Q. A boil present above my beltline is oozing out from multiple pores. What should I do?

Hi! Welcome to icliniq & thanks for the query.

Recurrent boils can be a nuisance. It is a bacterial infection of the hair follicle and can cause painful pus filled eruptions on the body. If you are having frequent recurrences it could be because of persistent infection or reinfection. Are you diabetic or atopic? If so, you may be more prone to develop recurrent bacterial infections. You mention seeing pus coming from many openings which indicates it could be a carbuncle. This may need incision & drainage. Ideally a pus culture should be done to know the sensitivity of the organism and antibiotics started accordingly to completely treat the infection. Usually penicillins, cephalosporins or tetracyclines are used orally. Application of mupirocin in the skin fold areas helps to eradicate the colonising bacteria in these locations.

Some precautions to prevent recurrent boils include:

1. Hand hygiene - wash your hands frequently especially after being in public spaces, gyms, offices, etc
2. Keep your soap and towels separate.
3. Use disposable trimmers or razors and never share with anybody.
4. You can start taking zinc and vit D supplements to boost your overall immunity
5. If your spouse/ partner or any close contacts suffer from recurrent boils they should also get treated.

Hope this helps