Boils

A boil is a hard and painful lump that fills with pus. Most boils go away on their own. See a GP if you keep getting them.

Symptoms of a boil

Things you can do to help boils

There are things you can do to treat boils yourself and stop them coming back.

Do

soak a clean cloth in warm water and hold it against the boil for 10 minutes 4 times a day
clean the area around the boil with antibacterial soap if pus comes out
cover the area with a dressing or gauze until it heals
bathe or shower every day and wash your hands regularly
take paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease the pain
wash your towels and bedding at least once a week at high temperature
try to lose weight if you are very overweight and have boils between folds of your skin

Don't

do not pick, squeeze or pierce a boil
do not share your towel with other people until the boil has gone
do not go to a swimming pool or gym until the boil has gone - you could pass the infection on to others

See a GP if:

you've had a boil for 2 weeks and the things you've tried are not helping
you keep getting boils
you have a group of boils (carbuncle)

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have a boil and:

it is on your face
the skin around your boil feels hot, painful and swollen
you feel hot, cold or shivery
you have a weakened immune system - this could be from taking treatments such as steroids, or having a condition like diabetes

You can call 111 or get help from NHS 111 online.

Treatment for boils

A GP can check if you need treatment.

You may need:

a small procedure to drain the boil to get rid of the pus
antibiotics

Causes of boils

You may be more likely to get boils if you have a long-term condition that affects your immune system, such as diabetes or HIV.

You may also be more likely to get boils if:

you're a man
you've been in close contact with someone with boils
you have certain skin conditions, such as eczema
you take certain medicines, such as steroids
you're living with obesity or malnutrition

Carbuncles are less common and mostly affect middle-aged men.

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
Photos: OutUK and LightFieldStudios.