A bacterial skin infection that develops in the hair follicles and oil glands is known as a boil. It usually forms in the areas of the body that experience friction or pressure. Those body parts include
- Groin
- Armpits
- Face
- Buttocks
- Shoulders
You will experience lots of pain at the beginning of a boil, red bumps will develop as a pus-filled head as they progress. Boils go away on their own after the three weeks of its forming. You should speed up your healing process as most boils go away in the form of draining and heal with two days to three weeks of forming. When a boil forms in your eyelid, it is known as a stye.
Pus-filled head on the bump, tenderness around the bump, swollen skin surrounding the bump, and a firm reddened pea-sized bump are the signs and symptoms of boils.
Several people attempt to open or burst a boil at home. We would advise people not to make any attempts to get rid of a boil. There are several natural ways to speed up the healing process. It is not the best way to treat your boil by opening it forcefully and it may lead to scarring if you forced open.
You should consult your physician if you are experiencing a collection of boils and very large boils. Taking medical treatment will prevent the formation of a boil and reduce the risk of serious complications such as sepsis and death.
Treating a Boil
Apply Heat
We would advise people who want to get rid of boil naturally, they should apply heat to the affected area as it has the capability of increasing the circulation in that area. By increasing the blood flow, your body can fight against the infection with the help of white blood cells and antibodies. Applying heat to a boil is considered as one of the best home remedies you can try. Along with this, we would advise people to apply a warm compress to the affected area for twenty minutes at a time. For getting the best results, you should do this method 3 or 4 times a day, until the boil is gone.
Tea tree oil
Using tea tree oil to get rid of a boil is one of the best home remedies you can go for. This essential oil has the properties of antibacterial and antiseptic, which can help you to treat the bacterial infection that is causing the boil. Due to its burning effect, we would advise people to not apply tea tree oil directly to the skin.
All you need to do is a teaspoon of olive or coconut oil and mix it in five drops of tea tree oil. Put the diluted mixture on a cotton swab and apply it to the affected area and we would advise you to apply the mixture to the affected area for 2 to 3 times per day for getting the best results. Follow this procedure until the boil is completely gone.
Apply Turmeric Powder
Just like Tea tree essential oil, turmeric powder also having properties of both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. These properties help you to get rid of a boil by speeding up the healing process. People use turmeric powder as a natural blood purifier in eastern medicine.
You can use turmeric powder in various ways whether you can swallow it or apply it topically to get rid of a boil. If you choose to consume it, then we would advise you to pour a teaspoon of turmeric powder in water or milk and boil it for few minutes. For getting the best results, consume it daily three times once it is cooled. If you want to apply it topically to the affected area, in that case, you should make a paste by mixing turmeric powder with water and ginger. Apply the paste to your affected area and apply it two times daily.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt has numerous health benefits and it has the capability of treating boils. This salt will make the pus to dry and it will gradually drain the boil. All you need to do is dissolve the Epsom salt in Luke warm water and soak a compress in it. We would advise you to apply that mixture to the affected area for fifteen to twenty minutes. Repeat the same process daily at least three times until the boil is completely gone.
Over the Counter Antibiotics
You can use over the counter antibiotics to eliminate the bacterial infection. Antibiotics work by eliminating the infection that is surrounded by the skin. But you don’t need to take antibiotics if your condition is very mild. There are chances of antibiotics that may cause some surgical drainage to the affected area, and it might face some difficulties while penetrating the outer wall of an abscess well.
Your drugs should be prescribed by your physician and we would advise people to not treat their condition on their own. As it may lead to serious complications if you choose drugs without consulting your physician. Your physician will recommend the drugs based on the severeness of your infection. There are lots of drugs available in health stores to treat the infected area. Your physician may prescribe you the below drugs based on your condition. These include
- Clindamycin (Cleocin and others)
- Mupirocin (Bactroban)
- Cephalexin (Keflex)
Stomach pain, Itching, diarrhea, rash, nausea, low blood pressure, metallic taste, and vomiting are the common side effects associated with clindamycin and the serious side effects of this drug include toxic epidermal necrolysis, serious allergic reactions, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and blood disorders.
Nasal Irritation, burning, sudden changes in the taste of the food, stinging, swelling, cough, aches, the increased urge of scratching the affected area, dry skin, headache, congestion, runny nose, and a sore throat are the side effects caused by the use of mupirocin.
Vaginitis, diarrhea, nausea, running your body on a high temperature, abdominal pain, skin rashes, vomiting, dizziness, and headaches are the side effects caused by the use of Keflex (cephalexin).
We would advise the people who are taking the above drugs to keep an eye on the above side effects. If you are experiencing any of the above side effects, then have a word with your physician about it immediately. Because you need to react to your problem before it is causing further damage to it. Your health care provider may recommend you to use the same drugs by reducing the dosage of it or he/she may switch you to another medication. It is important for you to recognizing the problems that are caused by your antibiotics and noticing it quickly and taking proper care will reduce the risk of serious complications.
Castor Oil
Ricinoleic acid is present in the castor oil acts as a natural remedy to treat your boils. It has the properties of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory can help you to get rid of the symptoms of boils.
We would advise you to use castor oil. It is a very simple method and all you need to do is apply a small amount of castor oil directly to the affected area at least 3 times within a day until the boil is completely gone.
Neem Oil
Neem oil has the capability of treating skin infections due to its properties such as
- Antimicrobial
- Antiseptic
- Antibacterial
With the above properties, neem oil can show its effects in treating skin infections including boils. If you want to treat your boils with the help of neem oil, all you need to do is apply the neem oil directly to the affected area and repeat this process 3 to 4 times a day until the boil is completely gone. We would advise you to wash your hands before and after the application of neem oil to your boil. It will prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of the body.
Consulting a Healthcare Professional
If the boils don’t go away on its own or you don’t see any progress in your condition, then we would advise you to consult your health care provider. If you think the boils are developing and spreading throughout the body then you may require medical attention to solve your problem. In most cases, boils go away without requiring medical treatment but in a very rare situation, people who are suffering from boils may require professional help. If you are suffering from a pilonidal cyst, then you should consult your physician in this case. Because these can be treated only the healthcare professionals.
Conclusion
Home remedies are enough to treat the small boils. But you might require professional help if the boil is extremely painful and there are other lumps near the boil. We would advise you to call your healthcare professional only after trying all the natural home remedies. Because you need treatment by your physician and it goes away on its own. But, if you are a diabetic patient and you cannot ease the symptoms of boils, then you should consult your physician immediately.
References
- https://www.dovepress.com/recurrent-furunculosis-ndash-challenges-and-management-a-review-peer-reviewed-article-CCID
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513141/
- https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013099/full
Sirisha B