HEALTHY LIVING Dealing with skin boils

Boils are probably one of the most uncomfortable skin conditions imaginable. These painful lumps on the skin can pop up anywhere, but are mostly found in places where there’s hair, sweat and friction. Such places include inner thighs, armpits and other such places.

According to Dr. Richard Agaba of Umaru Musa Yaradua Hospital, Sabon Wuse, Niger State; he says the boil develops, a mix of dead bacteria, dead white blood cells and dead skin cells accumulate to form pus. Although they may vary in size, the effect and pain is the same.

There are simple ways to prevent boils which include washing and bathing frequently with mild antibacterial soap, cleaning small cuts and wounds with appropriate ointments such as iodine and disinfectants, covering wounds properly until well healed and also, eating well and exercising to boost the function of your immune system.

However, if you happen to fall on the unfortunate side and develop a boil, it can also be treated at home or with medication. Either way, it should fully heal and disappear within a time span of one to three weeks.

Ways to treat boils at home include:

Applying a warm and moist compress for intervals of 10 minutes three times a day to increase blood circulation around the boil and in turn, attract more white blood cells to fight the infection within the boil.

Once the boil bursts, cover it with a sterile dressing to prevent further spread of infection and wash your hands with hot water and antibacterial hand wash.

But if the boil is painful, over the counter pain killers can be taken to curb it.

If this doesn’t work for you and the boil doesn’t burst (never burst it yourself for it will only further complicate matters), taking antibiotics to fight the bacteria and aid the healing process is also another option. Also, going to a see a doctor is also a good idea so that a professional can take the necessary measures of draining and treating the boil.