It : It sounds as though you may have a skin infection with abscesses or "boils". These usually start out as tender, red areas which become hard and then eventually develop a "head" of white pus. Once this drains, the area usually heals on its own. Most of these are caused by staphylococcus aureas, a common bacteria found on the skin. Occasionally, however, the can be caused by mrsa, the antibiotic resistent kind of staph bacteria. No one knows why some people are susceptible to getting boils while others are not. There is a type of neutrophil-associated immune deficiency that can predispose you to boils, so it might be worth getting tested. Next time you develop one of these infections, start out by applying warm compresses to the area to help draw the infection out. Then, you should go to your doctor so that they can drain it, test for what bacteria is causing it and be able to treat you appropriately - sometimes with antibiotics, sometimes just with drainage. If you ever develops fever, chills, or feels ill with this infection, call your doctor immediately. You can try and prevent these infections by practicing good hygiene and using anti-bacterial soaps. Some doctors also advocate bathing once a week with a 1/4 cup of bleach in a half-full bathtub or washing with chlorhexadine to decrease the bacterial count on your skin. You may also want to consider using intranasal bactroban (mupirocin) twice a day for a month to eliminate the staph bacteria living in your nose. Your doctor may have other suggestions for prevention. Good luck!
Answered 3/14/2018
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