Boils : Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies

A boil is a skin infection involving an entire hair follicle and nearby skin tissue. Boils are very common. They are generally caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, but they may be caused by other bacteria or fungi found on the skin's surface. Damage to the hair follicle allows these bacteria to enter deeper into the tissues of the follicle and the tissue underneath.

Boils may occur anywhere on the body. They are most common on the face, neck, armpit, buttocks, and thighs. There can be one or many boils. A boil may begin as a tender, pinkish-red, swollen, firm area in the skin. Over time, it will feel like a water-filled balloon or cyst. Pain gets worse as it fills with pus and dead tissue, and improves as it drains.

The best possible boils treatment is to take up effective preventive measures to avoid being infected by it. There are some simple and safe home remedies for boils that can help relieve some of the pain and discomfort.

. A good home remedy for boils is applying the juice of onion or garlic on the boils, as it will help in evacuating the pus.

. To treat boils, a cupful of fresh bitter gourd juice can be mixed with 1 teaspoon of lime juice, sipped on slowly on an empty stomach everyday for a few days.

. Take 1 teaspoon of milk cream and add ½ teaspoon of vinegar and a bit of turmeric powder to it. Apply the solution on the blood filled boils. This is the efficient natural remedy for boils.

. Prepare a paste with sandalwood and apply this over the boils area. It will give relief from the irritation caused by boils.

. Grind the cumin in plain water to form a paste and then apply on the area affected by boils.This is one of best boils remedy.

. Grind some neem leaves to make a fine paste. Apply the paste on those parts of the body having boils.

. Steep parsley in boiled water till it becomes soft and juicy. When it is comfortably hot, wrap it in a clean muslin or linen cloth and apply it on the boils as a poultice.

. Take ginger powder and turmeric powder in equal proportion. Mix and make paste. Apply over boil.

. Parsley should be steeped into boiled water till it turns to be soft and juicy. When it is bearable hot, parsley should be wrapped with clean muslin or linen cloth and then applied over the boils made as a poultice.

. Apply warm moist compresses three to four times a day over tender areas. This helps to bring the boil to a head and promotes easy drainage.

. A hot Epsom salt bath greatly benefits in boil treatment and should be used twice or thrice a week until boils persist and once in a week thereafter.

. Take some honey and apply it generously to the boil. Use some gauze and tape to keep the honey from oozing all over the place.

. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a pot, and add cornmeal to make a thick paste. Apply the cornmeal mush as a poultice to the boil, and cover with a cloth. Repeat every one to two hours until the boil comes to a head and drains.

. Nutmeg stimulates circulation in the body, which can help your body fight the bacterial infection in your boil. Stir 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg into 1 cup hot water and drink.



~source:ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth~