Help with a nasty skin thing!

[babyonboard]

My flatmate just came in here, interested about mumsnet and he then showed me something most nasty..
he had a boil kind of thing on his back last week which he squeezed yesterday and now has a huge area of..um how to describe..yellowy skin, its all hard, about the size of an empty toilet roll tube (he he..couldn't think of a better comaprison)and pussy, but not weeping. I have given him some antisepetic cream but worried this will just make it damp and take longer to heal. what can he do (apart from never squeeze his skin again)

[fishfinger]

a boil?

[fishfinger]

are you sitting down?

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[fishfinger]

I had them when I waw s at baording shcool
malnutrition

[Aero]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew - poor guy!

[fishfinger]

ewwww poor fish!

hey aero ds3 is stil asleep
he has been asleep since about 10

[Aero]

blimey cod!
Ds2 still kipping though going to lift him now has been 3 hours!

[babyonboard]

I have given him some antispetic cream and dressing..guess that is the best thing to do..
but why on earth has it turned such a big patch of skin into a horrible hard puss infested wound?. there is no blood..
he finds it pretty funny tbh, especially seeing my reaction...ew!

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[jessicaandbumpsmummy]

i would get it checked. The last thing he needs is for it to become infected, but to be honest, it sounds as if it already has. I would say go to docs, will probably end up on anti-biotics to clear it up. HTH. Keep us updated x

[PrettyCandles]

My dad had boils in the army. Apparently the worst thing you can do is squeeze them as that forces the puss through the wall of the boil and into the surrounding tissue. You can actually end up with septicaemia that way. Your flatmate needs to take himself off to the GP as he may need oral antibiotics. Boils need to be lanced - ie pricked from the outside- or do what my dad did: he burst his boils by running away from the petrol tanker lorry that he was crewing when it was dive-bombed.

[babyonboard]

omg..at prettycandles...not sure i'll reccomend that one!
damn men..they never know what's good for them, i told him to go see his g.p but he just said 'aah its only a wee scab..will be fine in a week or so'