Boils: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment - Mayo Clinic Expert Advice

Boils manifest themselves as bumps underneath the surface of the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. These bumps begin as reddened, painful areas, then grow larger as they collect pus until they finally burst.

Causes

• Boils occur when Staphylococcus bacteria infects hair follicles, causing the telltale inflammation, pus and finally drainage. Although anyone can develop the occasional boil, people with immune diseases or diabetes can have more vulnerability to boils. In some cases, a person with boils can transfer the bacteria to another person.

Risks

• Boils do not generally present a health risk to people who get them, but once in a while the bacteria in a boil can travel into the bloodstream, leading to blood poisoning. Some strains of Staphylococcus bacteria in a boil can also resist antibiotics, making them hard to kill.

Treatment

• Smaller boils will resolve themselves in time, though warm compresses on the infected area can help to speed the healing process. For more serious cases, doctors can prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection or make an incision in the boil to force it to drain.