A boil, also known as a furuncle, starts as a painful infection of a single hair follicle. Boils can grow to a large extent, and they commonly occur on face, buttocks, neck, armpits and groin. A carbuncle is known to be a deeper skin infection that involves a set of infected hair follicles in one skin location.
Carbuncles are usually found on shoulders, back of the neck, hips and thighs, and they are especially common in middle-aged or elderly men. Carbuncles mainly affect people with diabetes.
Symptoms
A boil is a red, swollen, sore bump under the skin. A whitish tip, also known as a point or head, can appear at the center of the boil as the infection worsens. This tip is generally the area where the boil\'s pus will drain. A cluster of interconnected boils forms a carbuncle.
You generally tend to have a fever and feel sick, when you have a boil or carbuncle. Possibility of a fever is more with a carbuncle than with a single boil.
Treatment of Carbuncles
- You are recommended to use antibiotics until the inflammation gets cured completely. A continuous intake of antibiotics at least for a week is a must if you have fever along with the boil.
- Antibiotics are very effective for boils that occur in sensitive areas of the skin like the face as the skin on the face is more vulnerable than other parts of the body.
- Intake of antibiotics also helps in treating other internal diseases that are responsible for the occurrence of boils.
- Flucloxacillin is a good antibiotic for boils carbuncles treatment, but if the bacteria are anti penicillin, then it should be taken with another antibiotic known as erythromycin.
- Surgery is also another effective method for treating boils, but it should be kept as a last option by consulting your physician.
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About the Author
Adam pitt gives information on Boils Treatment,Causes of Boils & Symptoms of Boils
