Most boils are caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. A doctor will typically prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. While over-the-counter medications are available, they can only provide pain relief, not treat the infection.
When bacteria infect and inflame a hair follicle, a painful pus-filled bump can form under your skin. This infected bump is a boil, also known as a furuncle. It can grow larger and more painful until it ruptures and drains.
It’s important not to pick at, squeeze, or use a sharp object to release the fluid and pus in a boil. This can damage your skin and cause the infection to spread.
Most boils can be treated with a minor surgical procedure that includes opening and draining the boil. However, antibiotics may also be needed to treat the underlying infection.
The majority of boils are caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, also known as staph. To fight this infection, a doctor
- amikacin
- amoxicillin (Amoxil, Moxatag)
- ampicillin
- cefazolin (Ancef, Kefzol)
- cefotaxime
- cephalexin (Keflex)
- clindamycin (Cleocin, Benzaclin, Veltin)
- doxycycline (Doryx, Oracea, Vibramycin)
- erythromycin (Erygel, Eryped)
- gentamicin (Gentak)
- levofloxacin (Levaquin)
- mupirocin (Centany)
- sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra)
- tetracycline
The antibiotic a doctor will prescribe is based on your specific situation.
Not every antibiotic is going to work for you because
Before prescribing antibiotics, a doctor might suggest sending a sample of pus from the boil to a lab to determine the antibiotic that would be most effective.
Most over-the-counter (OTC) boil medications are focused on pain relief. There are no OTC antibiotics appropriate for treating a boil.
According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, using OTC antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin or Polysporin on your boil is ineffective because the medication won’t penetrate the infected skin.
If the antibiotic is doing its job, you’ll start to feel better. Once you feel better, you might feel as though you can stop the medication. However, it’s important that you finish the entire dose. Stopping antibiotics early may cause the infection to return.
Whenever you’re prescribed an oral antibiotic, you should take it as directed and finish all of the medication. If you stop taking it too soon, the antibiotic might not have killed all the bacteria.
If that happens, not only could you get sick again, but the remaining bacteria might become resistant to that antibiotic.
A boil can be painful and unsightly. It might require antibiotics and minor surgery to open and drain. If you have a boil or group of boils, speak with a doctor or dermatologist to determine the steps to take to heal the area properly.
One universal rule you’ll hear from all medical professionals is to not pick at, squeeze, or use a sharp object to release the fluid and pus in a boil. Among other complications, this can spread the infection.