Mark Gurarie is a writer covering health topics, technology, music, books, and culture. He also teaches health science and research writing at George Washington University's School of Medical and ...

A boil, also known as a furuncle, is a swollen, pus-filled growth on the skin that occurs when bacteria—even those normally found on your body—infect a group of hair follicles. Boils commonly develop ...

An abscess occurs when an infection causes a pocket of pus to develop. Abscesses can develop on the skin, in the mouth, or inside the body. Bacterial infections typically cause abscesses. Pus develops ...

Cellulitis and skin abscesses are both due to bacterial infections. They may develop separately or together, and they need different treatments. Your skin is home to about 1,000 different species of ...