Table of Contents
Cure Boils, Staph Infections and MRSA
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DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
2 YEA
[YEA] 09/01/2006: Stacey from Los Angeles, CA writes: "I put a hot compress on every night since it developed. Within three days it opened and released pus. I also kept it lightly covered with a bandaid, put bacitracin/zinc antibiotic on it. Drank lots of water (LOTS) and ate more fresh fruits and veggies.The boil went away. Felt less tired and peed alot!"
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HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, A NEEDLE AND ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT
[YEA] 05/16/2007: Leah from Albion, IN writes: "We wash our hands and the site of the boil. We use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean it and then With a steriled needle we break the head of the boil and drain it. we use the peroxide and it helps bubble the pus out. Its very painful. Afterward we put triple antibotic and a bandaid and it heals within days. if you catch it and drain in sooner than later it wont get so large. its very painful but you feel an instant relief after its drained."
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2 YEA
[YEA] 06/15/2009: Erin from Naperville, IL writes: "Ice cubes got rid of my boils! For three weeks, I suffered with boils around my waist. I think the waistbands of my pants actually caused them to spread. They weren't very large, but boy, were they painful! Being a veteran Earth Clinic user, I tried everything recommended ... H202, coconut oil, ACV, baking soda, hot moist heat, antibiotic ointment, turmeric and garlic. NOTHING worked. The other night, as I was going through my familiar routine of applying hot moist heat and draining them, it suddenly occurred to me taht maybe the heat was making them worse. I remembered that years ago, when I suffered with cystic acne, the only thing that would get rid of the painful bumps was in ice cube applied directly to them. Somewhere, I had read that bacteria thrives on hot moist heat and is killed by freezing cold temps and that's what made me try the ice on my cystic acne. I could often get rid of a cystic acne bump before it even became noticeable just by applying ice. So I decided to try it with the boils. I got an ice cube and held it directly to the biggest boil and then after a minute or so began rubbing the ice cube over the whole area that was infected with boils. I did this before bed and when I awoke the next morning, the smaller boils were completely gone and the bigger boils were less than half the size they had been. After I ate breakfast, I got another ice cube and applied it to the bigger boils first and then rubbed it over the whole area. By evening, the bigger boils were super tiny. I continued the ice cube treatment another day and then they were all gone. I cannot tell you how happy I was after suffering with these things for nearly three weeks and watching them grow worse and worse!"
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[YEA] 09/04/2007: Megan from St. Louis, MO writes: "I have always gotten boils since I was young. I recently came across some information regarding them and a simply cure that I tried. Putting a whole ice cube on the boil 3 to 4 times a day and waiting until it completely melts will kill the boil. The information I came across said that boils need heat to grow and that the ice cubes stop them in their tracks. When you put the ice cube on it has a burning sensation and after 3 or 4 days the boil went completely away that I had. Just thought I'd share. An inexpensive remedy."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 05/05/2006: Renee from Pepperell Ma writes: "Treat boils right away (don't let the sun set on a boil) The longer you wait, the longer it takes.
2. Wash boil, dry, apply ointment
3. Cover with a cloth band-aid
4. do this twice daily This is a "drawing salve". Also good for splinters with pus. What it does is thin the skin above the boil and let the boil naturally drain. It is mildly antiseptic too."
01/09/2010: Ashley Rae from Kansas City, Missouri replies: "Did the ointment leave a scar? I have heard that drawing salves can cause scarring?"
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INFARED, 125 WATT CLEAR LIGHTBULB
[YEA] 09/05/2007: Bev from Elroy, WI writes: "to respond to the woman with the terrible boils. I suffer from horrific cystic acne. I discovered that if I eliminate all forms of hidden MSG [do an internet search to find all that it is in] that my skin is perfectly clear. I am so sensitive that I cannot even touch anything with citric acid or natural flavor which is a form of hidden MSG and is in most shampoos, liquid hand soap, prepared foods, pop etc. I convinced my husband to eliminate all hidden MSG and his headaches, ezcema and skin rash went away. Now when he has any exposure the itchy, weepy skin rash comes back and today it is back with a vengence. He had mustard on Sunday and it flared. By Monday evening it was drying up and he licked the spoon of the ice cream he served our children and during the night it erupted so bad he could hardly sleep.
A good rememdy for all these skin things is a 125 watt clear infrared bulb. Not only will this clear up the skin but is great for any aches and it healed my son of acute asthma. Asthma requires a one hour treatment 1-2 times daily or more. The more you use it the quicker it heals. The only draw back is having to stay stationary so long. My husband hasn't had time to sit under it the past two days so he is still in bad shape. He started on the vinegar and honey last night to see if a change in body pH will help.
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6 YEA
[YEA] 04/25/2007: Frances from Gainesville, FL writes: "I got my first boil ever recently. At first I had no idea what it was, but it rapidly increased in size and pain, began to itch around the edges and turned very red. My mother (a nurse) told me it was a boil on Sunday and to "leave it alone" (I have a bad habit of picking at wounds, etc.). Through the night, this became one of the most painful things I had ever experienced. The next day, Monday, everything I did was a royal pain - getting in and out of my car, sitting down in a chair, even walking - because the boil was on my lower back, just above my rear-end and a few inches to the right of my spine. I knew I had to do something or I would lose my mind, so I started researching remedies, and I came across your site. Monday night, I went home, took a long, hot, epsom salt bath/soak, and then swabbed the entire area with iodine. The next morning, I cleaned the area, then swabbed it with more iodine. This seemed to reduce the pain slightly and the itching more. Partway through the day, it started getting a little more sensitive, so I figured I'd try it again. I went to the bathroom at work and cleaned it up and put some more iodine on it, making sure to spend a good deal of time just resting the iodine swab on the scabbed area of the boil. Through the rest of the day, the pain did not seem to diminish, so I had decided to try baking soda when I got home. However, before my mom left for work, I asked her if she would please remove the bandage I had put on and check to see if it looked any better. Taking off the bandage was very painful, and I was afraid that it was no better at all. However, I was plesantly surprised to find out that the reason it was painful was because it was DRAINING. Yes, less than 24 hours after starting the iodine, after just 3 treatments, the draining started. It was great. We cleaned it well with some peroxide and put some neosporin on it, then some gause to help soak up the pus. After a while, I did another epsom salt bath/soak and took a shower, where I washed it well with a tea tree oil / aloe vera body wash. Out of the shower, I again cleansed it with peroxide, then put on some more neosporin, one of those non-stick pads, and a bandage to catch the ooze. Hopefully it will all drain out today or tomorrow so that it will just be a distant memory by this weekend. :) Thanks for all of your help!
P.S. I was thinking of trying an oatmeal-and-baking soda combo tonight to see if that makes a core come out."
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[YEA] 04/18/2007: Tammy from Wellston, Oklahoma writes: "I tried the basic iodine you get from the pharmacy on some sort of hard lump on my inner thigh .. I can assume it to have been a boil, anyway it started as a small bump, I thought maybe an ingrown hair. After a few months it was still there only very much larger, hard, dark brown and painful. Don't know what it was, probably dont want to know, but after a weeks worth of iodine swabbed on from a q-tip, it has become only a scar. It was almost diameterically dime sized and raised about 1/4 inch ... little more as it centered in, so I painted about an inch all around it as well, just for added measure ;) One thing, I also have a skin tag near it, I also applied it to that and nothing happened to it sadly. But whatever "bumps" you've got ... give some iodine a shot!"
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[YEA] 12/20/2006: Carolyn from Hollywood, FL writes: "Hi, here is an update on my condition. All the original boils dried up and there were no lumps left under the skin. This was fine for 2 days and today there is an extremely TINY bump that formed near the original infection area. I think it is so small because of the turmeric in my system. But I doused it anyway with iodine and gave a fresh douse to the whole area that had been infected. I also keep a plastic bucket in the tub and fill it with water and a few drops of iodine. I reach into the bucket and swish around, this will clean under the nails, and rub the iodine water up my arms. Also I soak my clothes overnight in an iodine water solution as described. Before going out today, I am going to bathe with the solution and when I get home, bathe with it and change into new clothes. Of course making a new solution each time. I want to deeply thank the people who run and post in this forum because without your information, I would have had a disaster on my face. I am teaching others as fast as possible in my area. A friend who lives with me owns a large daycare. She is taking all this information very seriously. She has not seen any boils or infected sores on the children yet, but she is prepared now, thanks to Ted and all of you in this forum. God bless you and thank you."
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[YEA] 07/21/2006: Dee from Washington writes: "I used Lugol's iodine to cure boils and acne. During the last several years I have learned to live with boils popping up all over my chin area including on my nose once. Nothing worked at making them go away quickly so I was always stuck with looking at big red spots that take a long to to go away. When I put the iodine on my chin the two boils were basically gone (redness too!!!) within three days of application. It cleared up all the small pimples as well. This is incredible stuff and as cheap as it is.... it far beats any expensive treatments and doctors I have ever tried. Now I put it on as a mask at night now and then and my face is clear. Cheers, D"
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[YEA] 05/24/2006: Darya from Santa Ana writes: "I tried the iodine on a 2nd boil on my face after reading about it on your website. I held a q-tip soaked in colorless iodine to the boil until it burst. It scabbed over and took about a week to heal. I would try something else on my face next time because I think it will take weeks before the blemish actually fades (looks now like a large freckle). But for boils elsewhere on the body, I would go for iodine."
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[YEA] Earth Clinic writes: "Use colorless (aka "decolorized") iodine on the face, as iodine will stain your skin orange. Hold a q-tip soaked in iodine to the boil for several minutes. Replenish the iodine if the q-tip dries out too much. The boil will burst. However, it does scab and take about a week to heal. Cover with fresh aloe or dab with hydrogen peroxide 3x a day to speed healing."
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IODINE, EPSOM SALT, SODIUM CHLORIDE
[YEA] 09/10/2007: Caitlin from Springfield, Missouri writes: "About a week ago i noticed u bump on me at first i thought it was just a pimple until it got bigger and bigger it was right on my butt. It got to the point where i couldn't even walk or sit down it hurt so bad. So i talked to my mom ad she went to the store and got Iodine that really helped. Then i would take a hot hot bath ( hot as you can stand) and put Emsom Salt in there around the boil. It brought it to a head so i could pop it. Afterwards i started using Sodium Chloride' by the next day it was gone!!! It was the best for me!!"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 03/20/2007: Kristina from Waukesha, WI writes: "Here is yet another of my grandma's remedies, although she wasn't what I would have called a naturalist. She had a very painful boil on her armpit that the doctor was going to lance if it didn't break by a certain day. Well, this frightened her so she went in a very hot shower with a bar of Ivory brand soap (she always swore by this brand for ailments and always kept a bar handy) and rubbed that boil up and down with the soap. It burst after I don't know how long. My theory besides the hot water is that Ivory soap dries the skin and makes it constrict, therefore bursting it. But grandma swore something in the soap was helpful, I don't know what, and maybe it drew the boil to a head. I love this site and am so indebted to its creators! Thank you!"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 04/02/2008: Juanita from Little Rock, AR writes: "Some of you that are suffering from boils may want to take L-lysine 500mg daily. I had a boil appear on my buttock back in October of 2003. I didn't know what it was, but I worked in a clinic at the time and told one of the nurses my symptoms. The first thing she asked me was "have you ever had herpes"? I was somewhat taken aback and told her no. I was told to soak in a epsom salt bath. The second time the boil appeared I aksed the doctor in my clinic about it. He too asked me about herpes, I gave him the same answer that I gave the nurse, a resounding No! He gave me Cipro (which did NOT work) and sent me on my way.
Ok to make a long story longer, my cat has allergy/upper respiratory isssues. The vet gave him some antibiotics, but he told me my cat's condition is chronic and he would eventually become immune to the medicine. He told me to build up my cat's immune system by sprinkling L-lysine on his food. I read up on L-lysine and it does help your immune system and it helps with herpetic symptoms. I decided to try it the next time the boil appeared. I can always tell when it's coming because it tingles in the area just below where the boil appears. I started taking 500mg (one table daily in the morning on a empty stomach) at the first tingle. Low and behold, the boil never really appeared. I had a little itching in the area of the boil and the skin became a tiny bit raised, but after 2 days I had NO symptoms. This is amazing because this boil was so painful, it was hard for me to sit and it itched like crazy!!! I now take L-lysine daily to keep the boil way."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 08/21/2007: Bill from Bloomfield, New Mexico writes: "This remedy was used on me by my grandmother when I was a teenager. It never failed to work! The ingredients: yellow laundry bar soap and granulated sugar. She would apply the soap and sugar to a gauze pad, wrap it over the boil at night. The boil had excreted its contents by morning! It is not easy to find yellow bar soap. I don't know about the effectiveness of any other bar soap, but experimentation is certainly worth a try."
05/27/2008: Stephanie from Salt lake City, Utah replies: "The yellow laundry bar you refer to is called PHELS-NAPTHA and it has been around since the begining of time (well, maybe not quite that long). They carry it at a local grocery store here where I live, but I am sure you can probably get it online. Besides being good for boils, it will take just about every stain out of your clothes."
08/04/2008: Sherry from Rock Rapids, Iowa replies: "I wonder if www.soapsgonebuy.com would carry the soap. I know they carry all kinds of the "Old Time" Soaps that are hard to find in the "New Time" haha. I just looked and found it! Here is a link to the FELS-NAPTHA soap.
http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=laundry+soap+bar"
EC: Lots of grocery stores still carry FELS-NAPTHA too.
05/17/2009: Irene from Dewey, AZ replies: "Iv lived in many States and never found a Grocery store that did not sell "yellow soap" its just smaller than every thing else. its usually on the top shelf in the detergent area near the stain removers wrapped individually in white like regular soap and says PHELS-NAPTHA. I hope this helps you find it."
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1 NAY
[NAY] 08/09/2009: Douglas from Dillon, Co. writes: "I've had a bump on the top between my toes for a year now. Lemon oil seems to reduce it but it comes back just as big. At times it hurts as it is alittle bit bigger. I'm now trying a poltis of turmeric and goldenseal. I'll let you know how it works. Doug"
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LINING FROM AN EGG SHELL WITH TURMERIC PASTE
[YEA] 03/20/2008: Sandy from Round Lake, IL writes: "I recently had a boil(ailment)and was experiencing difficulty getting it to come to a head. My daughter-in-law researched your site and was able to give me some suggestions to assist in my plight. She gave me several remedies. I chose to use the skin of an egg and lined it with a tumeric paste ((few drops of water & tumeric)(remedy). I applied it to the boil and covered it with a bandaid overnight. In the morning it had come to a head and I was able to extract the core. I then covered the area with an antibiotic ointment and a bandaid. It worked fine!!! Thanks so much for your information."
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2 YEA
[YEA] 12/30/2006: Jim from Olean, NY writes: "egg liner -- brought a boil to a head and at other times it made them go away."
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[YEA] 04/02/2006: Sue from Austin, TX writes: "My mother in-law told us about putting the film on the inside of the egg shell on a boil and it would draw it out to a head. Crack open an egg, empty it and the white/clear film on the inside of the shell is what you put on the boil and leave there."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 04/05/2009: Steven from Shohola, PA writes: "Iodine Resolves Developing Boil
I have been taking 5 drops of Lugol's 2% strength solution for 3 months now. [I understand this to equal 12.5 mg of iodine whereas the 5% solution would require only 2 drops.]
About a month ago I began getting an infection in one nostril and could feel a boil developing. My nose was sensitive to the touch and I knew it was only a matter of time and it would be really bad. I waited a couple of days as it worsened. I then increased my dose of Lugol's 2% solution to 5 drops in a pint of water 6 times a day along with 500mg of vitamin C 6 times a day. After 2 days, the infection was 95& better and I dropped my dose to what I normally take. Another 2 days later I was back to normal."
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1 BETTER BUT NOT CURED
[BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 01/11/2010: Jen from Mission, Ks writes: "I have had a boil for the past 8 days ... first time I have ever had one, and was completely freaking out! It just appeared one day, and progressively hurt worse each day. The second day, I began drinking a half glass of warm water with turmeric powder mixed in it, tasted gross but I just plugged my nose and chased it with a glass of cold water. I did this 3 times a day, also took acidophillus pills 3 times a day. The swelling went down, within a few hours. I took two hot showers each day, and thought that the boil was ready to drain several times but after trying realized it was not. I began to mix the turmeric with water and put the paste on the actual boil, which helped a lot! It finally began to drain. I also got manuka tea tree honey which I applied, and it drained it completely. I have been taking echinasea drops in water as well to boost my immune system. I do not want more of these! The boil is not totally healed, but no longer hurts, and has drained pretty much completely. I will continue to take the herbs internally, and put the honey on the boil directly since bacteria cannot live in the honey. Hope this may help!"
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7 YEA
1 BETTER BUT NOT CURED
1 SIDE EFFECT
[YEA] 01/20/2010: Ally from Atlanta, Ga writes: "I am glad I found this page and others.
About Me: I am a 25-year old, African American female
I have never been sexually active
I am 5'6" and 135 pounds
I eat too many sweets/carbs & shave weekly
I recently got over a cold
Today, relief came to me after barely 24 hours of INTENSE treatment. Yesterday, after I got off work I picked up Turmeric and Acidophilus, Antibacterial bodywash, and Tea Tree Oil. I took a hot shower (5:45) using the antibacterial bodywash and applied a hot compress (drained, wet cloth microwaved for 1 minutes) dipped in a paste mixture (of 1 miced clove of garlic, 3 tbsp baking soda, 1 tbspp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 capsule of Turmeric). I placed gauze on top of the boil so the mixture would stay in place. I ate a meal and took 1 capsule of Acidophilus and 1 capsule of Turmeric. I drank an additional glass of water. Later, I soaked in a tub of hot water (as hot as you can take) and sprinkled epsolm salt, baking soda, and peroxide. I washed with the antibacterial bodywash. After about 20 minutes of soaking I applied tea tree oil to the boil and everything within an inch or two of it as well. I got a q-tip and dipped it in the tea tree and cleaned out my nose. It felt tingly like how vapor rub opens your nasal passages up. Then, I went to bed.
When I woke up this morning I applied a hot compress with the mixture again and sat in a hot tub for a quick soak. When I got out of the tub (8am) I was about to apply the tea tree oil when I saw liquid oozing out of the boil. Hallelujah! I squeezed it and immediately cleaned it with peroxide and followed with tea tree oil (a natural antiseptic) and triple antibiotic ointment (get from any grocery store or pharmacy). BEWARE! If you do not disinfect and treat the area after the boil bursts, it will become infected again and may spread. I will continue to shower with antibacterial bodywash (for the rest of my life), have hot soaks for the next week, take Acidophilus & Turmeric for the next week, and drink more water forever :-).
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED:
1.) I will no longer shave except for my legs and underarms.
2.)After shaving I will immediately wash with antibacterial bodywash or antibacterial soap (which is different from regular fragranced soaps because if it doesn't say antibacterial, then it won't kill any bacteria).
3.) I will look for and begin using deodorant (not anti-perspirant) with tea trea oil in it because it's healthier and will fight infection before anything happens. There are lotions and oils with tea tree oil and I will be sure to look for those as well.
4.)I have always done this, but thought I'd share... I change my washcloth and bath towel daily for good hygiene. I never wash my face with the same washcloth I bathe with.
5.) When you do laundry, I suggest adding a capfull of pine sol into your wash to disinfect your undergarments that had close contact with the infected regions.
6.) Carry anti-bacterial wipes around with you because the bacteria that causes boils can be spread.
ATTENTION LADIES: If the boil is in your private area, I suggest wearing pantyliners and cleaning the boil with tea tree everytime you use the restroom during the day and changing your liner as well."
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[SIDE EFFECTS] 08/01/2009: Sarah from Los Angeles, Ca writes: "Hi, Ted- hope you get this... have been having an issue with a small boil-like thing on the back of my upper thigh. It has been there on and off before in the past- I have picked at it before, some small puss will come out and then it usually goes down again. It errupted again about a month ago- I put colliodal silver on it and it seems to be going down, but then I did about 2 weeks of heavy-metal cleanse, borax, occasional hydrogen peroxide inhalation, etc. and during that time felt like a had some kind of bug that i was chasing around my system. I had a respiratory type thing right before started cleanse, then it went into my nose for weeks- had several small pustules inside nose and both nostrils were raw and swollen... i kept draining the pustules and then applying various things: colloidal silver, neosporin, clove and basil, oregano and sea salt nasil spray, etc... but what's interesting is that when it went away in my nose the boil started to fill again. I even went to the dr. who didn't really tink the boil was anything b/c was small and no head to it ( it never really comes to a head, though i HAVE picked at it tried to squeeze it...)
Anyways- I put compress of milk of magnesia, borax, silver, and sea salt on it and covered with a band aid... about 8 hours later (last night) i got really sudden intense vertigo, nausea, followed by a bad fever. I took the sea salt cure for vertigo, along with niacinide and magnesium... and was able to sleep but have been exhasuted all day and slight fever again. Also got bitten or stung by spider or mosquito 2 days ago. am wondering if could be blood poisoning from spider or if could possibly be staph or MRSA that got into my blood? Any advice on how to treat? thanks
BTW- the sea salt in water worked AMAZING on the vertigo was only thing that gave me any relief last night,... you're brilliant thanks!"
EC: Please write Ted directly with your question as he rarely checks out posts on Earth Clinic! parhat@yahoo.com
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[YEA] 01/03/2009: Linda from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA writes: "I started getting boils repeatedly in the last couple of years on different parts of my body, but I stopped the cycle successfully through natural remedies. If I ever get another one, I'll definitely try the Turmeric, but for now, I wanted to share what worked for me.
I always try to find the cause of my health problems so that I can cure it permanently versus just treating the symptoms, and this method has always worked great for me. I noticed my boils started after I had been taking a high potency multi-vitamin for awhile, and after that, whenever I ate chocolate and peanuts. I also believe I might have gotten some type of fungal infection in my blood that was causing them. For immediate relief of pain and inflammation, I used ice packs (hot water made mine worse). To kill the infection on the surface, I put a few drops of Tea Tree Oil (natural anti-bacterial) on a cotton ball pre-moistened with hydrogen peroxide and applied it several times throughout the day (sometimes this alone cured them). If I ever got a boil on an area of skin that was touching another area of skin, I would make sure to apply the Tea Tree oil on all skin that was touching the boil. For a stubborn boil I had on my abdomen once, I mixed a very small amount of Goldenseal powder (natural anti-bacterial) with a teaspoon of Castor Oil, put them on a gauze pad over the boil, secured it with Bandaids and then covered it gently with a heating pad for about 20 minutes 3 times a day. Both of these natural ingredients are drawing agents, and they worked wonders to start pulling the infection right out of the skin within hours. By the next day, the infection was completely out and the boil was gone. Once the wound closed a little, I applied Aloe Vera gel to it regularly to prevent any scarring.
To stop the cycle of recurring boils, I did two things: I learned that a boil happens when the body has a toxin that it cannot get out fast enough through the normal channels. Since I generally eat a healthy, whole foods diet, I figured the only other thing it could be was my multi-vitamin supplement, so I stopped taking it. Soon after that, the number and severity of my boils went way down. To finish off any other toxins, I decided to try a medicinal herb that is very effective at killing bacteria, fungus and viruses: Pau d'Arco. I drank 1 cup of Pau d'Arco tea daily for 2 months, and I've not had another boil since, even after eating too much chocolate and nuts during the holidays. These safe, natural methods were extremely effective for me, and I love the idea that they also taught me how to prevent any future recurrances."
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