Signs of an infected pimple?

This is an automatically translated article.

A boil or skin abscess is a manifestation of an infection deep in the skin. To know what are signs of an infected boil, how to treat and prevent it, readers should follow the information shared below.

1. Common types of pimples

Pimples are an infection in the hair follicles, inflammatory lesions spread around, caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The initial manifestation of boils is the appearance of red papules in the hair follicles and then gradually enlarges within 2-4 days, on the top of the boil appears pus (a sign of a ripe boil). The size of boils is from 1-2cm, can be up to 5cm or grow in clusters.
Common types of boils include:
Boils or boils: An abscess in the skin caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The patient may have 1 or more boils on the skin surface, accompanied by fever or chills; Cysts: A type of skin abscess that forms when the sebaceous glands in the skin become blocked and infected. Acne is common in teenagers; Hair cyst: A type of skin abscess that usually appears in the folds of the buttocks. Hair cysts usually appear after a long trip where you have to sit the whole journey; Purulent sweat gland inflammation: A disease in which many skin abscesses form in the armpit and groin area due to localized inflammation of the sweat glands. The progression of boils from onset to healing is about 1 week. Initially sweet and hard, gradually soft, then burst or leak pus, which can leave large scars. Boils can appear in many places on the body, often in the beard, chin, armpits, buttocks, back of the neck,... Complications at the boil can be: Widespread infection or the risk of blood infection. .

2. What are the signs of an infected boil?

When infected with boils, patients often have the following manifestations:
The boils appear close together to form a cluster of boils, the initial nodules are small in size, can increase to a size of up to 5cm, causing a infected areas of skin, with interconnected grooves beneath the skin; The skin around the boil is red, swollen, hot and painful; The inside of the boil is filled with pus, a white head can be seen on the pimple, which eventually bursts and drains out; The patient may have fever and swollen glands. If the patient has a high fever, accompanied by severe systemic symptoms, it is necessary to monitor for complications of sepsis or thrombophlebitis of the cavernous sinus. In addition, bacteria can travel through the bloodstream causing inflammation in heart valves, joints, visceral organs, kidneys, long bones, etc. Some patients have repeated boils, especially patients with diabetes. Disconnect the road .

3. When should I see a doctor?

If you have a small, single boil, you can take care of it and treat it at home. However, if there are too many boils at the same time, the whole cluster of boils or there are symptoms such as: Pimples growing on the face, affecting vision, the acne skin area is increasingly causing severe pain, fever , the size of the boil increases rapidly, the boil does not heal after more than 2 weeks, the boil recurs many times, ... then you should see a doctor for timely diagnosis and treatment.
The doctor can make a diagnosis after observing the pimples on the patient's body. Sometimes, the doctor orders a sample of the pus draining from the boils to do tests and choose the most effective treatment option. In particular, because many bacteria that cause boils can be resistant to antibiotics, tests to identify bacteria and make antibiotics are necessary to help doctors prescribe an effective drug.

4. Treatments for Infected Pimples

You can self-care and treat pimples at home with single pimples by applying warm compresses to the skin with pimples to relieve pain, stimulate the natural discharge of pus. Home remedies for small boils include:
Warm compresses several times for about 10 minutes each time during the day; Do not try to squeeze or squeeze the boil to push the pus out; Pay attention to the hygiene of the skin with pimples, wash your hands before and after touching the boils. In case the boil is too large or grows in a cluster, the patient should go to the hospital to be treated by the following methods:
Incision and drainage of pus: The doctor makes a small incision on the pimple to remove it all. pus out. After that, this skin area is carefully bandaged with sterile gauze to absorb any remaining pus inside, preventing infection from the outside; Use of antibiotics: Doctors will prescribe antibiotics for patients with boils if the pimples are severely infected or to prevent recurrence of the disease. Patients should pay attention to take the full dose and exactly as prescribed by the doctor.

5. Prevention of Infected Pimples

There is no way to 100% prevent pimples, especially if you have a weakened immune system. However, you can take steps below to reduce your risk of staph infection - the main cause of boils:
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap is not available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. This is the best way for you to protect yourself against bacteria; Keep the wound dry and clean. If there are scratches, cuts or open wounds on the skin, keep the wounds clean, ensure the wound is dry until it is completely healed; Avoid sharing personal items with others. Specifically, you should not share towels, towels, razors, toothbrushes or personal items with others because bacteria can be transmitted through these objects, entering your body; Build a scientific, healthy lifestyle and diet to strengthen the body's resistance. That is, you need to actively practice sports, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, especially vegetables rich in vitamins A, C, D, E,... Infected boils are a dangerous condition. can cause many adverse effects on the health and aesthetics of the patient. Therefore, each person needs to pay attention to hygiene, stay away from risk factors to reduce the possibility of pimples. When you have a boil, you need to follow the correct treatment as advised by your doctor to reduce the risk of infection.
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