Offensive smell coming from boils

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478 posts

RosieRoe over a year ago

Hey,

I thought I should start a separate topic about this. So, I've been trying warm compresses on the boils on my butt as advised, and I couldn't help but (gross, I know) sniff the towelette I used for that after I was done. It smelled really, really bad.

Does an offensive smell coming from boils mean there is something extra wrong with the boils, or is this a normal feature of all boils? I am actively looking for natural remedies right now and that is a different thread, but what does the offensive smell mean?

Thanks for reading, even though it's a nasty situation!

Rosie

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Guest over a year ago

Boils are filled with pus. If they were in another place, like your armpits, I am sure you would have noticed an offensive smell coming from your boils before, but because they are in a place you cannot easily smell for yourself, using the compresses made you smell it for the first time.

Have you been to a dermatologist yet? If you haven't, ask for a referral and you have a much better chance of getting these boils taken care of properly! In the meantime, wiping with antibacterial wipes should help you some.

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Crazy-About-PINK348033 over a year ago

I agree that it's "normal" for a bad smell to come from boils, but it's also obviously a sign of infection, so what you need to do, Rosie, is probably to pop by your doctor and get your hands on some antibiotics. I don't know if they'll be topical, in the form of creams or gels, or oral, but I think they're pretty good at sending boils packing. While you're at it, actually ask if you could possibly have Hidradenitis Suppurativa. It sounds like that's a candidate if you have multiple boils that keep coming back.

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Pickle over a year ago

Boils are really painful, aren't they? I actually suggest you go and see your doctor. I have friend and she had a boil on her shoulder. It was massive! And her boyfriend tried to squeeze it and that definitely didn't work. She was in a lot of pain instead and the boil got more inflamed. She did go to the doctor in the end and her doctor cut it with a scalpel to let all the gunk out. She also got a small course of antibiotics. She still has a little scar on the spot where the boil was but other than that it got better very soon. So I suggest you do the same.

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Lioness350837 over a year ago

"Go to the doctor" is the easiest thing in the world to tell someone, and sometimes much harder to implement for reasons varying from white coat anxiety to time limitations, and from personal convictions to financial concerns. I get that. I can't honestly say that I'd go to the doctor if I had one boil. I might well attempt to treat it myself. If it didn't get better or if I had many boils though, then I would definitely make seeing a doctor a priority. Boils can get very infected and they may necrotize the skin or other such nasties, you know?

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Guest over a year ago

Yup, that sounds familiar. By the time a bad smell starts to come off a boil, it's almost certainly ready to be drained. If you don't actively do that yourself, "ripe" boils will eventually start draining on their own, and that can smell very bad. If you are dealing with fairly small ripe boils, just place hot compresses on them for 20 minutes or so, and then, using that cloth, gently press around them to drain their contents. Apply an antiseptic cream afterwards, and be gentle with your skin.

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Celebrity

478 posts

RosieRoe over a year ago

That really doesn't seem to be happening. These boils are nasty and p***y, and they stink, but I have been dealing with them for some time now, and I did earlier in life as well. They do not appear to cause giant infections or cause my butt to fall off. They're painful and unpleasant, but I really don't think my boils pose a serious health risk.

That does not mean I do not want to be free from them! I do! I am just hoping to deal with them myself if possible.

Rosie

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