3 Natural Remedies for Boils

Most boils are minor skin infections that can be treated at home with natural remedies. Boils are small painful pus-filled lumps, but they cannot be popped like a pimple. Below are three home remedies for treating boils that may make your affliction shorter and less painful.

Warm Compresses

Apply a warm compress, such as a heated washcloth, as a natural remedy for boils. Warm compresses may help the boil come to a head, but it must be applied several times a day to be effective. Once the boil has burst, re-apply until the boil is completely drained, which may be several days. Many home remedies suggest that compresses that use fig leaves, aloe vera, beetroot skin or banana skins are especially effective in treating boils at home.

Tea Tree Oil

Another effective natural treatment for boils is tea tree oil, which comes from Australia and has natural antibacterial properties. According to a study reported in the Journal of Hospital Infection, scientists tested how well tea tree oil creams and nasal sprays could eliminate staphylococcus bacteria, which is the bacteria that usually causes boils. In this study, tea tree oil was at least as effective as conventional treatments. Because boils caused by staphylococcus bacteria have been so often treated with antibiotics, some bacteria strains have developed a resistance to antibiotics and can no longer be treated by conventional medicine. Tea tree oil is able to kill those antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Tea tree oil is applied topically. If using the oil straight, dilute with water and apply using a towel or cotton ball. Applying a few drops of tea tree oil to a warm compress is a good way to combine your home remedies for boils. Tea tree oil creams and lotions are also available.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medicine suggests a number of home remedies for boils. Extracts of Anthracinum and Echinacea Angustifolia are popular natural boil treatments. Homeopathic treatments for boils are generally taken orally, and dosage should be determined by an experienced alternative medicine practitioner. BoilX is a homeopathic oral spray for treating boils that contains a mixture of seven homeopathic ingredients. The homeopathic ingredients in this product are said to have anti-inflammatory and disinfectant properties that benefit a number of skin conditions, including boils. BoilX is sprayed under the tongue three times a day.

This article only suggests natural home remedies for boils and is not a substitute for medical advice. If boils are recurrent or last longer than one week, seek medical help. Squeezing or trying to pop a boil can make it worse and, in severe cases, may spread the bacteria into the bloodstream.

Did these home remedies for boils work for you? If so, please leave a comment to share your success!

Sources:

BoilX.com http://www.boilx.com/

Home-Remedies-For-You.com; Boils http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Boils.html

Journal of Hospital Infection; "Tea Tree Oil as an Alternative Topical Decolonization Agent for MRSA"; 2000 http://burnaid.ryepharmaceuticals.com/tea-tree-oil-research/mrsa-tto-1.pdf

Skin Saver Remedies; Juta Stepanovs http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skin-Saver-Remedies-Juta-Stepanovs/dp/0846452014