Health Conditions from A to Z

Boils

Boils are pus-filled, inflamed areas of the skin that can occur anywhere on the body, usually at an infected hair follicle. Most common sites are low back, thighs, buttocks, back of neck, and armpits. The infection is usually due to the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

Boils usually start as very painful slightly red bumps. They then become more swollen, more painful, redder, filled with pus and with a yellowish-white tip, and will keep draining or causing pain until the "core," a sac surrounding the pus, is expelled.

What To Consider

Recurrent boils can occur in people with decreased immune function, diabetes, chronic gastrointestinal problems, underactive thyroid, lowered resistance due to borderline nutrient deficiencies, and chronic emotional stress.

Bursting a boil can spread it, leaving scars, and usually does no good until the core is expelled.

Self-Care Tips

Diet
Eat plenty of green, orange, and yellow vegetables, which are cleansing (try to have at least four different types of green vegetables a day, and keep this up for at least six months). Increase fluids, drinking water throughout the day, and drinking water with juice of fresh lemon and one teaspoon of chlorophyll upon rising and before bed. Also avoid over-consumption of white sugar and white flour products.

Nutritional Supplementation
The following nutrients can all be helpful for treating boils, due to their ability to boost immunity: garlic capsules, kelp, chlorophyll, proteolytic (pancreatic) enzymes (taken on empty stomach two to three times daily away from meals), vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, raw thymus glandular, and zinc.

For boils compounded by chronic emotional stress, also consider adrenal and thymus glandulars, vitamin B5 (1 gram four times daily), and vitamin C (1 gram every hour).

Aromatherapy
Draw out the boil with bergamot, lavender, chamomile, clary sage.

Ayurveda
To bring boil to a head, apply a poultice of cooked onions. Wrap in cloth and do not apply onion directly to boils. Application of a paste of 1/2 teaspoon each of tumeric and ginger powder directly to boil.

Flower Essences
Rescue Remedy Cream can be applied (minimum four times a day) on unbroken skin around, but not directly on, boils. Flower essences for negative feelings surrounding the problem, such as Rescue Remedy to help alleviate stress or Crab Apple for low self-esteem, negative body image, and feeling toxic.

Herbs
A blend of the tinctures of echinacea, cleavers, and yellowdock in equal parts, taken one teaspoonful three times a day can help speed the healing time for boils. Additionally, drinking a cup of an infusion of nettle, preferably fresh herb, twice a day, can be helpful.

Homeopathy
Bellis, Belladonna, Hepar sulph., Arnica, Silicea, Apis mel., Arsen alb., and Lachesis are all useful homeopathic remedies that can be taken alone or in combination with each other. Phytolacca is another useful remedy, but it must be taken alone.

Hydrotherapy
Warm Epsom salts baths can help ease the pain of boils and draw out the infections.

Juice Therapy
Juice parsley, spinach, celery, and pineapple juice may to help purify the blood. As an alternative, beet root juice can also be sued, and is a traditional remedy used in Europe to help treat boils.

Topical Treatment
Apply a mixture of honey, the oil from vitamins E and A, and zinc oxide to the infected areas. Do this several times a day, up to once per hour. Other effective topical treatments include a poultice of goldenseal root powder paste, hot Epsom salt pack (two tablespoons in one cup water), tea tree oil, or a poultice of one part sesame oil and one part lime juice mixed and applied externally.

Colloidal silver applied topically can also result in marked improvements.

Caution

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