Diseases

Septic Skin (Boils)

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Boils(skin abscesses) main article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of boils. (skin abscesses)boil: a skin abscess that forms at a hair follicle infected with pus-forming bacteria.

SYMPTOMS

Boils start as red, tender lumps. These fill with pus, grow, then rupture and drain. A carbuncle is a cluster of boils.

CAUSES

Boils are usually caused by a type of bacteria called staphylococcus (staph). Many staph infections develop into abscesses and can become serious very quickly. This germ can be present on normal skin and enters the body through tiny breaks in the skin or by traveling down a hair to the follicle.