“Unsay English sa Mata’g Tiki?”, It’s a Boil!
As very ‘bisdak’ Cebuanos, we all know the term “mata’g tiki”. I remember asking my parents what its English equivalent is but they weren’t able to give an answer. It was only when taking Microbiology that I finally found the word after more than 10 years.
“Mata’g tiki” is a boil. It’s surprisingly that simple, but the possible diseases it can lead to when not treated is frightening. What causes these boils? It’s no other than Staphylococcus aureus. The S. aureus is a normal skin flora that becomes pathogenic when it enters sterile parts of our body like when there’s a break in our skin. We call these opportunistic pathogens. Microorganisms can only be viewed under the microscope. S. aureus are gram positive cocci arranged in clusters; like viewing clusters of grapes. There are many other bacteria on your skin right now, some pathogenic, some rarely causing lethal diseases, but the S. aureus is the most dangerous and most common species of Staphylococcus, which is why I wanted to share some of what I’ve learned in class to spread knowledge and awareness.
Boils occur when the S. aureus bacteria in our skin enters tiny cuts in the skin or through our hair follicles, meaning you can get boils almost anywhere in your body. They start from a little furuncle, or boil, that starts to spread and eventually become carbuncles, a cluster of furuncles. If ever not treated, the S. aureus has infiltrated deep into the skin that it reaches our capillaries where it can be brought wherever in the body through the circulating blood. This is when boils on our skin become the beginning of life-threatening diseases.
Diseases one may acquire with S. aureus include:
🔸Skin infections: furuncle, carbuncle, bullous impetigo, folliculitis
🔸Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)
🔸Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSS or Ritter’s Disease)
It’s terrifying how a few boils can lead to such diseases. However, some infections like food poisoning, TSS, and SSS are not caused by boils but rather the exotoxic capability of the S. aureus.
“Prevention is better than cure.” The best way to not get sick is to keep ourselves safe by being clean and aware. You may read the full article of Mayo Clinic regarding staphylococcal prevention provided with other references and good readings to really understand.
🔹 Wash your hands. Handwashing is the best defense against any kind of pathogenic organism. Be aware and always remember to wash your hands before touching a delicate surface on your body.
🔹 Keep wounds covered. It is a general rule to always keep wounds covered. This not only keeps the wound clean, but also prevents the bacteria-containing pus from spreading the infection.
🔹 Reduce tampon risks. Wash your hands and genital area before inserting a tampon. Change your tampon frequently.
🔹 Keep personal items personal. Avoid sharing personal items like towels, razors, and clothing.
🔹 Wash clothing and bedding in hot water. Staphylococcus can survive on clothing so wash clothing properly.
🔹 Take food safety precautions. Wash hands before handling and/or eating food. Refrigerate leftovers ASAP and properly heat food.
The great revelation I had was how we ourselves can also be the source or cause of our own demise. We may not see anything on our skin that looks life threatening, but these bacteria and other microorganisms are all over our body, except for the sterile areas like the brain, heart, lungs, blood, and other organs and its system. We should not completely rely on our immune system to protect us. We should make the conscious effort to protect ourselves from dangerous bacteria or, at the very least, prevent ourselves from getting sick. The very first step is to maintain good hygiene and be cautious of any abnormalities we may see on our body.
I hope whoever is reading this, to my friends who I’m personally sending this to, or to a random stranger online who stumbled upon this post, danger really is just around the corner. I hope this enlightened and inspired you to start taking care of yourself.
References (and recommended readings):
Lane N. (2015). The unseen world: reflections on Leeuwenhoek (1677) 'Concerning little animals'. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 370(1666), 20140344. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0344
Bush, L. M., Vasquez-Pertejo, M. T. (2021). Staphylococcal Infections. MSD Manual. https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/gram-positive-cocci/staphylococcal-infections
Jaliman, D. (2019). Boils. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/boils
Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Staph infections. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/staph-infections/symptoms-causes/syc-20356221
