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Severe & Painful Skin Infection on Cheek with Pus

My fiance has been having this reoccurring "skin infection" on his left cheek  near the jaw, for about 2 years now. It basically looks like a cluster of whiteheads, very swollen, red, hot and painful. He has seen several dermatologists, however, none have been able to give this problem a name or a cure per se. It only afflicts that area.  The most they have been able to do is prescribe antibiotics (Doxycycline or Tetracycline) and topical creams (Benzoyl Peroxide 5%). It goes away with the antibiotics but it comes back once he finishes them shortly after. Sometimes it comes back within a few weeks to a few months.One doctor indicated that it may be related to a staph infection. However, they cant give us a name for what he has, how he "contracted" this, or how to keep it from coming back, etc. He cant take antibiotics forever. Please help !
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Avatar universal
He has had boils in the surrounding area in the past and it looked very different then what keeps coming back on his cheek. We tried the hot compresses to his cheek, however, the last time we did this, it really seemed to aggravate the area.
We will definitely get him an appointment so that they can check out his blood sugar levels (does this relate to diabetes? He does not have diabetes but it does run in his immediate family) We will also bring to the doctors attention about doing a culture. Thank you for your advice and your new insight in this matter. We will keep you posted. Thanks again and take care!
Best Regards,
Stephanie
Helpful - 0
563773 tn?1374246539
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello,
What your fiance seems to be having is boil or furuncle. Boils are caused by infection of the hair follicle by staph aureus. Bacterial skin infections can be spread by shared cosmetics or washcloths, close human contact, or by contact with pus from a boil or carbuncle.

Apply warm compresses on the bumps and keep the area clean. Drainage of the bump is done only when it becomes soft and forms a head. Ask him to take some over the counter pain reliever and consult a doctor for examination and antibiotics prescription. If there are recurrent boils, then please get his blood sugar levels estimated. Also since he has had many courses of antibiotics, so he needs to get a culture sensitivity of the pus from the boisl done so that specific topical as well as oral antibiotics can be prescribed.

I hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted in case you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.



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