Boil (furuncle) is a purulent-necrotic inflammation (acute) that develops in the sebaceous gland, hair follicle and its surrounding connective tissue. As you know, such a disease is caused by pyogenic bacteria.
General information
Boil (furuncle) most often occurs on those areas of the skin that are subject to friction, as well as various mechanical damage. This inflammation often develops on the neck, back of the hands, knee creases, lower back and buttocks.
After the formation of a wound or microcracks, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria get into them, as a result of which the inflammatory process immediately begins.
In most cases, a boil on the leg in the form of a small pimple will turn into a furuncle the size of a pigeon's egg within one day.
Development of an abscess
Internal boil can form on any part of the body. This inflammation occurs in the same ratio in both a sick person and a he althy one.
At the very beginning of the inflammatory process, a boil on the leg appears as a small knot that worries the patient with its soreness. After a day, an infiltrate accumulates in it. This is due to necroticprocesses. Also, a pustule forms in the center of the pimple. After opening it, the so-called boil core comes out. Together with it, pus is squeezed out of the boil, as well as dead surrounding tissues.
An ulcer forms in place of the released abscess. After a while, it tightens and leaves a small scar. If it brings aesthetic discomfort, then patients get rid of it with the help of plastic surgery or through cosmetic manipulations.
Probable Consequences
Boil, the causes of which will be presented below, is an infectious inflammation. In some cases, it does not require treatment. But sometimes such an abscess is especially dangerous. For example, an internal boil carries a high risk of infection of the body. If appropriate measures are not taken in time, then it can break through into the tissues and cause blood poisoning. In this case, the consequences can be dire.
A boil on the leg is less dangerous for a person than an abscess that appears under the scalp, on the face or neck. Such a boil can cause meningitis. Therefore, it is very important to take this education carefully and seriously.
Boil: causes of occurrence
The causes of such an abscess can be very different. This includes irregular and improper nutrition, and the abuse of alcoholic beverages, and wearing synthetic and "poorly breathing" underwear, and poor personal hygiene, and excessive sweating, and a general weakening of the immune system.
Sudden changeclimate, including when moving to another country or city, can also lead to the formation of a boil.
Boil on the leg occurs in a place of increased friction and a large accumulation of hair follicles. Very often, such an abscess is formed in the knee bend, between the legs, on the shins, thighs and buttocks. The cause of this pimple is damage to the skin, getting micro-wounds. They get bacteria that begin to multiply actively.
Other reasons
Often a boil is formed due to beriberi, anemia, diabetes and prolonged hypothermia.
As for the abscess on the lower extremities, most often it occurs after receiving a blow or bruise. That is why such acne regularly appears in athletes.
A boil can occur once in a lifetime and never bother a person again, up to his extreme old age. But in some cases, such an abscess appears regularly. In this case, they talk about its chronic course. As a rule, chronic boil occurs in people with impaired metabolism and diabetes.
Signs
Surely many people know what a boil looks like. In the process of inflammation of the abscess, the skin around it begins to redden, itch and itch. After that, the patient begins to feel local pain.
The resulting boil looks like a big pimple. As it develops, the affected area of the skin begins to twitch and pulsate. As a rule, such symptoms disappear immediately after the boil "ripens".
The process of emergence
Now you know what a boil looks like. However, at the first stages of development, it is quite difficult to determine that this is a boil, and not something else.
The life cycle of such an abscess consists of the following stages:
- Inflammatory process. A small pimple that forms in the first days of inflammation does not have clear boundaries. In the future, it grows and begins to rise above the skin. At this stage, the abscess itches, itches badly and causes a lot of discomfort to the patient.
- Necrosis and suppuration process. After the end of the inflammatory process, the boil matures. Its rod comes out of the pustule, and with it pus is squeezed out and dead tissue is removed.
- Healing process. As soon as all its contents come out of the boil, a crater forms in the center. It heals over time.
Is treatment required?
Now you know what a boil on the leg is. What to do if you have an abscess? Experts say that such a boil quite often goes away on its own. But if it does not "ripen" within one week and brings a lot of discomfort, then you should definitely contact the surgeon.
Chirya Processing
In most cases, an abscess formed on the leg does not require any intervention, including surgery. In this case, the patient only needs to adhere to the following rules:
- wash hands thoroughly before each contact with an abscess (you can disinfect them with an antiseptic);
- before"ripening" of the abscess, apply an antiseptic ointment to it, having previously disinfected it with hydrogen peroxide;
- bandage the place with a thick gauze bandage;
- after the "ripening" of the boil and the exit of the rod, it is necessary to disinfect the wound with hydrogen peroxide;
- in the process of tightening the wound, you need to lubricate its rim with iodine or a solution of brilliant green.
How to treat a boil on the leg?
In the event that the abscess does not mature, and also delivers a lot of discomfort, you need to contact a surgeon. The doctor will numb the affected area and make an incision in it. Next, the rod is squeezed out of the pimple and the pus is removed. After that, the wound is disinfected and covered with a sterile bandage.
If after the treatment procedure the patient feels severe pain, the surgeon prescribes painkillers such as No-Shpa, Nise, Ketanov and others.
Folk recipes
A boil on the leg can be cured on its own. This is the opinion of the majority of supporters of traditional medicine. Moreover, they argue that the development and growth of a boil can be completely prevented. To do this, you must follow certain rules.
In case of swelling, redness of the skin and the appearance of stabbing pains, the following measures should be taken:
- Lubricate the inflamed area with 5% iodine solution or 2% salicylic acid solution.
- Make a cake using rye flour and honey, and thenapply it to the sore spot and wrap it with a clean cloth.
- Aloe is often used as a folk remedy against boils. The leaf of the plant is cut in half and applied to the place of redness. The juice of this home plant helps to neutralize the infection and also reduces inflammation.
- It is also recommended to apply lotions made on the basis of infusion of sage and chamomile officinalis to the boil.
- Very effective for internal boils is a healing solution, which consists of a glass of boiled water, a dessert spoon of honey and 5 ml of calendula tincture.
Prevention measures
It is no secret to anyone that a disease in the form of a boil is better to prevent than to cure. To this end, experts recommend observing banal personal hygiene of the body.
You also need to avoid hypothermia. In cold weather, dress warmly and drink hot herbal teas more often.
Due to the fact that the boil is formed due to minor injuries, when they are received, it is necessary to carry out thorough treatment in time. To do this, use hydrogen peroxide, iodine, brilliant green and other antiseptics designed to destroy the infection. To prevent the latter, strengthening the immune system is also required. Nutrition, even for a he althy person, should be rich in fiber and vitamins, as well as balanced. This is especially true for babies and the elderly.
Following these simple requirements, you will never know what furunculosis is, and alsoyou won't need information on how to properly treat it.
