What are the Hazards of Squeezing a Boil?

Boils are usually caused due to bacterial infections. Within a few days of their appearance they develop a white tip due to pus formation. They can grow large in size and are usually surrounded by a reddened and slightly swollen area due to inflammation of the nearby skin.

Apart from causing pain and inconvenience the boils also mar the physical appearance of a person. If a person is prone to getting boils on the face frequently then such boils also lower the self-esteem of a person. The youngsters start feeling uneasy when it comes to meeting people, attending colleges etc due to facial boils. They become conscious about their looks when they are plagued by facial boils.

The boils take about a week to suppurate or form an opening through which the pus gets discharged. The complete life-cycle of a boil usually ends in around 25 days. Once the boil forms a head the healing process speeds up.

There are several safe and easy methods that help a boil come to a head such as poultices, black drawing salves and hot compressions. However, in a desperate attempt to get rid of the ugly boils quickly some people try to squeeze the boils.

The ripening of the boils usually marks the end of the bacterial infection by the white blood cells. The hazards of squeezing a boil pre-maturely or before it gets ripe can lead to the following:

  • The bacteria that would still be going strong will strike back again.
  • Moreover, squeezing of the boils can spread pus to other parts of the face. This pus is full of the infectious bacteria. So this can lead to more boils on the face.
  • The pressure on the boil caused by squeezing can help the bacteria to spread into the bloodstream thereby causing septicemia. The bacteria can also spread to some internal organs. This can lead to serious hazards.
  • Squeezing the boil located near the nose or the mouth can be more risky as it can spread the bacterial infection to the brain.

Since there are plenty of effective home remedies that help in bringing a boil to a head squeezing a boil would definitely be irrational and potentially risky.

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