THE SUN DOCTOR

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I keep getting boils. What can be the cause and how can I prevent them from recurring? I always observe personal hygiene so I don’t believe it when people associate the condition with poor hygiene. Tee

Dear Tee,

A boil, or an abscess, is caused by an infection getting into the layers of the skin through tiny cuts or around a hair follicle, sweat glands or sebaceous glands (skin glands that produce “oil”). Because of the infection, pus forms and accumulates in that place leading to a painful swelling that may turn red. Sometimes a part of it will turn yellow due to the pus underneath.

Getting recurrent boils is associated with poor hygiene, dirty environments, being near people with some kinds of skin infections and poor blood circulation.

It could also be a sign of a weak immune system, for example due to diabetes, long term use of steroids, cancer, blood disorders, alcoholism, AIDS and other diseases. You can also get pimples that have pus in them as a result of other inflammatory skin conditions like acne, psoriasis and sometimes as part of a fungal infection.

If you are allergic to certain foods, then you can get an allergic skin reaction with a rash, swellings, and sometimes these swellings may have some fluid in them, but they are not boils. The rash or swellings can get infected due to scratching when some bacteria get into the layers of the skin.

For some people, however, there is no good reason for getting the recurrent boils.

Treatment involves opening the boil so that the pus can drain out. Sometimes, antibiotics are needed. If the swelling is small, less than 1cm diameter, you can press it with a cloth dipped in warm water several times a day for about 20 to 30 minutes.

It would also be advisable to visit a skin specialist (dermatologist) when you have the boils so that you can get an accurate diagnosis and the best way forward.