cured after the draining or lancing. In some cases medicines are needed to complete the treatment. However the internal abscess may be quite risky at times. They may harm the nearby tissues, leading to the hampering of some body functions.

Certain antibiotics are prescribed by doctors to cure bacterial infection. However, the penetration of the medicine through the blood stream to the infected part gets hampered by the lining of the abscess.

The abscess on skin is completely curable by a medical treatment. Hence, it should not be neglected or allowed to get complicated.

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A boil or skin abscess occurs due to a number of reasons. By and large, boils are the outcome of localized infections caused by the bacteria named staphylococcus aurous. The bacteria enter the skin through minor cuts on the skin and accumulate in the hair follicles. There they multiply and cause infections. These skin infections begin with the infected area turning red and itchy. Later in pus forms in the boils.

If the boils are mild, then one need not seek medical treatment. Certain boils get treated naturally and subside after some time provided they are not pinched, squeezed or pressed in an attempt to cure them.

The pus filled boils are completely healed once they get lanced or drained. But for this a head or pustule needs to be formed on them. Without a head, draining a boil would not be of much use. It is only after the boil matures and becomes soft with pus that it can be cleaned.

In order to accelerate the ripening of the boil, a heat treatment is widely used as one of the boil cures. Cloth dipped in hot water is placed on the boils several times daily. This improves the blood circulation in the infected area. So, more white blood cells enter the infected region to eat up the bacteria. The white blood cells are sent to fight the infection as a natural defense mechanism of the body.

The heat treatment helps the boil in reaching a stage where it can be drained. Once the pus starts oozing out, that area should be washed with an anti-bacterial soap to prevent the spread of infection. A medical ointment should be applied over the boil. It should be given a warm compress and cleaned a few times more before it gets completely healed. One should abstain from using needles etc to prick the boil to avoid further complications.

If the boil is large and painful, it is advisable to have it lanced by a doctor. He will begin the minor surgery with numbing the boil area with a local anesthetic. Later on, an incision is made on the skin. The pus comes out by itself or it may be extracted with the help of a tube. The doctor usually prescribes some antibiotics in case of a severe infection along with a blood test.

Certain symptoms imply that the infection is severe or has spread into the blood stream. Hence, if one observes red lines emerging around the boil, swelling in the lymph glands, a fever and chills along with the boil or a prominent red line over the boil, then it requires an immediate medical check up for a timely treatment.

Certain boils occur in places such as the nose and the lips area, making them quite risky. A little carelessness such as biting the lips may spread the bacterial infection to the brain or the blood stream.

Besides the heat treatment there are a number of home based boil cures which are convenient and make use of certain herbs which are well known for their therapeutic and anti- bacterial properties.
Some of the popular boil cures are as follows:

1. A betel nut leaf is mildly heated and pure castor oil is smeared on its surface. The leaf is then placed over the boil and tied. After a few applications, the boil bursts open.

2. Honey, well known for its anti-bacterial properties is applied over the infected area for quick recovery. It can also be mixed with oil. Fresh figs are soaked in the honey also to cure the boils

3. A slice of bread is added to boiling water. Once it gets soft, it should be removed and applied on the boil after it cools down to some extent.

4. Iodine is used to prevent the boil from aggravating.

5. A lemon which has been cut into a half is also used as it is one of the effective boil cures.

Since boils are contagious, they need to be handled with care. In case someone in the family has been suffering from recurrent boils, then the towels, bed sheets etc used by that person should be kept clean.

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A blood boil is a localized skin infection which is triggered by bacteria. Sometimes a minor cut, scratch etc make an opening in the skin making it susceptible to bacterial invasion. If a proper skin cleansing regimen is not followed, bacteria may get a chance of entering the skin and infecting it.

Boils vary in their sizes, cause of occurrence and location on the body. They may be either a mild infection which goes away by itself or else they may be severe in nature, with deep seated infections and other complications. Gradually, they develop and mature, thereby forming pus, a head and lastly getting drained.

They have a tendency to develop in hairy regions such as the armpits, forehead, neck etc. This is primarily because the oil glands and the sweat glands being quite active in the hairy regions, release a lot of sebum which when mixed with sweat, clogs the skin pores and causes boils. Hence, it is advisable to keep the armpits clean especially after exercises and gym sessions.

For detection of blood boils and a timely blood boils treatment, one needs to be vigilant about the following symptoms:

• Although this symptom goes unnoticed in most cases, but there is an itchy feeling in the infected area along with an irritation in the skin, when touched.

• The infected area becomes red and tender with a slight swelling.

• When the tussle continues between the bacteria and the body’s defense system, the resultant dead skin tissues create a gap in the skin which gets filled up by the pus. As the bacteria spread the infection speedily, the gap becomes larger and so does the size of the boil. In certain cases, there have been complains of boils equal to the size of a golf ball.

• The presence of red blood cells along with pus forms a red lump.

• Pus forms in the center of the boil which consists of the dead skin tissues, white blood cells and the bacteria. The white blood cells which impart a white tinge to the boils are a part of the defense mechanism of the body and are sent to the boil region to kill the bacteria.

• As the boil matures, it erupts like a tiny volcano on the skin. The pus and the blood filled in the boil trickles out intermittently. Both these discharges can lead to complications. Hence, they should be cleaned carefully as soon as they ooze out of the boil.

Quite a few boils get healed naturally without any treatment. However some recurrent boils become a cause of worry. The conditions which require immediate steps are as follows:

• Some boils occur in sensitive regions. Boils on the lips, near the nose and eyes call for an immediate medical check up. Biting of the lips which have a boil nearby may allow the infection to enter the blood stream, causing a serious trouble. Carbuncles can leave scars and some other boils, if untreated, can permanently damage the skin by forming pits on it. Hence, one needs to be cautious in dealing with complicated boils.

• If boils keep reappearing in kids or aged people, it can trouble them.

• If a large boils persists for more than a week, in spite of all curative steps, one should seek a doctor’s help immediately.

• When boils appear in clusters, medically referred to as carbuncles, they will not subside until suitable antibiotics are given by a doctor.

• If the boils have a thick red line across them, they need medical supervision.

• If the boils become so tender that even a slight movement of the body leads to pain.

• If there is a swelling in the lymph nodes.

Besides the medical treatment of lancing and antibiotics, a home based blood boils treatment is also quite effective in relieving the pain

1. Having a cup of bitter gourd juice with some lemon juice on an empty stomach not only clears the skin of the blood boils, but if taken continuously for several months prevents in their recurrence.

2. A spoonful of turmeric stirred in a glass of warm water works wonders for the skin. Turmeric has therapeutic properties and is widely used for skin treatments. It is anti- inflammatory as well as a blood purifier.

3. A mixture containing cod liver oil, lemon and orange juice along with some honey when consumed thrice a day helps in getting rid of the fatigue caused by the excruciating pain of the boils.

Homeopathy too offers a good blood boils treatment. Ingredients such as sulphur used in homeopathic medicines help in minimizing the pain caused by the boils and their total eradication.

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A skin abscess refers to the accumulation of pus along with some infected material on the skin. It is a commonly occurring skin problem. There are different names assigned to this type of bacterial infections based on their source and extent. For the sake of convenience, they are generally clubbed together as boils or abscesses.

A skin abscess may result from:

1. An infection caused by the bacteria named Staphylococcus aurous.

2. A skin abrasion or a slight wound,

3. A folliculitis, which refers to an infection that is restricted to the hair follicle.

4. Cystic acne.

5. Ingrown hair.

6. Medications which suppress the immune system, thereby making the body prone to develop boils.

7. Food or an airborne allergy.

8. Thyroid disorders

9. Lack of hygiene

10. Toxic bowel

11. Junk food

When a person gets a boil, there is a tender pimple which gradually gets hardened. Subsequently, the infected region gets softened as it gets filled with pus, which comprises of white blood cells. This is a defense mechanism of the body to check the spread of the infection to other parts.

Abscess boil treatment is immediately required because boils are contagious and may also lead to complications.

Some of the different types of boils are cystic acnes, carbuncles, foruncles, folliculitis, pilonidal cysts etc.

Abscess boil treatment may differ according to the nature of the boil or abscess. In some cases, the boils get cured by themselves. Mild folliculitis and tiny furuncles get healed by a proper hygiene and care routine. Medication becomes imperative in cases where the boils are extensive and painful.

The aim of the abscess boil treatment is to get rid of the infection so that it does not spread any further.

If the boil is a mild one, it may be treated with a heat treatment comprising of hot packs. Heat is basically applied to accelerate the recovery by improving the blood circulation to the affected part. The body dispatches more white blood cells and antibodies to the affected region to fight off the infection.

It is not advisable to try to drain the boil if it is firm. Once it softens and forms a head or a pustule, draining it may help in relieving the pain.

Abscess boil treatment for some of the types of boils is as follows:

1. Cystic acne refers to the boils which are found mainly on the face amongst adolescents. It results from the blocking and infection of the oil glands. Some of the treatments include oral antibiotics, a hormonal treatment, topical bactericidals, oral retinoids, dermabrasion, sulphur, subcision, phototherapy, laser treatment etc.

2. Furuncles may occur due to the damage of the hair follicle which may let the bacteria enter deep into the tissues of the follicle.

Treatment is essential if the furuncle persists for more than a couple of weeks or if it reappears after healing on its own. Soaking the area with warm and moist cloth speeds the recovery. Attempts should not be made to squeeze it as this may spread the infection. Draining or lancing is best done surgically by a doctor. Systemic antibiotics are used to control repeated furuncles.

3. A carbuncle consists of several furuncles. A doctor should be consulted in case it is accompanied by a fever, swelling around the infected region or red streaks. The treatment is more or less the same as a furuncle. If they occur frequently, the doctor may treat them with antibiotics.

Prevention of these types of bacterial infections may require a proper health and hygiene standards.

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