Heal Boils Naturally: Effective Home Remedies

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

To treat boils (staph infections) as soon as you figure out that it is going to develop, I clean the spot with hydrogen peroxide and soften up the white center core until you can remove it. Then cover area with Gentian Violet. Repeat application of a couple times a day. Don't worry about the color. Later on when the spot isn't sore to the touch, you can remove the color with a cotton pad and alcohol. It does not leave a permanant color like some people say on this website. It will stain your clothes so cover with a bandaid.

I found Gentian Violet at local Walgreen drug store for $2.99 The pharmacist couldn't find it when I asked for it, he thought I was joking. I found it in a section that carries over the counter medicines from Mexico since I live in an area with lots of Latinos they carry these products. Hydrogen Peroxide and gentian violet work to kill Staph. Also take copper dietary supplements, I take 2 mg every other day. We don't get enough dietary copper from depleated soil used to grow vegtables. And the metal copper kills MRSA on contact. Newer hospitals are outfitting with copper sinks and faucets instead of stainless steel. Remember to disinfect doorknobs, sinks, etc with diluted beach solutions. Be careful to not inhale airborne bacteria with MRSA when you clean a boil drainage area. Clean wound treatment areas with diluted bleach using disposible paper towels. Do not reuse cleaning rags.

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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.

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.

I also started getting boils a few months ago. it also started after eating quite a bit of almonds -toasted almond slivers for salad, they were quite old.... Overdated (but didn't taste bad).... have been taking turmeric every 1 or 2 days, and haven't had anymore come on, but still have a red lump on my forehead where one started, doesn't hurt anymore, but won't go away....

My uncle soaks his feet in an ACV/water bath. The first time he tried it, his mrsa boils began to drain within the hour. He had them everwhere--shoulders, neck, around his waistline; he couldn't go to work, they were so bad. Temperature doesn't matter. I don't know how much ACV he adds to the water. I think he just glugged some in and soaked his feet while he watched television. A five year old would probably rather soak than swallow!

But acids react with metal and bases/alkalines react with organic matter...

Yeah, I just started getting these boils in the last few months in my groin area and I am using the baking soda to help speed up the process of surfacing with my warm compress. The only time that my boils seemed to get infected or worse is when I squeezed the boils. Even if I got a lot of it out, it never got better fast by squeezing.

I have a boil at the moment on my chin. I just read about the baking soda for it, and I did it. And I think it's working cause lord does it burn!!!!

First I have to say I love earthclinic website. So many natural cures to look up.

My husband had another boil on his behind. After one week he finally told me, he had put on rubbing alcohol. I immediately looked at the website to see what can be done. I had colloidal siver and I put it on a little cotton cloth and covered it with a bandage. Overnight it drew out the head and looked a lot better, redness and a lot of the swelling was gone. Put on some more and covered it. Thank you earthclinic and all the wonderful people who share their natural remedies.

I got an itchy, raised, red area on my inner leg, very close to Labia. I have some Colloidal Silver and knowing it smothers Viruses I sprayed it. Through the night I noticed that the swelling was down but there were 5 or so elongated raised bumps. I had NEVER had that happen and it made me interested in what it was. I kept spraying silver and one by one they broke and slightly oozed but I didn't touch it. I keep spraying and I am seeing each one scab over and shrink. 30 years ago I developed Staph in my ceasarian section and was quarantined, I will bet there is left over staph in my body. In the past I would develop the raised itchy near my "area" but it would never come to anything. Just go away, but was quite itchy. The Silver brought out the bugger. I am amazed that #1, I could be harboring Staph in my system from that time period and #2 Colloidal silver is clearing it externally, very quickly. It has been 4 days. I am going to go great guns with Colloidal silver internally. Wow maybe I won't be such a sickly little thing anymore...... Hope springs eternal!

I'm assuming this is about the cyst you get in your nose and not on your tailbone?

Dmontg: I too have had recurring boils (which eventually led to a 5-day stint in a hospital), after I allowed a golfball sized boil grow in my neck - turns out, it was in my gland!

The hospital pumped me full of antibiotics and fluids; and warned me that it was MRSA. Ever since, I have had many boils which seem impossible to relieve - most of them have been on my face and neck, with the occasional buttock boil (awful, you can imagine).

I've found that I'm prone to getting these after eating certain foods: just like Elle from Austin TX, cheap chocolate pudding seems to provoke an attack. Also certain nuts, like almonds, seem to be a cause. My menstrual cycle may be an indicator. However, I don't get boils every month...?

Not sure of any other commonalities amongst us with recurring boils, but I have O-negative blood. I had a bad outbreak of shingles, followed by a severe case of mononucleosis a few years later, and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 5 years ago, after suffering years of widespread pain.

I really prefer natural home remedies, and avoid taking prescription medication - especially since my body seems to be resistent to most antibiotics at this point.

Thanks to the generous people shared comments on this site, I've discovered that ACV (apple cider vinegar) and tumeric are essential parts of the diet in order to keep these at bay. I also use tea tree oil, and lavender oil on the site of any boil.

Thanks for all your feedback. I started taking chlorella a week or two ago and just got some probiotics, so hopefully that will help with my digestion. In the meantime, I'm going to try to really focus on eating a clean, whole food diet. I'm a pretty healthy person generally, but do eat some processed foods, so I'm going to try and cut those out. Perhaps I'll try taking a bit more turmeric and incorporate it into my cooking as much as possible. Thanks again for your suggestions.

Ann, boils and any skin condition are a result of sluggish digestion and the toxins are merely getting out of the skin via a boil (or a rash or ezcema etc. etc.).

Once you clean up your digestion you won't have any more boils.

The tumeric should help... Maybe you didn't use enough. I add it in all my curries. Even sprinkle it on roast chicken. Garlic is also good for digestion, digestive engzymes will also help along with the probiotics. If your liver is an issue, chlorella and spirulina are natural liver detoxers. Stay away from processed foods, they are NOT food. You may as well eat cardboard for the nutritional value they have.

Hi Maria, My doctor said razors could be the cause so I use Hibiclens after I shave, but that hasn't stopped them. This has abeen a very stressful time, so that probably is influencing it as well. I also have stopped using antipersperant and switched to a spray deodorant so that I don't have to worry about spreading it from side to side. I am thinking of possibly exploring laser hair removal...

I will keep on with the turmeric and try the clean program, and hopefully be done with this once and for all!

Have just remembered I also stopped using my deodorants and switched to the solid crystal instead, rinsing it well after each use. Now I use lemon, just a little juice on both palms an put on each armpit.

Hi Anne, Shaving can be a cause. I was having them continuously and when I stopped shaving they stopped coming. Never had one since. Keep on with the turmeric as its long term use will help with the removal of toxins and infections in your body. It will also help your liver which may need some support in removing toxins from your system. All the best.

A year ago I started suffering from boils in my armpits. I got one on the right side, which finally resolved after antibiotics and compresses, and it was a traumatic experience. Nine months later, when it started getting hot out again, I noticed tiny little whitehead type things appearing in my pits, and two of them developed into boils on the left side. I had to take two rounds of antibiotics because the first did not kill the staph infection and I had to get one lanced. They hurt terribly and look awful, and since I keep getting them I feel like antibiotics are not the answer.

Last week I notcied a tender spot in my left pit but couldn't see anything, but two days later a boil was clearly developing and it was extremely painful. Went to the doc who gave me a prescription, but I was determined not to take more antibiotics. After all, the doc thought that taking antibiotics after I had surgery last year may have lowered my immune system in the first place.

I am currently trying several remedies and having success. I started taking turmeric in warm milk at the first sign (2x a day) and applying tea tree oil, but this did not stop the boil from getting huge. I've also been hot compressing it and I bought some Prid homeopathic drawing salve (it looks like black tar) from the pharmacy and applied that. Both things helped draw it to a head. The boil seemed ready to pop, so I sterilized a needle and just opened the tiny little white head to help it along and get it to start draining. It was draining slowly so I alternately applied hot compresses (with salt in them) and then applying the drawing salve and covering it with a bandage. Yesterday it drained a lot and is much less painful now (not waking me up at night), though still nasty looking.

I feel like I can beat it without the antibiotics, which I'm really happy about. However, I've noticed that I still have tiny little white heads on the other armpits so I do think that somehow my system is messed up and perhaps toxic.... Why else would I keep getting these? I am thinking I need to do a detox/cleanse and I have started taking probiotics to help boost my immune system. I will report back if I do the cleanse.

My advice is to take those antibiotics and hope they work. Some strains of staph infections are very dangerous.

The advent of antibiotics is one of the big success stories of modern medicine. They really do work in most cases when taken as directed....Oscar

as others have posted here many times... take turmeric and olive leaf extract internally in addition to your other remedies..

A small scratch on my ear became infected with staph and now my ear is almost completely swollen. In addition, I have painful sores on my face and inside my mouth. All the little cuts on my body are full of pus and my lymph node in my neck is swollen. I don't want to take antibiotics so I went to a naturopath and he gave me arsenicum album homeopathics to take under my tongue. He said I should feel better in a day but it's been over a day and I still feel bad.

I'm wondering if I should try colloidal silver and if so, should I stop the aresnicum album or take both. I'm using ACV on the actual sores, gargling with it and other home remedies including noni, garlic, lysine, etc. Should I take colloidal silver in addition to all these other things or should I just stick to one remedy? Please advise. It's been 3 days and I am miserable enough to just take the antibiolics!

I had a similar issue. A few years ago I had foot surgery and a week after had a fungus on my foot that was treated with ointment. I also had to use crutches for a few week. Then about 2 months from the date of surgery really bizarre things started happening to my body. That's when I woke up one morning and could not move my left arm away from my body. Normal every day activities like brushing or blow drying my hair were not possible, because I was unable to lift my arm. I also had a strange rash on the armpit of that arm. My shoulder eventually got better, but any time I would use my arm in repetitive motions it would start aching again and I would have limited range of motion and of course I would notice the rash again, until I went to a Functional Health Chiropractor who did applied kinesiology and fixed me up! I really don't have the rash now, but will occassionally get bumps on my armpits. They aren't bad, but I use things like colloidal silver, aluminum free deoderant, etc.. to help keep any bumps down.

Update on using Nic's Turmeric Recipe: About 20 minutes after taking the first dose, the pain in my joint began go away--there was a great deal of relief from the pain. After three hours, the pain was all gone, and after four, my finger felt completely like new. I took another dose that night, and then a couple of doses the next day, and after that I forgot to take any. The second day, the boil which had been a perfectly round bump, receded back into the elongated shape of the cut which had been the source of the infection. A week later, it has been diminishing steadily, and is now almost entirely gone. Thank you so much to Earthclinic and to Nic for helping me save my hand! By the way, I found that it actually tastes better to use just one tablespoon of oil, and that way you can take 3 doses a day without taking a lot of oil.

Nic--thank you so much for the turmeric recipe! Turmeric has cured my boils the same way, but I took it in capsule form. I tried to take the same large amount in milk, but couldn't get it down--it was just too strong. Now I have a boil on my finger, either from a scratch from my cat or from an injury from cleaning my new house. I have cut my hands up a ridiculous number of times just cleaning things like freezer, stove, and cupboards. Now this boil is scary, because I am a professional violinist and the finger with the boil is the index finger of my hand that holds the violin. And there is joint pain too, so I think the staph has gotten into the joint and caused infectious arthritis. I cannot afford the capsules right now, but your recipe looked do-able, so I went and tried it, and sure enough it was no problem to get down! What's also great, is that I recently read that black pepper makes turmeric work even better!

I got my first boil about a month ago and used this site to help me get rid of it. Mostly with baking soda, salt, garlic and finally apple cider vinegar. It was located under my right armpit and when it started I got shoulder pain in my left arm! Lifting my shoulder in a certain direction was excrutiating like I hard torn a ligament. The boil got worse and so did my body. The pain kind of spread to my other shoulder and my entire body was in pain (like you would after an extremely hard workout and your muscles are drained). This continued for about a week then the boil drained and I was pain free. I got two other tiny boils that were quickly healed after a week. Now I just got another one thats as deep as the first (all boils were under the same armpit) but I'm hoping it wont escalate to the painfullness of the first because I caught it early. Now im doing tumeric and ACV but I have that same intense shoulder pain.

Does anyone know if they could be related or if its just a coincidence that they occur at the same time?? I've never had a shoulder injury before nor do I do much with it to make it hurt this much. Any feedback would be great!

It is amazing how many natural cures are suggested for boils - and very few if any modern medicinal treatments. My brother, who is a farrier, uses this on horses feet that are infected all the time and used it recently on a nasty boil and was amazed at the cure time. The boil was already seeping (this might make a difference). He soaked a gauze pad with Betadine liquid, put pure sugar on it until the sugar was red from the betadine - then packed it on the boil and changed it frequently. - Two - three day cure.

I just wanted to make people aware that if you absolutely need to take Tumeric/Curcumin in supplement form, Vitamin World sells it in capsules and the only ingredients listed, other than the tumeric, is Gelatin and Vegetable Stearic Acid... There's no DiCalcium Phosphate. The pure spice form is preferable of course but I wanted to share another option. Also, buying pure Melissa (lemon balm) essential oil and using 1-3 drops in a carrier oil (like Vitamin E or Almond Oil) applied to the body or affected areas has antibacterial effects. Tea tree, rosewood, calendula and many other oils can provide you with daily prevention. My recommendation is to google any of those for further information. I hope this helps!

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

After reading about garlic as a strong antibiotic I put crushed garlic on a staph boil (I think that's what it was. I had one many years ago in the same place and went to the doctor and that's what he called it- he gave me antibiotics)

I would hold the garlic in place with a sterile pad and an ace bandage, leaving it on for hours at a time. WELL, the boil opened but it also spread! It got worse! I switched to drinking vinegar and tumeric and also rubbbing Caledula oil on it. Immediate improvement. I even did the baking soda a couple times which was cooling. I made a Shea butter salve with Calendula, Usnea, Wormwood and Comfrey. Large red inflamed area almost gone, but it has been almost 10 days (since the garlic). Thanks everyone...

I used the majority of your method on my 7 year old son he has only had a few but the doctors methods would not work. I didnt use the Tumeric as pills but I got the past and never really needed it. Everything else worked. Thank you he is one very happy lil boy.

I performed the hot bottle method a few hours ago and I am screaming, "Yes!!! " It worked. I bought a a soda in a glass bottle, poured out the drink, rinsed and dried the bottle, put a small amount of H2O in a sauce pan, placed the bottle in the water, let it come to a boil, grabbed the bottle with a pot holder with the open end up, then I put the open end over the boil. I was a little suction but I let it stay until the bottle cooled. Massive Pus Was Drained! Now I'm at ease.

Instead of using bleach to clean counter tops and toilets you would be better off to use something natural like white vinegar or even 100% eucalyptus oil (diluted in water).

Re: Boils and bleached underwear

I was plagued with boils on my bottom for years. I stoped using bleach when washing underwear (and disposed of all old underwear) and have not had a boil in 3 years. I think chems in bleach stays in the fabric and creates a imbalance with the skin on contact. I rarely use bleach now except to clean counter tops and toilets.

Itchthammol is also know as black drawing slave. I asked my pharmacist for it, it was behind the counter. Itchthammol is the name of the product. I do not think it is a product commonly used anymore, by traditional medicine. It is an old fashioned remedy.

Try an online search if you have no luck finding it.

The address of the company is as follows

Po Box 8250

Ft Lauderdale Fl

33340-8250

what is itchimol, another name that we can find it in canada?

Another remedy for boils if bacon does not work is to make a poultice out of ground flaxseed. Add enough hot water (as hot as you can stand it) to make a slightly soupy paste. Apply to skin and cover with a clean cloth. Allow to dry and then soak it off. The flaxseed causes it to come to a head. We used this when I was a child and suffered from carbuncle outbreaks.

Didnt read through all the listed stuff, but I really wanted to add in something, sorry if someone else may have mentioned it, but both my father and I have suffered from reoccuring boils/staph infections.

As soon as one would form, both of us would use something called Ichthammol. The one we used was a thick black ointment, not sure on the clear ones cause we didnt use it. It smells a bit like roofing tar but the smell isnt so bad to where you cant stand it, and believe me this stuff works miracles. We would apply it, and put a thick cloth over it cause it can stain clothing, and would tape the area with medical tape for the skin. By the next day the head would form, we would them clean our hands, take tissue and wrap it around both pointer fingers, and pop the head. You want to push out as much of the infection as possible till nothing but blood is coming out, then you would wipe the area good, apply more of the Ichthammol with new wrapping and repeat the process the next day of removing whatever pus was there.

To best describe what it seems to do, is make it easy for the puss to be drawn out do that draining it is easier, and the pain or the infection doesnt last for days or weeks. I use to go to the Hospital for mine and they would numb the area with shots which was extremely painful because the skin was already tender to the max, and then they would slit the skin with a blade, and remove what they could, they I would have to stuff it with guaze over and over for about a week, everyday and it would leave a nasty scar that at times either would heal over 6months to a yr, and some have not seemed to heal at all.

With the Ichthammol, and all the easy removal of the fluid, there isnt as much pain compared to having to stuff the open sore wound with guaze, and it seems to heal more rapidly with no scars left after.

Also I make sure to apply something called Hibiclens over my skin when I take a shower. But I only do this about once a month. It helps to clean the skin and kill bacteria, now it doesnt get rid of the boils coming back permanantly but it does help bring down the reoccurance of them, cause I use to get them every 2-4months, and I made sure to wash/bleach my sheets and clothes, also went around the house with bleach and hot water, wiping down things that are touched often but forgotten about like light switches and door knobs. Now I might get a boil/staff infection once every 6-8 months.

Hope this helps anyone dealing with these horrible things, I wouldnt wish these on anyone and hope everyone has found some kind of remedy that works.

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.

So once your infections have a head, they drain on their own & heal? Every time I've had a mrsa boil I always have to squeeze it to get the stuff out & it just keeps on growing and making a huge hole in my skin. I always end up caving & going to the doctor. I'm afraid its going to spread & kill me. :(

I ended up going to the doctor & getting antibiotics because the infections on my face & leg were getting worse & my eye was swelling up. I talked to my O.B. And he said it was fine if I drink the apple cider vinegar. Idk I just figured it would be bad for me to drink vinegar while breastfeeding. R from Denver, CO are you taking turmeric capsules or eating & drinking it?

Why can you not take ACV or turmeric? I am breastfeeding also and take both....

Yesterday I started bandaging soaked apple cider vinegar cotton pads on two mrsa infections I have & it seems to be making all the stuff inside harden like a scab... A couple of days ago I tried the baking soda & apple cider mix but it didnt work. After that I tried a cotton pad soaked with castor oil & dipped in sea salt, that didnt work. But then the apple cider vinegar does this. It doesnt seem to be getting worse, a lot of the swelling has gone down but theyre still really red & hard. Im breastfeeding my son so I dont have very many options. I cant drink the vinegar or take turmeric capsules & this is all I have to work with at home.

In the mean time I bought some tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil & turmeric powder on ebay. For anyone who has had success with using apple cider vinegar this way, does the infection harden like a scab from the inside?? Any info about apple cider vinegar would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks! :)

I was eating raisins when boils started to appear, so raisins do not prevent boils.

I had a boil for about 4 weeks and tried things that were recommended on webmd to no avail. Thankfully I remembered earth clinic. I combined several things that seemed to work for people and found that each day the boil decreased in size and after 3 days I discontinued treatment all together. I used a tsp of tumeric 3 x a day... Sometimes in yogart and sometimes in almond milk. I also used topically, a mixture that I made in my blender of tumeric and fresh comfrey w a little olive oil. You will need to put this on a large bandaid or gauze w cover as tumeric is very messy and will easily dye anything that touches it yellow. Good luck!

Juanita from Little Rock
Have you ever actually been tested for herpes, or is it your ego that has you convinced that it's only a boil? As someone who has suffered from both, it really sounds more like herpes than a boil. None of my boils have ever itched and the pre-sore tingle is the calling card of a herpes outbreak. L-Lysine is great for herpes, which is also why I think that you should listen to your doctor about the diagnosis.

How long do you boil the bottle for?

It is coming up on three years that I have been getting Staph infections. I have been to numerous drs, including a dematologist and an infectious disease Dr. I felt like I was going to final get some answers from the ID dr, but all he did was listen, quite attentively I might add, and say sorry. He said he could get me another prescription for antibiotics if I needed it, but that was it. At the time I lived in San Jose, Ca and went to Stanford University to see the infectious Dr. He said MRSA (that's what I have) is rampant in the area. He has seen people like me who get infections, which last about 2 years and then they suddenly go away. He wasn't sure why there are some people who contract MRSA and can't get rid of it and my susceptibility to MRSA had nothing to do with my immune system. So go figure. Sorry I don't have answers, but I do use colloidal silver and it does help me.

Bottled (spring water) is acidic? Tap water has fluoride (a toxin.. Read your toothpaste label), peoples waste (medications), now they say rocket fuel(?), metals that the FDA has set the rates as being approved? Who trusts the FDA? Read your local water contents on it's web site. Then, you be the judge with what you want to put in your body. Best to filter your tap water before ingesting in the best way possible.

Do you drink enough water because you may have mrsa boils caused from your body being to acidic from not drinking enough tap water. I used to only drink bottled water. Bad choice its acidic if you dont believe me just get some water tests strips like I did and you will see the link. Mrsa cant live in an alkaline enviroment. Get your body alkaline no more boils! Study this. Very interesting.