It can be difficult to determine if the irritated bump on your skin is acne or a boil. Both are caused by bacteria in the pores and hair follicles. They differ in how they are treated and factors that ...

Boils and carbuncles are skin infections caused by a bacteria called staphylococcus aureus (commonly referred to as staph). They present as painful pus-filled pockets, which form under the skin and ...

Boils and cysts both look like bumps on your skin. The main difference between a cyst and a boil is that a boil is a bacterial or fungal infection, and is more likely to be painful. A boil (furuncle) ...

Katlein Franca, MD, is a dermatologist and clinical associate professor of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami. Boils start as tender bumps ...

What is a carbuncle? A carbuncle is a connected group of boils that stem from an infection of the skin. “They are sometimes confused for a spider bite,” said Dr. Allison Arthur, a dermatologist and ...

Question: I get painful boils. Is there any way to treat them? Mimi: Boils are nasty infections usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus and treated best by a doctor who can give you an antibiotic. My ...

A painful bump on or around the ear may be a boil, which occurs when a bacterial skin infection develops in a hair follicle or oil gland. Over time, pus collects in the lump. Boil sometimes go away, ...