Article: While most small boils heal up on their own, it's a good idea to see your doctor for further evaluation if you have unusually large or severe boils. You should also get boils that recur or appear in groups checked out. Make an appointment right away if: You have a boil or carbuncle on your face, spine or buttocks. Your boil is very painful or fast-growing. Your boil or carbuncle is accompanied by a fever, chills, or other symptoms of general illness. The boil is larger than 2 inches (5.1cm) across. Your boil hasn't healed after 2 weeks of home treatment. The boil healed and then returned. You have any other concerns or are not sure whether the infection is a boil. In most cases, your doctor should be able to confirm that you have a boil with a physical exam. If you have frequent or recurring boils, however, they may wish to do further testing to confirm the diagnosis or determine an underlying cause. Let your doctor know if you have a history of recurring boils or any other symptoms that may be causing you concern. Your doctor might take a sample of fluid from the boil and send it to the lab for analysis. This can be useful for determining the best treatment for your boil, especially if it is caused by an antibiotic-resistant form of bacteria. Let your doctor know if you have any other health issues that may be related to your boils. Common risk factors for boils include diabetes, skin conditions such as eczema or acne, a weakened immune system from a recent illness or a medical condition, or recent close contact with someone who has boils or carbuncles. Depending on the severity of your boil, your doctor may recommend home treatment, or they might suggest more aggressive interventions. For example, they might offer to make a small incision and drain the boil in the office, or prescribe an antibiotic to help eliminate the infection. Carefully follow your doctor's instructions for home care. Always finish any course of prescribed antibiotics unless your doctor instructs you to do otherwise. Your doctor might instruct you to use warm compresses to relieve pain and encourage the boil to rupture. If your doctor drains the boil in the office, you may need to wear dressings over the wound while it heals. Additionally, you may have 1 or 2 stitches over the wound. Follow up with the doctor as directed to make sure the boil is healing properly.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
See your doctor if you have severe or multiple boils. Allow the doctor to run tests if they recommend it. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options.
Article: If the burn is from an electrical source, make sure the source is turned off or the person isn't connected to it anymore before helping. Similarly, try to protect yourself with gloves if the burn is caused by a chemical solution. When examining the blister, look for signs of a second-degree burn, which include very red skin, weeping from the area, blisters, pain, and even loss of skin. Symptoms of more serious third-degree burns include losing skin layers, dry and leathery skin, charred patches, painless areas where the skin is burned, and areas that look brown, black or white. Additionally, note the location of the burn, as well as its size. A large burn is often an emergency situation, so a person with a large burn likely needs medical attention. If the burn is covering more than 3 inches (7.6cm), it's a good idea to call for medical assistance. Similarly, call for help if the person appears to be ill or otherwise affected by the burn. Also, if you're not sure whether it's a second-degree or third-degree burn, it's best to get medical help. It's best to see a medical provider for any burn, even if it's very small. However, you don't necessarily need to call for emergency help. Burns to the mouth and eyes caused by chemicals require medical attention no matter what. The clothing could retain heat against the skin, making the burn worse. Just take the clothing off, if possible. If not, cut that area of clothing off, pulling slowly. Don't try to remove clothing that seems to be stuck to the skin. Instead, cover up the burn with the clothing attached and seek medical attention. Keep in mind that clothing can quickly adhere to the burnt skin, and only a medical professional should try to remove it at that point. Doing it yourself could send the person into shock. If the burn is chemical, you should still remove the clothing, as long as it's not stuck to the skin. However, wait until you've flushed the area for a few minutes before doing so while still rinsing the area. Otherwise, you can drag chemicals across other areas of the body. Burns can cause swelling, making jewelry or even clothing like arm cuffs too tight on your skin. Take it off as quickly as you can to prevent it from getting stuck. For instance, if you have a ring on and you burn your finger, take the ring off. A burn can keep hurting your skin if you let it stay hot. Putting it in water cools down the skin, reducing the damage the burn can do. This step is also important if you have a chemical burn, as you want to wash the chemical off as quickly as possible. You can also use a tub of cool water if you prefer. However, don't use ice, as that can cause further damage. Hold it under the water for 15 to 30 minutes. If the burn is in a place that you can't easily put in water, you can apply a washcloth dipped in cool water instead. Don't submerge large areas of the body to treat a large burn, as that could cause hypothermia. However, you can spray the burn with a showerhead, if one is available. Place the person in the tub with their clothes still on, initially. Then, spray them with cool water from the shower. Loosely cover the burn with the cling wrap, which you don't need to secure since it sticks to itself. This will prevent the loss of fluids while the person waits for treatment. Additionally, the cling wrap won't stick to the person's skin, so it won't cause pain or shock when it's removed. This is the same type of plastic wrap you use in the kitchen. If you don't feel it is an emergency situation, you should still talk to your doctor about the burn. They may recommend you visit urgent care to make sure the blister doesn't need more care than you can provide at home. You can also try a virtual visit, which many medical systems offer now. You visit with a doctor using your smartphone or computer so they can view the blister.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Assess the cause and severity of the burn. Call emergency services for large or serious burns. Take off any clothing covering the burn unless it's stuck to the skin. Take off any jewelry that may tighten around the area if it swells. Place the burn under cool, running water immediately to cool it down. Wrap the burn in plastic cling wrap while on the way to a doctor. Talk to your doctor if you don't go to the emergency room.
Article: Since the best readers read with a purpose, it makes sense for you to begin with materials you want to or need to read in your everyday life. These can include things such as short and simple newspapers and magazine articles, work memos, schedules and medical instructions. The best way to get familiar with the words on the page is to say them out loud. Working with a teaching partner, "sound out" unfamiliar words and use the pictures, verbal explanations and context to figure our the meaning of the new words. Reading often and for sustained, uninterrupted periods of time will help you develop vocabulary and become a more proficient reader. Set aside specific amounts of time each day to devote to reading. Keep track of what you read and for how long by creating a reading log.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Choose meaningful reading material. Read aloud. Make time to read.