Boil Treatment Warnings
Warning
Please anyone that has recurring boils, go to your health professional and get checked out. I have had recurring boils and just found out I have MRSA. MRSA seems to be more and more common these days and can be harmful if left untreated.
The turmeric was an awesome temporary remedy for my boils, but when I began to have shortness of breath and chest pains, I knew I had to get checked out.
Listen to your bodies.
(Cc, Florida)
12/20/2011
Recurrance of boils may be an indication of MRSA colonization on the skin and in the nostrils. It is urgent to treat so that it does not spread internally and systemically. The decolonization procedure often recommended includes both of the following measures:
Apply 2% mupirocin ointment generously throughout the inside of both nostrils with a cotton swab twice daily for 10 days and
Bathe with liquid chlorhexidene soap, washing all skin surfaces daily for five days. Daily bathing or showering using an antibacterial agent such as chlorhexidine gluconate is recommended during mupirocin treatment to improve chances of eradication. Alternative treatment with tea tree oil body lotion and shampoo have been shown effective in achieving decolonization, and have the benefit of being less harsh on the skin.
If you do not have medical insurace, go to your county public health service center and tell the doctor or nurse what you want. 2% mupirocin ointment for nasal application. The soaps should be available over the counter without a prescription. Or you can use hydrogen peroxide rinsing all over your body while you are in the shower and your skin is already wet. Do small areas at a time so that the mild burning doesn't overwhelm you. Leave it on a few minutes then rinse, go to next area. Remember ears, feet too, wash your scalp with the tea tree oil skin wash. The MRSA infection is on the skin so don't scratch little scabs that make an open entrance into the body. These are not spider bites like a lot of people think, it is part of the MRSA infection. Put hydrogen peroxide on the little scabs. There may be itching also as a sympton. Use hydrogen peroxide to clean surface areas also, sinks, counters, door knobs. Take copper dietary supplements.
(Kihei)
12/26/2016
I have used the grapefruit seed "gse" brand disinfection lotion and found the best results for what could be MRSA. Although the problem still lingers. The comment is very informative and I agree.
Boil Treatment Warnings
Warning
I just wanted to make a quick comment about boils. It is very important to get your boils checked out by a doctor because now days there is a huge spread of MRSA infections that look like boils but they are really staph infections. Sometimes people think that a boil is just a boil but it is really a deadly staph infection. MRSA staph infections can kill you or if the infection just looks like a boil it can really be doing a lot of hard on the inside of your body and spread and if it gets into your blood stream (and it happens fast) it could kill you or make you deathly sick. If you get something that looks like a boil or a infected pimple get it looked at and do take the antibiotics unless you don't care if you die or get deathly sick. When I was young I got boils all the time and my mom would take care of them for me. Now I am 26 and have been in the hospital from a serious staph infection that looked just like a pimple or a boil. I spent a week in the hospital once for thinking it would just go away and I try homemade treatment. Don't try to fix yourself or a pet in these situations. Go seek professional help with these. This info may save your life. Also, never poke at a pimple or boil with anything sharp or squeeze them because it may be a staph infection and could spread inside of your body and will cause a hospitalization over night. trust me. I know lots of people that thought these things would go away after squeezing them and ended up spending the night in the hospital.
(Minneapolis, Mn Usa)
08/18/2010
Luckyseattlegirl, boils generally ARE staph infections! It's not an either/or issue. Not all staph is the same, though, and that's how MRSA come into it. Here's what the Mayo Clinic says:
"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that's become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections. "
So-- you can have a boil which is caused by the "normal" staph bug, or be unlucky enough to get one caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain. Meanwhile, I've had great success over the past year with turmeric. I generally use capsules from a vitamin co. in the Midwest whose name begins with S. -- however, I love turmeric in FOOD, and try to cook with it when I can (Indian cuisine). My boils are on my chin area, usually-- I always thought they were just a different kind of adult acne. Turmeric knocks them out in a day or two-- before that, they used to linger for up to a month!
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
10/19/2012
Also, doctors can puncture a boil to get the pain, pressure and liquid out, All they do is pierce it with a sterilized instrument, and clean the area with alcohol right away afterwards. No need to pay out hundreds of dollars for a medical visit for that. Now if you have more than one, or have boils in multiple places, you may have a systemic infection and need oral treatment. In that case, you would want to get a prescription/medical advice.
Boil Treatment Warnings
Warning
I would like to warn everyone about treating boils. Prior to knowing about earthclinic I had a boil on my leg that grew to the size of a grapefruit (inner thigh). I'm not a doctor, this just my personal experience. I shudder when I read someone advising others to apply heat to a boil to make it come to a head. That's what I did and I almost died. boils for whatever reason one has one, are full of infection. applying heat pulls blood to the surface and increases the risk of spreading the infection already in the boil. I was treating myself, like many others w/o insurance. I did not have the knowledge about turmeric and other home remedies then. better to use the home remedies, have patience, and if it does not clear up get to a hospital. I hate being in debt, but I think I'd hate being dead over a boil worse. If you have a store near by that sells indian groceries buy turmeric in bulk--inexpensive. Then either get empty capsules from a healthfood store and make your own (empty caps also not expensive), or to get the turmeric into you, make golden milk and drink it:
1-2 tablespoons turmeric
2 cups milk (lactose intolerant- use rice milk)
1 tablespoon honey ( I prefer molasses blackstrap, full of b-vitamins and iron) to personal taste
heat milk to warm, not boil, and add turmeric and honey. when drinking stir cup before sip as turmeric settles to bottom and you want to get it all down w/ the liquid.
Turmeric is the key ingredient in mustard, wear old clothes or handle carefully it stains. c/o topical apps here at Earth Clinic. I wish I had known about this site, I might have been able to save myself from having emergency surgery and 2 months on my back in a nusing home on a wound pump (pumping out infection). I'm only 49 years old!
EC: Thank you Kelly, great advice!
(Denver, Colorado)
11/18/2009
Wish I'd checked this page 4 days ago.... I squeezed and it did not help! I remembered using heat and that was painful, but it did bring it to a head. Also used a bandaid w/ drops of Tea Tree Oil. Will try these other suggestions in the future. Glad I found this site! Could have saved myself a lot of pain!
(Ruislip, Middlesex Uk)
07/06/2010
If a boil comes to a head it can be lanced with a sterile needle. Don't squeeze. Dress the open wound with Boracic Ointment on gauze. This will draw out the infected matter; it's also good for splinters you can't reach with tweezers but the skin must be broken.
EC: From our internet research, boracic ointment was used to treat wounds in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Here's a recipe we found:
http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Work-Management/The-Toilet-Continued.htmlBoracic Ointment
I ounce vaseline or lard (if not for facial use), 2 dessertspoonsful of finely powdered borax or boracic acid. If lard is used it should be freed from salt, but if this is the basis the ointment will not keep good for long, as lard quickly becomes rancid. Mix the powder and the fat until the borax is thoroughly incorporated. Place in a jar, using a knife dipped into boiling water to render the surface smooth and even.
(Iberia Parish, Louisiana)
07/07/2010
(Nashville, Tn)
07/12/2010
Boric Acid and Borax are two different things. Boric Acid is the acidic part of boron and Borax is the alkaline. Boric Acid can be very toxic if not handled with care. Borax is way more gentle, you can even wash clothes in it. Never ingest Boric Acid.
(Nashville, Tn)
12/13/2010
(Cincinnati, Ohio Usa)
11/16/2011
(Ac, Nj)
01/11/2012
Warning
Be careful with substance that are high in iron. MRSA lives off of the iron levels in ones blood. It attaches onto the red blood cells and feeds off their iron. Also, be careful with oil based topical treatments such as neosporin vaseline etc.. oil traps the infection inside the skin and creates a breeding ground for the infection to grow.
(Trumbull, CT)
12/10/2014
(Hope, Bc Canada)
12/10/2014
Beth0210 --- yes, according to Ayurveda statements, they both work. But they work in different ways. Here in the West, the dry form is mostly easier to procure. If you juice the root, your juicer could be orange forever. In India, people even hang the root from the neck for protection. Turmeric has special subtle powers which I have experienced myself. So it is not superstition.
After an illness, spray your body with a solution of water and turmeric to cleanse the subtle body of residues of unhealthy energies. This is widely used in India for that purpose. That is when I had an experience indicating it does work on subtle levels.
Namaste, Om
(Trumbull, Connecticut, USA)
12/22/2014
(Seattle)
02/08/2016
Misdiagnosis Alert!
From the feedback we have been receiving at Earth Clinic, it seems that many people (including doctors) are misdiagnosing their boils/staph infections/MRSA for spider bites, so please be very careful! If you don't remember being bitten by a spider (a rare occurrence), it's probably a boil or possibly a staph infection.
(Los Angeles, CA, USA)
04/25/2011
My daughter was "diagnosed" with multiple spider bites, then allergic reaction to the venom, then skin Staph infection all with many month long antibiotic treatment that cured nothing, but kept the amount of boils somewhat less. After greatly suffering for 1-1/2 years, insisted on an infectious disease doctor and got the nasal cream. Went away in two days! However, a year later she was "diagnosed" with Crohn's disease with an unidentified bacteria in the stool and results not typical for IBD. History of chronic ear itching and flaking since also. Could this all be MRSA colonizing in the intestines and ear canal? I think so.
(Cincinnati, Oh)
03/06/2013
I know this was written a few years ago but I wanted to point out the fact that intestinal issues and skin issues such as flakiness that involve a history of the person taking multiple and strong antibiotics given over a long period of time, such as you decribed are a direct result of an imbalance of the good/bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. The more antibiotic that is taken, the weaker the good bacteria becomes. This imbalance can lead to other complications such as Crohn's, Celiac, Candida, etc. I would suggest giving your daughter a bentonite or montmorillonite powder to help draw out the impurities in her intestines and to line the walls of the intestines. Also to take a strong probiotic to rebuild the intestinal flora. If you can feed her raw milk, that would be the absolute best way for her to balance her system. Start with a tablespoon and work up to a full glass.
MRSA Survey Results
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Acidophilus
I am cured! Acidophilus!! It worked in only a day or so. I have been taking garlic supplements, eating raw veggies, and drinking organic juices...I felt healthier, but was still getting small boils - until my friend turned me on to Acidophilus. It is a natural supplement of probiotic bacteria ... basically bacteria that eat bad bacteria. I bought it at Whole Foods. My boils are gone & no new ones have popped up!
(Fort Worth , Texas)
11/23/2009
(Destin, Fl)
02/18/2012
In general, for long-term efficacy oral ProBiotics should (ideally) be taken in "Pearl Form" which is specifically designed for sustained release throughout the guts entire cycle, (i. E. Effective into the small intestine; and not affected by digestive processesses, stomach acids, etc). They are more expensive, but a much better bang for your buck if you are treating serious or long-term issues.
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
10/19/2012
Acidophilus
If I feel a boil coming on, I take Acidophilus, one a day. The boil never fully comes out. I take it for a couple of days, or a week if I actually have one and it goes completely away. Acidophilus works wonders for boosting the immune system.
Activated Charcoal
A paste made of charcoal powder and water will draw the fever out of a boil very quickly. Cover the boil with the paste and then with a damp, flat cotton pad covered in plastic to keep from drying out and wetting clothing. Can tape in place.
Activated Charcoal
My two year old son has had recurring boils in his buttcrack ( sorry, but that's where they are :) ) - anyways, previously we have used the heated bottle method with good results. However, this time it only released a little bit of fluid with that method...it just kept getting bigger and bigger even with turmeric applied to it. He couldn't sit down and his little butt cheek was all purple. Doc's office was closed for the weekend, so I hurried to the health food store, desperate for some help and the lady suggested Activated Charcoal - it was sold in capsules.
I wet piece of gauze, opened the capsule and sprinkled a decent amount across the bandage (it needs to be damp to work, so make sure the gauze is significantly damp so it won't dry out quickly). That usually takes about 1/2 the capsule.
Then I dump the rest of the capsule into a little bowl of yogurt so he can eat it.
I have him eating the yogurt/charcoal mix 2x a day (morning and night) and changing the charcoal bandage about 3x a day (the health food store lady advised every 2 hours, but bandage changes were a little traumatic for my guy, so 3x a day it was) I think the main idea is you want a consistently damp bandage, so a fresh one ensures that.
Anyways, after 24 hours, his huge boil (biggest one he's experienced) burst - I mean, really, hours later, the stuff won't stop coming out...I will ALWAYS keep this stuff on hand now. Also said to work for bug bites, rashes, etc - pulls the poisons right out of the skin. It's not completely eradicated right now, as it just burst this evening, but I just applied more charcoal before he went to bed, so I'm certain it will be completely gone within a few days. It is amazing the improvement in just 24 hours.
side note: charcoal has no flavor, so is REALLY easy to get a toddler to eat - especially mixed in a creamy something - like pudding or yogurt. However it is BLACK and stains REALLY bad, so I literally just spoon feed it too him myself - he thinks it's cool to watch the yogurt turn black...lol...although chocolate pudding would make it easy too. Do all your bandage preparation over a papertowel or plate, or you'll have black countertops!
(Stillwater, Ok)
11/08/2012
My husband was bit my a spider and developed red streaks and the center of the bite was nasty looking. I mixed water and charcoal together and put on the bite with a bandade. The bite starting healing. After the site healed there was a small dark spot, like a stain or tatoo.
(Florida)
10/07/2016
Quick note about charcoal: if charcoal is used on open skin, it will be effective, HOWEVER, it will also leave a permanent mark wherever it touches open skin. It's just like a tattoo and it is NOT removable unless you see a doctor. There are no bad side effects that I know of, it just leaves a black mark. It would be wise to check the area carefully for broken skin in areas where you don't want permanent marks.
(Faithville, Usa)
10/08/2016
My daughter went camping and came back with over 50 itchy mosquito bites red and raw and I put charcoal and a bandage over each one and they all healed. No black marks. 13 yrs ago.
(Hawaii)
10/26/2017
How much were you feeding your toddler? My 2 year old has staph impetigo and I'm desperate.
(In)
10/27/2017
Lena Here is an answer from Ted here on earth clinic. As he says most of the things are available at the drug store. Or Amazon.
I soak almost everything in magnesium and borax saturated water. Milk of magnesia or magnesium oil.
Applying iodine is prudent. Colloidal Silver too. Ted mentions hydrogen peroxide.
I noticed that with an infection under my nail, the iodine color disappears pretty quick. Must be applied frequently. It is being used up pretty quickly, it seems.
Janet
Here is Teds post
Aloe Vera
Fresh aloe vera works for drying out many things, spots, cold sores and also boils. I have posted about it in the cold sores section too.
Boils are nasty things and I do find linked to diet. A good probiotic helps to minimize them as does cutting out sugars and hard trans and saturated fats as I detail below.
I am sorry so many of us suffer from these nasty things but I have managed to minimize them by being careful with my diet and when they do come up, acting fast with fresh aloe vera from the plant only.
If a boil develops I do find taking turmeric helps to bring it to a head however once it is oozing you need something to dry it out as soon as possible.
I do find to avoid boils avoid sugar, avoid eating hard fats (eggs, lots of red meat or porc, I keep cheese consumption down and try to mostly eat soft cheeses).
I do find that despite the warning on this page that you want to pop the boil as soon as you can with a sterile needle or other implement and get all the gunk out. Until you have done this it just cannot heal properly.
Once you have gotten all the yucky stuff out I find Fresh Aloe Vera straight from the plant is the most amazing thing for drying it up. The yellow ick should start to dry out and form a brown coloured scab which gets darker and drier by the day. If it is still very swollen and painful after a day it may be because not all the gunk has been extracted in which case lightly press on either side of the boil either with Q-tips or fingers wrapped in tissue paper and see whether more thick white stuff comes out, usually it does if the boil is very swollen. Keep taking the turmeric in water as suggested in other posts here.
Once the thick white stuff is all out of the boil, the boil is usually gross and oozing with that see through pus so you want to dry it up as fast as possible, avoid wetting the sore or taking long showers and baths. Holding a tissue to it for about 30 mins to stop the flow of pus will help, then you start applying aloe vera like crazy!
You should apply fresh aloe vera- the juicy part- straight from the plant every half an hour or so until the boil gradually turns into a scab and then keep on applying as often as you can. Only fresh aloe vera from the plant works, I have tried the bottle stuff and it just does not work the same. I always have an aloe vera plant in the house for these needs and have been known when travelling to bring parts of leaves with me in a ziplock bag!
The best thing is to slice a small amount off the plant and keep it in the bathroom and just keep on applying the juicy liquid as often as you can. Eventually you'll need a fresh piece as the juicy part will dry out.
I have found I can 'cure' a boil in 3 days if I am lucky, with only a minor red mark at the end that is easy to cover with concealer. Usually on the 3rd or 4th day of applying the aloe vera the scab is so tight and dry it easily falls off or peels off, do NOT pull it off if it is still stuck on too tight or you will have a scar and the sore may not be healed properly underneath yet.
If you are sure the boil is really dead and dried out and all scabbed up, another thing that helps the healing is to apply -only when you are 100% sure it is all dried up! Or else you will reactive it- some neosporin. This will help humidify the skin underneath so it heals nicely without leaving a big scar.
Aloe vera, straight from mother nature, from the fresh plant is heaven sent and I thank beautiful nature and mother earth for giving us this wonderful miracle!
Aloe Vera
My aunt blended a small aloe vera leaf with water in a cup and I haven't had a boil since 1998. I had boils at least once a month. You can also add orange juice instead of water because it helps the bitter taste.
Antibacterial Soap, Hot Water, Triple Antibiotic Ointment
Hi, I used to get boils all the time:( under my arms and on my leg where the leg and but check meet. I'm sure it all started with shaving and sweating. I excersised every day and then I would do chores around the house before showering. Not a good idea because the bacteria would sit on my skin for hours. It is IMPERATVE to use antibacterial soap in the shower everyday!!!!!!! It's spring water the blue body wash and it doesn't dry my skin:) also NEVER squeeze a boil , it forces some of the bacteria back in! As soon as you notice a boil use HOT compresses as many times a day as you can! Use clean white washcloths and run under really hot water and apply till it gets warm then use different edge of washcloth and repeat. Keep going....... Then apply triple antibiotic ointment. Repeat as many times a day as possible! Never reuse the same washcloth or towels. Till washed(preferably in bleach! ) Remember to just let the boil drain. Resist the urge to squeeze. It's not like a pimple. I
The bacteria needs to drain. Try to shower as soon as possible after excersising or sweating and use antibacterial soap:)As soon as I made these changes I stopped getting boils!!! :) good luck Also if you get boils under your armpits, make sure until they are all gone, always wear a fresh clean shirt everyday. Change your razor frequently too. Shave around boils , never on, then get fresh razor.
Antibiotics
| 5 star (1) | 33% | |
| 1 star (1) | 33% | |
 (1) |
33% |
i have tried many antibiotics for my boils the only one that has helped me is sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (sulfa) 800/160 tabs.
(Philadelphia, Pa)
12/23/2009
Warning
My wife battles recurring boils and the sulfa antibiotics do seem to be effective. Be careful though, my wife turned out to be allergic to sulfa drugs, which it turns out is not uncommon and the reaction (suppression of white blood cell production leading to unexpected bruising and eventually internal bleeding, as well as muscle ache and fever) can be life threatening. So, be vigilant and contact your doctor immediately if the antibiotics lead to any of these or other unexpected reactions whatsoever.
(Northeast, Ar, Usa)
04/17/2012
Just a note of caution: After my wife was treated for Mono and had a bad reaction, a second doctor complained that 3/4 (probably opinion and not fact) of all people are allergic to sulfa drugs! He wondered why they were even still in use. Unrelated to thread: Recently I found that megadosing with Vitamin C can cure Mono in a couple of days. I was furious! It's bad when you feel safer filtering through sites like this one than speaking to most medical professionals in your area. Thanks to all of you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Boils:
Try combining the apple cider vinegar cotton swap with a HOT compress.
I just brought a boil on my wrist to a head in about 45 minutes, which is amazing because it was NOWHERE near this before I started.
1. Clean area with alcohol
2. Dip cotton ball in Apple Cider Vinegar
3. Apply ACV cotton ball to boil
4. Hold in place with bandage
5. Apply a fairly tight wrap to secure everything and prevent ACV from staining clothes / compress
6. Microwave a compress for about 5 minutes. Apply it directly on top of the part of the wrap that is covering the boil
7. Watch TV for about 45 minutes to 1 hour
This worked for me in 1 treatment. I was completely blown away.
(Micronesia)
07/05/2016
Joe,
Why don't you try honey. Apply thick honey on it cover it with gauze and wrap it. Apply it twice a day (morning and evening) and see what will happen. Honey is my magic bullet.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Better But With Side Effects
I started using the ACV in September, and found it's only worked (and has done so fast) when I have applied it on a cotton ball and held it there tight with a bandaid (waterproof ones are bad, as they leave the glue on you for days after and are harder to get off). So for the first two months, I'd basically just swab them and it didn't work very well. Over November they had all but disappeared, with just a few new ones showing up on my inner thighs (problem area was the scrotum at first). But one thing, after doing this for awhile the non-affected skin has been, well, pickled it seems. It is brown around the area and looks unappealing. Has anyone encountered this and know of a cream or something to return the skin to normal?
One more note: green tea. It heals your skin up nice and fast after; should have been downing 3 cups a day when I started this business. (But it's not really doing much for the darker spots of skin mentioned above).
Good luck
(Federal Capital Territory, Abuja)
10/07/2017
