Gaby
A boil is the body’s protective response. By forming a pimple, our body isolates the affected area from healthy tissues, while without a pus-filled capsule, bacteria can freely “travel” between cells. What are the treatment specifics for skin rashes depending on their type?
What Causes Pimples?
The common cause of pustule formation is a weakened immune system. Factors that can lead to diminished protective properties include skin damage and poor hygiene, gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic issues, overly strict diets and exhaustion, vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, lack of sleep, stress, and temperature extremes. When the body is invaded by pathogenic flora (such as streptococci, staphylococci, and various bacilli), microbes spread through skin or mucosal damage via blood and lymphatic vessels. The formation of a pus capsule is the body’s defensive reaction: it isolates the affected area from healthy tissues.
The accumulation of pus leads to a painful swelling known as an abscess (from the Latin “abscessus” meaning boil). It can be either external or internal. In the case of a superficial abscess, there is warmth at the site of inflammation, and fluid can be felt upon touch. The inflammation manifests as a characteristic red bump on the skin or mucous membrane. After 3-4 days, a pus head forms there, resulting in a boil or furuncle. Its signs include redness, swelling, and a bump with a black dot in the center. Once fully matured, the furuncle bursts under the pressure of increased pus volume or due to mechanical impact.
Symptoms of a Furuncle:
- tingling and itching;
- hardening and redness of the affected area;
- formation of a cone;
- swelling;
- painfulness;
- increase in the size of the inflammation (up to 1-3 cm).
A furuncle typically refers to the inflammation of a hair follicle and surrounding tissue, while a pimple is a superficial skin lesion – an inflamed nodule (papule) or a pus-filled blister (pustule). The condition where multiple furuncles develop simultaneously or occur very frequently is called furunculosis. Skin rashes most often appear on the chin, above the upper lip, and on the neck. However, pustules can form on the skin and mucous membranes all over the body: under certain conditions, not only facial acne can occur, but also pimples on the back, chest, legs, and arms, and even on the tongue or scalp under the hair. For those prone to furuncle formation, it is advisable to use antiseptics and antibacterial soap.
Boil vs. Phlegmon
In addition to redness, swelling, and tenderness of the skin, signs of purulent inflammation may include fever, headache, loss of appetite, and general malaise due to intoxication. The body does not know how to expel the purulent exudate, so the cavity filled with pus becomes a “ticking time bomb,” as the abscess can rupture internally. When pathogenic microbes spread beyond the abscess, it can lead to severe consequences, including sepsis (blood infection). To prevent complications, it is often safer to release the pus through an incision rather than squeezing it out after the pus capsule has ruptured.
Unlike a boil or abscess, which involves a localized purulent inflammatory process in soft tissues, phlegmon is characterized by a diffuse purulent inflammatory process without a defined affected area. This acute inflammation occurs when pathogenic bacteria penetrate the fatty tissue through blood or lymph. They can be contracted through traumatic tissue damage: phlegmon can develop in wounds, animal bites, or fractures. Vulnerable areas include the limbs, face, neck, and body cavities. On touch, phlegmon has no clear boundaries; it is immobile, hot, and sharply painful (pain intensifies with movement), and the skin above it appears shiny.
The danger of phlegmon lies in its tendency for rapid spread throughout the body and the involvement of muscles and tendons in the purulent process. If left untreated, the infection can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system, leading to sepsis, thrombophlebitis, lymphadenitis, lymphangitis, and erysipelas (another name for this common summer infectious disease, which typically manifests on the skin of the face, neck, arms, or legs during warm weather and primarily affects older adults). To halt the spread of infection, antibiotics and surgical drainage of the affected area are usually employed.
How to Get Rid of Pimples and Infection?
Applying heat to the inflamed area can accelerate the maturation and rupture of a boil. However, furuncles and abscesses should not always be opened on your own. Due to the connection between facial blood flow and the brain’s sinuses, it is particularly dangerous to squeeze boils in the so-called “triangle of death” – the area around the lips, cheeks, and eyes. Besides the risk of blood infection, there can be other adverse outcomes: you might injure the delicate skin, leaving scars, or the number of boils may increase due to the spread of bacteria from a ruptured infected follicle. Qualified monitoring of the process can prevent complications.
If phlegmon or abscesses are located in the upper layers of tissue, they are opened in outpatient settings (a surgeon incises the affected area, cleans the cavity of pus, and places a drain). In cases involving deep tissue or internal organ damage, a cavity operation is performed. Depending on the severity of the condition, the boil and phlegmon are opened under local or general anesthesia. If intoxication does not subside after drainage, this may indicate the onset of sepsis: urgent inpatient treatment with aggressive infusion resuscitation, antibiotics, surgical removal of necrotic tissue or the infected area, further drainage of purulent discharge, and supportive therapy is necessary.
With timely treatment, the symptoms of abscesses and phlegmon usually resolve after a course of antibiotic therapy. To treat and prevent furuncles, it is essential to eliminate the causes of staphylococcal infection. With a weakened immune system, the risk of bacterial infection is very high, so doctors typically prescribe antibiotics for 5-10 days. During this time and beyond, the body continues to respond to the medication even after the pathogenic bacteria have died. For frequent occurrences of furuncles, doctors recommend blood purification through transfusion. An accessible method for eliminating furuncles is blood purification with sulfur (this medication is available at pharmacies). You can even consume pharmacy sulfur with food, sprinkling dishes with the powder instead of salt. The treatment course consists of 30 powders over 15 days (one powder in the morning and evening).
Pimples on the Face
Inflammation on the skin without pus is a result of increased secretion from glands that produce sebum to maintain a stable level of moisture. This process is necessary for protection against ultraviolet, thermal, and mechanical damage, which is why facial acne appears more frequently in the summer heat than at other times of the year. At the same time, rashes on the facial area can have various origins. If acne is not triggered by hormonal or genetic factors, it may be due to a deficiency of essential elements: vitamins A, E, B group, healthy fats, protein, and zinc. Adhere to a dairy-plant-based diet. Eliminate alcohol, citrus fruits, eggs, smoked, salty, and spicy foods. To get rid of pimples on the forehead, chin, neck, and scalp, it is necessary to use sulfur, zinc, or salicylic ointments.
In the presence of chronic infection foci (such as diathesis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, etc.), gastrointestinal diseases, or disorders of the nervous and endocrine systems, a chronic skin condition of allergic nature known as eczema can develop. The so-called true eczema typically localizes on the face and hands. During the acute phase, multiple rashes appear on these areas. After the blisters burst, small erosions remain, exuding serous fluid and becoming vulnerable to secondary infection. An unbearable itch is a hallmark of this type of eczema. Seborrheic eczema manifests as inflammation on the face and scalp, chest, and back (between the shoulder blades). A bath with a bran infusion helps with allergic dermatitis. Pour boiling water over the bran in a ratio of 1:4 and let it steep for 4 hours while wrapped. Strain the infusion and pour it into a bath, which should be taken for 10-20 minutes daily for two weeks to alleviate itching.
Unlike eczema, which has an allergic nature, herpes is a viral disease affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Facial pimples from herpes often appear alongside other infectious diseases (such as flu, pneumonia, etc.). There are two types of herpes: simple (cold sores) and shingles. Cold sores affect the skin around the mouth and nose (less frequently on the cheeks and ear lobes). It causes itchy and sometimes painful blisters on the lips and mucous membranes that dry out after 3-4 days, the scab falls off, and the skin heals within 6-8 days. The same prognosis applies to shingles, which localizes along the path of a sensory nerve – usually the trigeminal nerve.
Important Recommendations
To treat pimples on the tongue, a doctor prescribes salicylates, antihistamines, and rinsing the oral cavity with a 1% sodium bicarbonate solution or a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (1 tablespoon per half a glass of water). You can rinse the affected area with hydrogen peroxide, dry it with a warm air stream, apply a few drops of 50% propolis tincture with a dropper, and dry it again. Rinse your mouth after each meal (three times a day) with cabbage or carrot juice diluted with boiled water. Alternatively, you can infuse St. John’s wort in vodka (in a 5:1 ratio) and use it as an anti-inflammatory rinse for the oral cavity: 40 drops in half a glass of water.
Canker sores (ulcers in the oral cavity) usually indicate stomatitis and are treated with antiviral medications. Apply raw potato slices or mashed potato paste to the inflamed mucous membranes. Rinse your mouth with fresh juice from aloe leaves or with this antiseptic mouthwash: pour a glass of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of chamomile flowers, let it steep, and add 4 g of boric acid to the infusion. It is important to not only treat stomatitis but also to prevent it: strengthen your immune system, eliminate chronic inflammation foci, and maintain oral hygiene (after treatment, update your toothbrush).
To get rid of eczema, wash with a decoction of birch twigs and leaves. If you have pimples on your hands, take 30-minute baths. Do not wipe your face and hands after the procedure; let the skin air dry. This treatment should be done three times a day. The decoction can be reused several times. You can also mix 1 tablespoon of tar, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of fish oil. Soak a cotton pad in this mixture and apply it to the affected areas. During the treatment of eczema and herpes, refrain from using laundry detergents and household chemicals. Avoid excessive water procedures and ensure you get enough sleep. During flare-ups, avoid sunlight, while during the recovery phase, tanning can be beneficial.
Home Remedies
- Apply garlic to the inflamed area, cover it with plastic wrap, and secure it on the boil for a few hours, changing the compress several times a day.
- You can draw out pus using onion and soap. Mix baked onion in its skin with grated household soap, blend into a uniform mixture, and apply it with a gauze pad to the boil, securing it overnight with medical tape.
- Drink aloe juice, 1 teaspoon twice a day, and apply it to the rash areas.
- Mix 10 g of celandine herb with 100 ml of sunflower oil and use this remedy to wipe the affected skin for herpes, shingles, and furunculosis.
- For shingles, apply a mixture of 100 g of honey, 1 tablespoon of ash, and 3 cloves of garlic to the affected skin.
- Rub the affected areas with halved raisins or kishmish grapes.
- Wet eczema can be treated with a folk ointment made from three baked walnuts (achieving a dark brown color of the shell). After cooling, grind the baked nuts in a coffee grinder, mix with 1 teaspoon of fish oil, and apply to the affected area twice a day.
- Wipe the skin with a birch decoction: pour a glass of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of birch buds, simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, and strain when cool.
- For facial acne, there is a folk remedy: pour 1 tablespoon of chicory root with 200 ml of boiling water and simmer over moderate heat until half the volume evaporates. Cool, strain, mix with melted butter in a 1:4 ratio, and apply the mixture to the affected pus-filled skin.
- Grate cleaned beets on a fine grater and apply the resulting paste to the boils.
- Crush 5 g of calendula flowers to a paste, add 1 teaspoon each of apple cider vinegar, horseradish juice, or black radish juice. Mix and apply as a compress overnight, securing with a bandage. This should help with itching and pain.
- For itching, use a baby cream with glycerin or chamomile.
- For itchy skin rashes, apply menthol or tea tree oil – they cool the skin and reduce inflammation.
- Take equal parts of garlic paste and alcohol, mix these ingredients, and apply the mixture to the pustules, leaving the paste on the skin. Cover with three layers of gauze and bandage. Change the mixture three times a day until complete recovery. This remedy will dry out the skin and protect against infectious contamination.
