I am a very clean, athletic, healthy person. I'm 19 and a volleyball coach. There are reoccuring boils constantly on my ankle, outer thigh and one even came right over my ribs, well I think they are boils. They are sooo painful to the point I can't walk. They get very big and sometimes have black at the top. Thought they were spider bites but looked up boils and they seem very similar. On my outer thigh, 5 have come up together.. what could it be? And what should I do?

Boil (or furuncle)[1] is a skin disease caused by the infection of hair follicles, resulting in the localized accumulation of pus and dead tissue. Individual boils can cluster together and form an interconnected network of boils called carbuncles. In severe cases, boils may develop to form abscesses.


Symptoms
The symptoms of boils are red, pus-filled lumps that are tender, warm, and/or painful. A yellow or white point at the center of the lump can be seen when the boil is ready to drain or discharge pus. In a severe infection, multiple boils may develop and the patient may experience fever and swollen lymph nodes. A recurring boil is called chronic furunculosis.

In some people, itching may develop before the lumps begin to form. Boils are most often found on the back, stomach, underarms, shoulders, face, lip, eyes, nose, thighs and buttocks, but may be found elsewhere.

Sometimes boils will emit an unpleasant smell, particularly when drained or when discharge is present, due to the presence of bacteria in the discharge.


Causes
Usually the cause are bacteria such as staphylococci. Bacterial colonization begins in the hair follicles and can lead to local cellulitis and abscess formation.


Treatments
Most boils run their course within 4 to 10 days. For most people, self-care by applying a warm compress or soaking the boil in warm water can help alleviate the pain and hasten draining of the pus (colloquially referred to as "bringing the boil to a head"). Once the boil drains, the area should be washed with antibacterial soap and bandaged well. The maturing process may be accelerated by applying Ichthammol-based salve.[citation needed]

In serious cases, prescription oral antibiotics such as dicloxacillin (Dynapen) or cephalexin (Keflex), or topical antibiotics, are commonly used. For patients allergic to penicillin-based drugs, erythromycin (E-base, Erycin) may also be used.

However, some boils are caused by a super bug known as Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or CA-MRSA. Appropriate drugs, active against MRSA, must be prescribed relatively soon after such a boil has started to form. MRSA tends to increase the speed of growth of the infection.

Magnesium sulphate (epsom salt) paste applied to the affected area can prevent the growth of bacteria and reduce boils by absorbing pus and drying up the lesion.


Boil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boil)