Boils
- Boils Overview
- Causes of Boils
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- Viewer Comments: Boils - Effective Treatments
Boils Overview
A boil is a skin infection that starts in a hair follicle or oil gland. At first, the skin turns red in the area of the infection, and a tender lump develops. After four to seven days, the lump starts turning white as pus collects under the skin. If the infection spreads to the deeper tissues of the skin, then it becomes an abscess.
- The most common places for boils to appear are on the face, neck, armpits, shoulders, and buttocks. When one forms on the eyelid, it is called a sty.
- If several boils appear in a group, this is a more serious type of infection called a carbuncle.
Next: Causes of Boils »
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Boils
Fever in Children Overview
Fever remains the most common concern for which parents bring their child to the emergency department. Fever has traditionally been defined as a rectal temperature over 100.4°F or 38.0°C. Temperatures measured at other sites are usually lower. The threshold for defining a fever does vary significantly between different individuals by as much as 1°F.
Fever itself is not life-threatening unless it is extremely and persistently high, such as greater than 107°F (41.6°C) when measured rectally. Fever may indicate the presence of a serious illness, but usually a fever is caused by common infections which are not serious. The part of the brain called the hypothalamus controls body temperature. The hypothalamus increases the body's temperature as a way to fight the infection. However, many conditions other than infections may cause a fever.
Fever in Children Causes
Causes of fever include t...
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Oral Cutaneous Fistula »
A fistula is an abnormal pathway between 2 anatomic spaces or a pathway that leads from an internal cavity or organ to the surface of the body.
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