Boils and abscesses

When bacteria develop in the tissue and spread to the white blood cells, boils and abscesses are formed. Abscesses develop inside the tissue of the skin and might rupture, which would spread infection in the body. As compared to this, boils are less serious. Abscesses and boils are best dealt with in when they are in the initial stages of development. When a piercing has not been fully drained and there is caked blood and pus at the entry and exit points, an abscess can form at the area. Reddish-pink bumps are formed in between the points of the piercing. The piercing too may become sore and swell or turn red in color. Nausea and fever may develop if the abscess is severe. Usually, abscesses heal on their own; however, it is always advisable to consult a physician or go back to your piercer when one occurs. If it is in the initial stages, compresses can be utilized to treat them. If this does not help, a course of antibiotics might be prescribed. In certain cases, the abscess is lanced with a needle to allow the fluid to drain. After this procedure is performed, care should be taken to ensure that the piercing remains clean and dry till it heals up completely. In terms of outward appearance, boils look similar to abscesses; however the difference is that boils generally develop at the entry and exit points of the piercing. Boils are generally observed more in case of nostril and nipple piercings and rarely in case of oral piercings. When a jewel in a piercing gets caught and the skin tears because of that, boils tend to develop. When this happens, bacteria get caught inside the wound and the tissue closes it in. Some people pop a boil in order to drain out the fluid or pus inside; however this is not advisable. Instead warm compresses should be used at the area. If the boil bleeds, care should be taken to clean and dry the wound properly to avoid the further development of bacteria at the area.