About Sylvie Expertise I can answer questions about T cell function, immunization, or general immune function including "the immune system gone bad" - autoimmune diseases like Juvenile Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus.
I'm less specialised in AIDS but if it's a specific T cell question, I'm your girl.
Experience I'm a research scientist and university lecturer in Immunology, and I regularly publish peer-reviewed papers. I'm not a medical doctor but I can provide information on how or why the immune system does what it does. Education/Credentials: PhD
Question I began getting a pain in my neck that makes it hard to talk and swallow.I get the pain during pms.I then started getting an unusual acne only on a small portion of my face that is accompanied by a hot flushness to my face .It comes and goes and is not limited to my cycle.Now I am getting boils first on my bottom now on my stomach and one huge painful one on my neck.I have been to the clinic over and over and they have ran tests but they do not know what it is .I am becoming quite depressed and reclusive in the mean time and I am loosing my lively hood because I am in fear that I am contagious.I just want to know what it is
Answer Hi Holly,
You poor thing! That sounds really awful, boils are SUCH horrible things aren't they? I'm not surprised it's started to affect the way you feel. You might already know some of this information, but a boil is a bacterial infection in the skin, causing a painful abscess. Since it's an infection, it can spread from one part of your body to another, which is what sounds like has happened with you. It's probably not too infectious to other people, but if you're worried, cover any boil that has a head with a dressing.
Firstly, are you diabetic, or on any medications? Or do you have any immune disorders? High blood sugar can cause boils, and so can some immune suppressing medications like corticosteroids or anti-cancer drugs.
Usually boils don't get treated in any particular way, which is what is so annoying. You're supposed to just wait for them to burst, which can take a while and can be very painful. Don't squeeze them, they will spread, but you can get them lanced by a doctor if they are really painful or slow to burst, which will speed things up. Has the doctor seen the one on your bottom yet? They often do actually need lancing and special dressing.
The doctor might also then prescribe some antibiotics - but the most annoying thing is that generally it needs to burst or be lanced before the antibiotics will be helpful (they aren't good at penetrating into the abscess)
Hot compresses or baths can really help speed them up to bursting point - I've also heard that adding epsom salts to the bath helps too; I've never tried it myself but could be worth a try.
When one bursts, clean it carefully - if you use a cloth make sure you wash it in soap and very hot water before re-using it - and cover it with a sterile band-aid or plaster to reduce the chance of re-infection. All that pus is made up of lots of white blood cells so it means your immune system is fired up and on your side! (go immune system!). Once it drains that's usually the death knell for that one...
...then, you can limit the chance of having new boils develop by being really careful to wash your hands if you touch them, and use some anti-bacterial soap in the shower for a while, to reduce the chance of developing any more.
Make sure you see a doctor immediately if you start getting a fever, or chills, or if you see red lines coming from the boil, because that means the infection might have spread and become systemic - that can be very dangerous.
I can totally understand why it's started getting you down, but hopefully if you can get the ones you've got to burst, and take some precautions to stop any new ones coming, things might start looking up. Make sure you're taking good care of yourself especially if you're not feeling the best. Some multivitamins and lots of green vegies will help your body cope.
Make sure you definitely keep bugging that doctor of yours if they won't go away. Sometimes boils might keep coming and coming if your immune system is not doing its job, and that is definitely something the doctor should address if your boils persist.
I really hope things look up for you soon. Keep your chin up.
