How to treat and prevent boils or ‘pigsa’
Rose May Pimentel in Health
May 24, 2020 • 2 min Read
Summer heat can lead to irritable skin conditions. This might mean rashes, and for some people, boils or in Tagalog ‘pigsa’. Boils or pigsa are painful, red bumps on the skin that are caused by bacteria. Boils are irritating and painful and can severely affect one’s daily routine, especially if left untreated.
Here are few tips from Healthline for getting rid of a boil:
* Don’t squeeze or try to drain a boil yourself. This can lead to spread of the infection or possibly cause a secondary infection of the boil.
* Place a warm wet washcloth on the boil several times a day.
* Add some pressure when holding the washcloth in place without directly puncturing the boil.
* Once the boil naturally ruptures, keep it covered with clean bandage or gauze. This will keep the infection from spreading to other places and the wound from being contaminated.
* Wash your hands after caring for your boil for this will prevent the infection from spreading.
Small boils can be treated at home and may take anywhere from few days to three weeks to heal. If you have a large boil or a group of boils (carbunculosis), you should see a doctor for treatment.
According to Healthline, you cannot always prevent a boil from occurring. However, you can prevent a boil from spreading to other parts of your body by following these tips:
* Keep the boil covered with a clean bandage at all times.
* When you have a boil, wash and keep your clothes and bedding clean for it will help prevent infection from spreading.
* Wash clothes and bedding in hot water then add bleach along with the detergent. When drying, be sure to set your dryer to high heat.
* Clean and disinfect regularly all the surfaces that you may touch. These include doorknobs, toilet seats, bathtubs, and commonly used surfaces at the home.
* Avoid sharing items that come into contact with the skin such as razors, athletic equipment, towels and the likes.
So, stay cool and hydrated!
