A boil, known medically as an abscess, is a painful skin and soft-tissue infection. Boils first appear as a circular, reddened area of skin. This area quickly becomes swollen and painful as it extends from the skin to deeper tissues. It develops a white center filled with bacteria, dead cells, proteins and white blood cells, commonly known as pus. Boils are caused mainly by bacteria known as Staphylococcus aureus. According to the Merk Manual, S. aureus is the most dangerous of the staph bacteria; it lives in the nasal cavities and skin of many individuals. Boils can appear anywhere in a person's body, but they most often develop in armpits, buttocks, groin and abdomen areas.
Sport Activities
Those who participate in contact sport activities, such as football, wrestling or basketball, are very susceptible to getting boils. The sharing of towels, soap bars, sports equipment and general proximity to other players readily allow bacteria to enter skin with nicks and cuts.
Beauty Salons
According to the Centers for Disease Control, customers of beauty salons receiving hot wax treatments developed groin area boils by coming in contact with infected wax, instruments and employees.
Hot Tubs
Those who enjoy spa pools, whirlpools and hot tubs can get boils from a bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This bacteria is transmitted from infected individuals through poorly chlorinated water into the hair follicles of unsuspecting bathers.
Bites
Travelers who go to the tropics and sustain insect bites or other cuts are vulnerable to boils caused by S. aureus or another bacteria called Streptococcus pyogenes. It is often difficult to maintain good hygiene while in the tropics. Boils will often continue for extended an period--weeks or months--after getting home.
People
About one-third of the population has a permanent colonization of S. aureus but has no symptoms of illness; these people are called carriers. Those who are in close proximity to carriers in shelters, prisons or sport teams, can get boils from them. Coming in contact with infected items such as TV remote controls, doorknobs, cell phones, elevator buttons or even infected droplets after a carrier sneezes, can also lead to S. aureus contamination and a boil infection.
Poor Hygiene
Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that causes boils, grows and accumulates in unwashed skin. Poor bathing habits, especially in warm humid climates, increases the chances of boil formation.
Skin Conditions
Those who have psoriasis, eczema, exposure to harsh chemicals, scabies, acne or other itchy conditions that cause a person to scratch the skin, are at risk for getting boils.
Diabetes
Individuals with diabetes have a hormone imbalance. Their bodies produce insulin that they are not able to use, and their immune system is generally weak. All of these diabetic symptoms have been linked with the development of boils. These boils appear mainly in oily parts of the skin such as the face, neck, armpits, chin and groin.
Weak Immune System
Consuming excess alcohol, nutritionally poor junk food, excess sugar or using steroids or antibiotics are all practices that weaken the immune system. People with a weakened immune system have a difficult time fighting bacteria such as the ones that cause boils.
References
- The Merck Manual of Medical Information: Staphylococcus Aureus Infections
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Recurring Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infections in a Football Team
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Staphylococcus Aureus-Associated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Ambulatory Care
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Travelers
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