Boils (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Boils Overview
- Causes of Boils
- Symptoms of Boils
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Boils Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medical Treatment
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Pictures of Boils - Slideshow
- Viewer Comments: Boils - Effective Treatments
Medical Treatment
If the boil is large, your health-care provider may need to open it up and drain the pus. This is done with a scalpel after the area of the boil is numbed with a local anesthetic.
If the infection is deep, your doctor may put some gauze in the incision to keep it open and draining. The gauze is usually removed in two days.
If there are concerns about the seriousness of the infection, blood tests may be needed. The doctor may prescribe antibiotics if the infection is severe.
A large skin abscess caused by a staph infection may need to be surgically opened and drained and treated with intravenous antibiotics.
Next: Next Steps »
Viewer Comments & Reviews
Boils - Effective Treatments
What kinds of treatments have been effective for your boils?
| Printer-Friendly Format | | | Email to a Friend |
Women's Health
Find out what women really need.
From WebMD
Skin Problems and Treatments Resources
- Ask the Dermatologist: Anti-Aging Tips
- Photos: Is That Rash Shingles?
- How Healthy is Your Skin? Start Here
Featured Centers
- Top 10 Asthma Cities
- Health Check: How to Choose The Right Vitamins
- 10 Triggers for the Holiday Blues
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
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.
Explore 80+ Centers
- Allergy
- Allergy Medications
- Anaphylaxis
- Antidepressants
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Baby's Health
- Back, Neck, Head Injury
- Bioterrorism, Warfare
- Blood, Lymphatic System
- Bone, Joint, Muscle
- Brain, Nervous System
- Breathing Difficulties
- Burns
- Camping
- Cancer, Tumors
- Children's Health
- Cholesterol
- Cold and Flu
- CPR, Choking
- Cuts, Scrapes, Bruises
- Dementia
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diabetic Coma, Insulin Shock
- Digestive System
- Dislocations
- Drowning
- Drug Overdose
- Ear, Nose, Throat
- Emotional Wellness
- Endocrine System
- Environmental Injuries
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Exercise, Nutrition
- Eye, Vision
- Fainting
- Fever
- First Aid, Emergency
- First Aid Kits
- Food Poisoning
- Foreign Bodies
- Fractures, Broken Bones
- Glaucoma
- Headache
- Health, Medical
- Heartburn, GERD, Reflux
- Heart, Blood Vessels
- Heart Attack
- Hepatitis
- Immune System
- Incontinence
- Infections
- Kidneys, Urinary System
- Lung, Airway
- Medications
- Men's Health
- Mental Health, Behavior
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Nosebleeds
- Osteoporosis
- Outdoor Living
- Overexposure
- Poisoning
- Procedures
- Psoriasis
- Public Health
- Scuba Diving, Swimming
- Seizures
- Senior Health
- Shock
- Skin, Hair, Nails
- Sleep Disorders
- Social, Family Health
- Sports Injury
- Sprains, Strains
- Statins
- STDs
- Substance Abuse
- Teen Health
- Teeth, Mouth, Oral Health
- Weight Management
- Wilderness Emergencies
- Women's Health
- Wounds
