Heat-Related Skin Infections On The Rise

August 9, 2011 6:08 PM

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DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - For Karrell Johnson of Dallas, a painful brush with a carbuncle started as a seemingly benign knot on his back.

“I went out and played golf, “ said the UNT music instructor, “only nine holes because of the heat, but I wasn’t bothered with it at all.”

But, after a 2,500 mile road trip in the sweltering heat, Johnson says the ‘little knot’ turned into a nasty infection. “It was just huge, and very infected, “ said Johnson.

Often called carbuncles or sebaceous cysts, doctors are seeing a rise in skin infections during this heatwave—as if the weather itself isn’t making us miserable enough.

“It can go on for days or even weeks, looking okay and then all of a sudden for whatever reason—sit for a long time, you get sweaty, you start exercising, and overnight it can turn south on us, “ said Dr. Jeff Goudreau, a Dallas internal medicine physician.

Patients sometimes complain of fever, fatigue, or just a general discomfort. Itching can occur before the carbuncle develops, and then the knot will turn painful and irritated with a white or yellow center. As the infection worsens, the cyst will ‘weep’ and be filled with pus, and form a crust.

The infection is highly contagious and patients must take precautions to prevent the spread to other parts of the body , or to family members. And be especially vigilant, doctors say, at the gym.

“You go to the gym, you do some reps on the weight machines and you get up without cleaning it, “ said Goudreau, “somebody else can lay down, sit down there, and have the same problem.”

Goudreau says the cysts must be drained—a process which is typically very painful—and are usually treated with antibiotics. Otherwise healthy patients typically won’t suffer any long term health effects, he says… but, that’s not to say that the skin infections aren’t nasty and downright painful until they heal.

Johnson headed to his doctor and is on the mend; but, admits he should’ve gone sooner. “I didn’t even want him to touch it, it was so sore.”

Heat Related Skin Infections On The Rise

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[...] in skin infections during this heatwave?as if the weather itself isn?t making us miserable enough. More from: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/0… PreviousPost [...]
http://dallasforme.com/2011/08/heat-related-skin-infections-on-the-rise/ Heat-Related Skin Infections On The Rise — Me and the Chicks

[...] cysts, North Texas doctors are seeing a rise in skin infections during this Texas heat wave. More from: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/0… PreviousPost [...]
Stanford Ross

Over fifty years ago I broke out with those painful and ugly Carbuncles after a trip to the midwest from California. The doctor took a sample of the pus and sent it to the Lab. They made a serum from it, and then shot it in me. It stopped the breakout forever.
Lan H

Sounds like a witch doctor convention on here. These things need cutting open and draining by a doctor. Bacon fat? Good way to make it worse.

Kitten

Sorry Lan, but the bacon fat works. I can vouch for it.

Michael

Same here. For some reason a raw piece of bacon draws out poisons in the body. Ever seen the old movies with people holding raw meat on their fresh black eye? I don’t know why, but it works better than anything I can get at the drug store. Can’t ‘splain it but it definitely works – and surprisingly fast, too.
Jake

Bacon fat works, but it MUST be from a pig slaughtered during a full moon. Once you apply it, you must turn counterclockwise three times, and then rub a salamander on the carbuncle.
Frank

Raw meat on any sort of wound creates a serious risk of infection. It does not work, no matter what you think. Steak on a black eye is simply explained. It is cold, that reduces swelling, but use ice instead. Bacon goes in you not on you!
JackP

Do you fry and eat the bacon afterwards?

Mikey

I had one of those on my back a couple of years ago. It didn’t get infected but it got big enough to be irritating (about the size of a marble). I ended up having it cut out. It was a simple enough procedure and was done in my doctor’s office.

I can’t imagine why anyone would wait long eough for it to get as big and nasty as the one in this story…

tbone

I had a patient in the ER one time with one on his back…NO LYING…the head of it was the size of a softball, and the inflammation covered his whole back…looked like a volcano on his back…my thinking is the same…How do you let it go that long?

MajorPhartz

You probably want to lay a raw ham on him…

me

I had an abscess on my leg and in three days it was golf ball sized…it can happen really fast!

TexansforCHRIST

When you believe in Jesus? All is possible. He brings cysts and puss to those who believe. HAL YOU LA LA LA
Aunt Negrem

The use of the lance to open the boil ,,used in the british army for tropical service,,just stand back out the way.

stl_tl

I had one of those on my chest last summer, grew to the size of a marble. My wife sterilized a sewing needle, lanced it, and squeezed it like a zit. The most ungodly stream of kunk came shooting out, looked like oatmeal shooting out of a toothpaste tube. After it was all drained I washed it with soap and water and hydrogen peroxide then coated it with antibiotic ointment for a few days. Within a week it was all gone.

Jack P

If it looks like oatmeal it may have been oatmeal. Did you taste test it?

rmkeyjr

you start exercising, and overnight it can turn south on us, “ said Dr. Jeff Goudreau, a Dallas internal medicine physician.
The correct term is “it can turn north on us”

Yirmin

The thing to remember is to avoid this just don’t exercise…. works for me.
kes

Does that apply to both sides of the equator? That north and south stuff….

windriver

I woke up from a camping vacation a few years back with one of these on the back of my neck. It was a little sore but by that evening I could not turn my head. I had to pack up and we left to go home the pain was so bad. It got cut open and drained by the doctor. PAIN was the word for the next few days and I still have a divot looking scar there.

Crikey

that was a spider bite, not a carbuncle

Zek

In my days we use to call these things beauty marks. Women who had them were highly sought after in the belief they would bear many children. What has happened to people now adays?

MajorPhartz

Whare the hell did you grow up…..USSR

ken

carbuncle ? sounds more like a bad case of “obama”
wishiwasfunny

never mind. Garfield’s owner was Jon ARBUCKLE. The joke will never happen.
Jack Kennedy

when we rid the country of the disease known as obama, these types of maladies will go away ………. its called stress from the obama depression
glenp

THEY ARE NOT SEBACEOUS CYSTS!!!!

CARBUNCLES ARE STAPH BACTERIAL INFECTIONS!!! MERSA is a STAPH INFECTION!!

A carbuncle (pronounced /ˈkɑːbʌŋkᵊl/) is an abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by bacterial infection, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus. The infection is contagious and may spread to other areas of the body or other people. [1] Because the condition is contagious, family members may develop carbuncles at the same time

Mrs.A

There is no “MERSA”. MRSA is the proper acronym for Methacillin-Resistant Staph Aureus.

glenp

well smartass MERSA IS the term for “ME”thicillin “R”esistant “S”taph “A”ureaus

hence “MERSA”

OBTW where is your medical degree of any sort

Chippy55

I have friends who get them because they are working on siding and roof jobs when it’s 95 degrees out, and they take off their shirts. Cover up and wear a hat. Period. When your skin tans it’s nature’s way of saying, ‘Get out of the sun”. Why in the world peeps speak of a “healthy looking tan” is beyond me.
MsPrimm

Yeah you put the raw bacon on the infection first. But this method only works if afterward you immediately wrap up the bacon and bury it in your backyard.

anne2

bwaaaaaaaaaaa! lolol

AbbaDBabba

Bat dung and cobwebs are best. Take 1 pint of blood from the arm first.

anne2

LOL………………Do you BELIEVE some of these comments???!
Jack P

Soft cow dung works very well and it rubs on easier than bat dung, which dries out quicker. A bit smelly at first but it lessens as it dries and hardens.

jimers

I get these from eating foods containing Canola oil
Indy

The only carbunkle I`m suffering from is the one in the white house. It won`t go away.
incredulousone

The comments on this story make me weep for our educational system and future. Im going to start brushing up on my Mandarin or Farsi… FFS!
TheRealKingMax

It’s Obama’s fault.

Impeach Obama.

Johnny FUSeed

This only happens in Texas. Nuke Texas.

Dr. Livingston

I recommend going to your area lake or pond and catch a few leech’s. Apply the leech’s to the effected area and walla the carbuncle is now inside the leech. Now that is symbiosis at is best.
Dr. Livingston

I recommend going to your area lake or pond and catch a few leech’s. Apply the leech’s to the affected area and walla the carbuncle is now inside the leech. Now that is symbiosis at its best.

Romy

Walla is not a word. You mean Voila’, a french term meaning “there it is.”

Iodine folks, soaks into the skin and kills the staph.

snowy

Two leeches and it’s Walla Walla….. if you are in Washington State.

Spoker

Just spent 3 weeks getting rid of one of these the size of a racquet ball along with several smallers one all over my torso. The culture showed it was staph. Nasty, painfull before it was lanced. Lots of strong antibiotics. Not a fun experience.
AmazedAmerican

I can remember my mother telling me about her brother having a carbuncle in the back of his neck. When it had come to a head the doctor put heat to an empty clean coke bottle. When the bottle was hot he put the opening over the carbuncle and it sucked the pus right out. I was stunned as a young child, to have heard this but never forgot it. I am 69 now, still hope I don’t get a carbuncle.