Developing boils on the skin is quite common. Boils are simply an infection of the hair follicle and the skin that surrounds it. This infection can become quite painful. A boil starts out as a red lump and then will fill with pus as the white blood cells rush to the area in order to fight off the infection.
Most of the time good home care will clear up a single boil, which is also referred to as a skin abscess. When a boil resists treatment or is located in a sensitive area of the body, care from a doctor may become necessary. When caring for a boil at home it is important to make sure that you do not pick at it or squeeze it as this can cause the infection to spread. The boil will typically rupture and drain on its own. Here are 8 typical causes of boils to consider.
1. Staphylococcal Bacteria
The most common cause for a boil is a germ. The germ is staphylococcal bacteria. It will enter the body through any type of nick or cut that appears in the skin. The bacteria will then travel down through the hair and into the hair follicle. As the bacteria grows, it causes the hair follicle to become inflamed. When this occurs, a red bump will often appear. As the bacteria continue to spread, so does the infection.
This can cause the hair follicle to grow, until a bump forms. The bump or boil will become quite large and inflamed. If it is picked at, the infection can spread to other areas nearby. This can cause more boils to appear on the skin. When a person has this type of infection it is best to simply leave the boil alone until it pops and then drains on its own. The white blood cells will work to kill the infection and eventually the boil will go away.
