A furuncle (Latin furunculus: "little thief") is an inflammation of a hair follicle.
This inflammation is usually deep in the skin and is accompanied by redness and pain.
A boil can be very stressful for those affected and should therefore not be underestimated. Pus often forms in the center of the inflammation. The hair follicle, also called the hair follicle, is located in the skin of every hair.
In this case, the boil affects the hair follicle of a chest hair.
The cause of a boil on the chest is an infection caused by bacteria on the hair follicle.
Each hair is connected to a hair follicle in the skin.
The hair is anchored in the skin through the hair follicle. If bacteria now get to the hair follicle along the hair, inflammation can occur, which is initially not noticed.
Bacteria of the staphylococcus family (especially Staphylococcus aureus) are often blamed for an infection. The reason for the formation of a boil and the penetration of the bacteria is very different. On the one hand, a lack of disinfection after a shave can cause a boil. When shaving the chest hair, bacteria can enter the hair follicle along the hair. For this reason, subsequent disinfection with aftershave or similar products is advisable. In addition, tight-fitting tops that rub against the skin can lead to a boil in the chest. In addition, the formation of a boil can be caused by other diseases such as diabetes mellitus or kidney disease. Other immunocompromised people also have a higher tendency to boil, which is due to the lack of defense against the bacteria.
For more information, see: Causes of a boil
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Diagnosing a boil is usually a visual diagnosis.
This means that the doctor can make the diagnosis just by looking at the boil. In particular, the key symptoms of inflammation often allow a diagnosis.
These symptoms of inflammation are: redness, swelling and pain. As the inflammation progresses, pus forms in the boil, which can be seen through the skin in the late stages. In addition to the visual diagnosis, it can be of interest to determine whether chronic diseases exist. For example, diabetes is said to lead to an increased development of boils.
To determine which bacterium caused the infection, the doctor can take a swab of the boil. This is then analyzed in the laboratory in order to initiate targeted treatment.
The symptoms of the boil are barely noticeable at first.
There are no symptoms immediately after the bacteria enter and at the beginning of the infection.
The typical symptoms are only caused by the immune reaction, i.e. the inflammation. Little by little, a small pimple forms, which gets bigger and bigger. This is due to the fact that certain substances such as histamine and prostaglandins are released through the inflammatory reaction. These inflammation mediators cause an increased sensitivity to pain, the typical reddening and swelling in the affected skin area.
The boil is then perceived as a plump, tender knot. In addition, pus forms in the area of the hair follicle and in the adjacent skin area. The pus is created by so-called proteolytic (“dissolving”) enzymes, which “melt down” the tissue around the infection. Little by little, more and more pus accumulates, which over time breaks through to the surface of the skin. In the end, the pus on the surface of the skin drains and the wound then heals with scarring.
Read more on the topic: Phases of wound healing
You might also be interested in: Scar care
The treatment of the boil consists of different components, which depend on the severity of the boil.
In many cases, the best solution is not to press the affected area and wait for the boil to heal. By pressing on the boil, there is a risk that the bacteria will spread into the surrounding tissue. This increases inflammation and increases the size of the boil. However, if the boil persists longer and does not heal spontaneously, the pus bump can be provoked to break open.
This is possible, for example, with warm and moist compresses. These soak the skin and allow the boil to drain. Pull ointment is also often used. It causes increased blood flow and has an anti-inflammatory effect. If in doubt, however, a doctor should be consulted, especially if the boil persists for a long time and does not heal. In this case, the doctor can open the boil with a small incision under local anesthesia. The contents are then removed and the wound is rinsed out. Usually this is followed by a good healing.
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Read more about the topic: Ointment for a boil
$config[ads_text3] not foundHow long a boil lasts depends very much on the size and the treatment measures. It is not possible to make a general statement about the duration. The spontaneous healing of a boil can take anywhere from days to weeks. The duration depends very much on whether the affected area is pressed. This can make the healing process take longer as the infection can spread. However, once the pus has drained, it usually only takes a few days for the wound to heal. By using compresses or pulling ointment, the maturation of the boil is accelerated. This can shorten the duration by a few days. If a doctor is consulted and the boil is cut open, a quick healing of a few days can be expected.
Also read the article: The duration of a boil.
A boil on the chest can be provoked by breastfeeding. Here, however, the boil must be clearly distinguished from an abscess or breast inflammation.
A boil is just the inflammation of a hair follicle in the skin. An abscess describes a collection of pus in a cavity in the chest. In turn, breast inflammation is inflammation of the mammary glands. Breast inflammation (mastitis) is very often caused by breastfeeding. However, breast boils can also develop on the breast from breastfeeding. The female breast is also covered with small hair. If there are now more bacteria (especially of the Staphylococcus aureus type) on the skin, a boil can form. Long-term breastfeeding exposes the skin to increased stress from friction. Cloths or the baby's oral flora can also contain the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. This interplay of increased exposure and a large number of potentially contaminated objects can lead to the formation of a boil more quickly. However, it is not known that boils are particularly common when breastfeeding a baby. Breast inflammation (mastitis), which describes a bacterial inflammation of the mammary gland, is more common when breastfeeding.
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The appearance of a boil on the nipple is usually limited to the area around the areola.
The areola is the hairless, slightly darker region that surrounds the nipple. There are usually many hair follicles around the areola. Since the boil only occurs on hair follicles, the hairy region around the areola is particularly at risk. This applies to both men and women.
In men, the chest hair is more pronounced, but chest hair is also present in women, even if they are hardly visible. If there is a boil next to the nipple, the course and treatment options are usually identical to treatment on other skin areas. No boil can develop on the nipple as it is not hairy. If the nipple becomes inflamed, it is probably related to a small wound and should not be called a boil. This inflammation of the nipple can be caused by breastfeeding or a piercing, for example. However, it is not related to the hair follicles.
Boils can also occur in the male breast. A major risk factor is shaving chest hair. If not properly disinfected after shaving, bacteria can get into the hair follicles, causing inflammation and boils. With a thorough disinfection, the responsible bacteria are killed and the risk of a boil is reduced. One might speculate that men are at increased risk of developing a boil on their chest. The reason for this would be the increased chest hair, which is the point of attack for the bacteria. However, chest hair in men is not a new formation of hair but a transformation of the existing hair. This means that small hairs are converted into stronger hair. For this reason, men and women have a similar number of hair follicles on their chests. Thus, the risk of developing a boil is similarly high.
A boil of the chest in and of itself is usually not dangerous. The occurrence of a boil is more dangerous in other parts of the body. For example, on the face, the wrong treatment of a boil can have devastating consequences.
Most of the time, boils heal spontaneously and have no negative consequences for the person concerned.
However, avoid squeezing the boil on the chest, as this can worsen the inflammation and spread of the infection.
Bacteria could also get into the bloodstream and cause sepsis (blood poisoning). However, this case is very rare. So it can be said that, if handled properly, there are no dangerous consequences to fear.
