a boil is a bacterial skin infection
that forms in hair follicles and oil
glands boils usually develop in regions
of the body that experience friction or
pressure
such as the face armpits groin shoulders
and buttocks in this video we're going
to look at what boils are
what causes them how to treat them and
finally how to prevent boils all
together so stay tuned until the end
[Music]
hi guys you seen arsenal media
pharmacist here on youtube this week's
video is on boils
smash the like button below to help this
video be seen to more people
as there's a lot of useful information
stored in here boils start out as
painful red bumps that develop a pus
filled head and will eventually burst
drain and heal within two days
to three weeks of forming but until then
there are steps that you need to take to
make sure of
so that the boil doesn't scar or spread
a boil on the eyelid is known as a
slight and a cluster of boils that form
a connected area of infection under the
skin is known as a carbuncle and this is
usually associated with fevers
here's the culprit ready for it
[Music]
staphylococcus aureus is a type of
bacteria that is commonly found already
on the skin and inside the nose
and for the most part don't do much of
their damage here they do however end up
infecting and flaming the hair follicles
if they see
a good opportunity to do so causing a
very big yellow pimple that's deeper in
the skin and quite frankly
hurts a lot more the surrounding tissue
also becomes infected and the infection
causes the skin
tissue inside the boil to break down
creating a pus filled hollow space
or what is known as an abscess what's
alarming is that they can grow to the
size of a baseball
and the area surrounding the skin can be
red and painful too and once the pus has
escaped from the red swollen blump after
a few days
either on its own or following treatment
the ball heals within a few weeks and
may leave a small scar
sometimes balls heal without the pus
coming out too which basically means
the body has already broken it down so
don't be worried if yours never bursted
but the real question here is
how can we treat them and more
importantly how can we prevent getting
boils all together let's look at
treatment first first and foremost
never pick out or squeeze a boil if it
isn't drained properly
it could actually infect nearby areas or
push the infection deeper into the skin
and cause more boils for the most part
you can treat small bowels at home by
applying warm compresses to relieve the
pain
and to speed up the natural drainage on
its own for now let's look at five ways
to treat boils
number one place a warm wet washcloth
against a bowl for 10 minutes up to four
times a day the heat increases
circulation may help bring more white
blood cells
and antibodies to the area to fight the
infection number two clean the area
around the boil with antibacterial soap
if you see pus coming out number three
cover the area with a dressing or gauze
until it heals keep in mind that as long
as the open bowl is kept clean
dry and protected it should heal within
a few days two weeks depending on its
size and location
number four try to bathe or shower every
day and wash your hands regularly and
number five talk to your pharmacist to
recommend a painkiller that is suitable
for you
if you're experiencing troublesome pain
also keep in mind that antibiotics are
only needed if complications are likely
or have already occurred
for example if several bowls have merged
into and developed into a carbuncle
it's at this point where your doctor may
drain it by making an incision into it
followed by prescribed antibiotics to
help you heal or prevent recurrent
infections which antibiotics exactly
it's hard to tell because many varieties
of the bacteria that cause boils
have become resistant to certain types
of antibiotics so lab testing can help
determine what type of antibiotic would
work best in your situation
now that the treatment's over let's look
at ways you can prevent
boils number one when you have a boil
washing and keeping your clothes and
bedding clean can help prevent infection
from spreading
number two keeping all surfaces that you
may touch
cleaned and disinfected regularly these
include doorknobs toilet seats bathtubs
and commonly used surfaces
throughout the home number three avoid
going to swimming pools or gyms until
the boil has gone
because you could pass the infection
onto others number four avoid sharing
items that come into contact with the
skin
this includes razors athletic equipment
and towels in these instances
sharing is not caring number five if
you're more prone to boils
use a textured cloth brush glove or
loofah
to exfoliate the skin once a week
especially high risk areas like
the armpits groins face and shoulders
most spoils drain and heal within two
days to three weeks
of appearing but if they don't you
should get medical attention
also let your doctor know if you have
the boil on your face if it's as large
as a ping pong ball
if you're diabetic and if you have a
boil if the skin around your bowl feels
excessively hot or painful if it's been
over a week and nothing has helped
or if they're recurring or grouped and
lastly if you feel hot and shivery and
know that whatever you do
don't pick at squeeze or use a sharp
object to pop the boil i hope this video
was useful to you guys and i hope that
you do share it with someone you know
who could benefit from it like the video
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stay on board with all my other
weekly health and wellness videos thanks
for sticking tune all the way to the end
and as always
thanks for watching