Treating Painful Boils, Naturally
All of us would have experienced boils on our body at one point of our lives. They can be extremely painful and take time to go away. Some of us get heat boils in summer or when the body’s temperature goes up drastically. In some people, there are boils caused by staphylococcal bacteria that go deeper into the skin through a hair follicle and cause inflammation. In both the cases, pus cells fill up the boil and cause severe infection. Such boils appear on the face, thighs, underarms, buttocks and other sweaty areas of the body where bacteria thrive. 99% of these boils are totally harmless but if you are experiencing any of these other symptoms along with a boil, it’s time to see a doctor.
- Body temperature of 100 degrees or more.
- The boil doesn’t drain even after a couple of weeks
- Boil gets bigger and painful
- There’s another boil in the same place
- Severe pain and inflammation
- Red streaks on the skin around the boil
Though boils usually go away all by themselves, sometimes they need treatment. Before you see a doctor, try these natural remedies to drain the boil. If this doesn’t help, then it definitely needs an antibiotic.
1. Turmeric – A natural blood purifier available to us, turmeric works effectively on reducing the inflammation on the boil and cleaning the skin area. Make a smooth paste of a small piece of ginger and some turmeric and apply it on the boil directly. Let it dry. Repeat the process for three times in a day. The boil soon drains and provides relief.
2. Warm compress – Nothing works like warm water. From relieving foot aches to soothing cramps, warm water does it all. Heat up some water in a bowl and get a clean cloth or some pad cotton. Dip the cloth in the water and lightly compress the boil. Continue the process till the cloth turns cold. The warm pressure draws the pus out and gives instant relief. You can do this five to six times a day.
3. Neem leaves – Bitter neem leaves are great cleansers. Get some fresh neem leaves and make them to a smooth paste. Apply it directly on the boil and let it dry. Neem being an antiseptic and antibacterial agent helps in cleaning the skin around the boil and kills the disease causing bacteria. You can also add a little turmeric to the neem paste to make it more effective.
4. Onion and garlic – Both these magical roots contain sulphur compounds that clean wounds and treat them. You can make a paste out of raw garlic or raw onion, apply it on the boil and loosely bandage the area with a cloth. The heat and pressure from the onion or garlic travels deep down into the boil and drains it out.
5. Epsom salt bath – Hot water salt baths are recommended for those who suffer from boils and cysts near the groin area. Sitting in a bath puts immense pressure on the pus cells and they are drained out immediately. Epsom salt is available in all medical stores. Get some of those crystals, add them to hot or warm water and pour the mix into a tub where you can sit. If the boil is located in an area other than the buttocks, keep washing the affected area with Epsom salt water. The boil drains soon after the procedure.
