For there is no greater pain than a boil where it is not supposed to be.
Common Boil Nuggets
Having a boil can be a very humbling experience especially when they appear in sensitive areas. From headaches, fevers, and the fear of getting a potential STI, boils are known to generally cause discomfort, embarrassment, and a world of pain. Today, 10 Nigerians share their worst boil experience with Zikoko.
1. Dapo, Male
Around 2016, I went through a boil-ympics phase. It started on my nose, after some days, it appeared on my eyelids. Then I got another one in my nose, like inside my nose. The day it popped, I remember buying a fresh pack of tissue paper and gently cleaning because it was so painful. I had another one in my groin. I thought I had gotten “the gono” and visited the hospital but my doctor laughed and prescribed some antibiotics. The worst one has to be my ears. My attempts to reach it with a cotton bud brought excruciating pain. Worst three days of my life. You wouldn’t believe it but I presently have a boil on my right eyelid. I’d rate the pain a 7 out of 10.
2. Bimi, Female
I got them on the ass, groin and armpit for over 3-4 months. Couldn’t sit properly or close my thighs right. I was on a lot of antibiotics for the MRSA but they were also causing the boils so I had to do a lot of dietary changes and take medications. Also tried warm compresses until they popped and took tons of painkillers. The pain ranged from a 4-9 on different days.
3. Kooper, Male
I’ve had three different terrible boil experiences. The first was under my armpit. It was difficult to bring the arm down because of the pain that would come so I always had to give my arm and armpit a little distance. The second was inside my nostrils. I had headaches, it was difficult to focus on anything but the boil. When I tried to pop the boil, it just released a small fluid, dried up and continued to torment me. The worst one was my eyelids. I couldn’t see properly, keeping my eyes open became a chore. Overall, I’d rate the pain a 6-8, 8 being extreme, out of 10.
4. Chisom, Female
Having a boil is such an unpleasant experience. I had a boil in my nose that hurt, throbbed and caused a fever. I had to resist the urge to touch it. The feeling when it finally popped was euphoric, mainly because I knew it will soon go away. If I could do anything differently, it’d be to touch a boil less. The pain rate was a 6.
5. Ugo, Male
I have a theory that boiled groundnut caused boil for me and fried one caused pimples. I have stopped taking both but before now, I have had a boil in my asscrack, armpit, and asshole. As you can imagine, taking a dump became an extreme sport. I dreaded it. Sitting down was very painful so I found myself standing a lot. I was scared of popping it and when it finally popped, I was scared of infection. I rubbed ointment constantly, eventually, ampiclox helped dry it. I’d rate the pain level 4,5,7 for my asscrack, armpit, and asshole respectively.
6. Lade, Female
I was in secondary school when I felt a boil growing under my armpit. It was so uncomfortable that I spent of that period – a week- walking with my arms akimbo. The boil was so huge, it caused some sort of extra soft flesh to grow on my armpit, it’s gone now but back then after I healed, I would play with it. I had to use ampiclox or ampicillin with some ointment, I can’t remember, to heal the boil. For me, it was more uncomfortable than painful, I’d rate the pain a 6 out of 10.
7. Sam, Male
From the eyelid boil to the armpit boil that was triggered by a deodorant to the knee boil that happened cause I pulled a hair which turned to a wound and later to a boil, I’ve had my fair share of painful boils. I had to use antibiotics, wait for a long time for the boil to get ripe, and finally draining it out. Pain level was on a 7-8 out of 10.
8. Mosunmola, Female
I’ve had one in my ear actually. I was in secondary school at the time, I had no idea one could have a boil in their ear till I did. It was very uncomfortable and I cried a lot. I ended up going to the hospital to get it checked and drained out. The pain was an 8 out of 10.
9. Chibuzor, Male
I was 8-years-old at the time I had the boil. It was right in the middle of my ass crack. Standing was painful, but nowhere near as painful as sitting. Walking? You’d see me and think I have money. Or I was going to fight. I was miserable. My mom gave me medication but I remember the pain as a solid 8 out of 10.
10. Atii, Female
I had a boil on my labia and it was one of the most disgusting things ever. When it started I thought it would go away, it just kept growing bigger and bigger until it was the size of a golf ball. Thank goodness I was unemployed at the time. A brush against my thighs was so painful I had to walk with a waddle. I was too embarrassed to go to the hospital to pop it at the time so I asked my mom to do it. Have you seen Dr Pimple Popper? Yes, it was that gross. Disgusting pus oozed out. My mom had to pop it in 3 different sessions and then we applied methylated spirit on it. THE PAIN. It healed surprisingly well but I’d have to rate the pain a 7 out of 10.
On what scale would you rate your worst boil experience?
