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Hydrotherapy Techniques Can Help Heal Boils |
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Hydrotherapy Techniques Can Help Heal Boils.
Many conventional doctors will tell you that a boil is a bacterial infection of a sweat gland or hair follicle, typically on the face or in the armpit or groin, that is caused by a pore or follicle being blocked by dead skin cells and other debris. The immune system's white blood cells die in battle, creating large amounts of pus along with redness, swelling, and pain.
For a single boil, that's a likely scenario, says Peter Bennett, N.D., a naturopathic and homeopathic physician in Victoria, British Columbia. According to Dr. Bennett, however, recurrent boils are possibly caused by gastrointestinal bacteria entering the bloodstream and promoting a skin infection. They can also be caused by eating too much sugar, either refined sugar or even sugar from fruit.
Alternative medicine offers effective ways to heal small boils less than % inch across. You should never lance or press a boil to open it, says Dr. Bennett, as this can spread the infection and cause scarring.
HYDROTHERAPY: Hot Compresses to Beat Bacteria
"Bacteria can't live where there's an adequate blood supply," Dr. Bennett says. Using hot compresses on a boil will bring blood to the area and may diminish bacteria. For an acute boil-one that pops up suddenly and is not recurrentimmerse a washcloth in hot water (as hot as you can tolerate, but not hot enough to burn), wring it out, and place it on the boil for 20 minutes twice a day.
HYDROTHERAPY: Hot-and-Cold Compresses to Drain Pus
After the first day or two of treating the boil with just hot compresses, use alternating heat and cold to draw out the pus, Dr. Bennett says. Again, soak a washcloth in hot water, wring it out, and place it on the boil for 10 minutes. Then apply another washcloth, this time soaked in ice-cold water, for 10 minutes. Repeat this cycle three times, and do the whole treatment twice a day.
ECHINACEAAND GOLDENSEAL: Antibacterial Herbs
An herbal formula with echinacea and goldenseal will help kill the bacteria in the boil, Dr. Bennett says. He recommends taking 1 tablespoon of a tincture of both herbs three times a day until the boil is gone. "But beware the taste," he cautions. "It's very bitter."
TURMERIC: Cooling the Fire
In Ayurveda, the ancient natural healing system from India, boils are seen as a "pitta" disorder-an excess of fire or heat. Turmeric is a cooling herb that can reduce the inflammation of a boil and help prevent recurrences, says Virender Sodhi, M.D. (Ayurved), N.D., an Ayurvedic and naturopathic physician and director of the American School of Ayurvedic Sciences in Bellevue, Washington.
Look for a standardized extract of turmeric and take 450 milligrams three times a day. Or use it to make a skin paste that will quickly bring a boil to a head, says Dr. Sodhi. In a blender, combine 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts, and a baked onion with enough water to make a thick paste. Before bedtime, spread the paste on a piece of cheesecloth and put the cloth over the boil. Cover the cheesecloth with plastic wrap so the yellow coloring of the turmeric doesn't get on your bedding, then secure the poultice with a bandage. Leave the poultice on overnight; repeat for 2 nights.
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