BOILS
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Characteristics of Boils
Boils are infections around hair follicle and
surrounding tissue, involving the bacteria Staphylococcus
aureus. Boils are called
furuncles by the medical profession and when several furuncles join together
they are called a carbuncle. Sometimes
there may be underlying diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, kidney
disease or blood disorders, but most often simply poor nutrition which has
depressed immune function is the cause. Boils
are contagious. When a boil comes
to a head and pus contaminates nearby skin, new boils can be formed.
Poultices, health supplements and good nutrition can make a
difference.
Nutrition Facts & Diet
advice for Boils
The following nutrition facts - a combination of the
nutrition regime shown below and health supplements may be
helpful:
-
Go on a cleansing diet or fast (see
Detoxifying
the body
and
Four Week Cleanse.)
-
Eliminate all sugar and refined foods and soft
drinks from your diet.
-
Eat plenty of fresh (preferably organic) vegetables
and fruit and drink lots of clean spring or filtered water.
Poultices
Goldenseal poultices can clear a boil in a few
days, probably due to its berberine content which is antimicrobial and
anti-inflammatory. Make a thick
paste out of goldenseal root powder and water – spread the paste onto a clean
piece of gauze, muslin, linen or white cotton sheeting sufficiently large to
cover the affected area completely. Cleanse the affected area with
Essential Oil
of Lavender or Tea Tree or some other antiseptic, and place the poultice over
the area. Wrap a towel or some
clingfilm around the poultice and secure with a pin.
Keep in place for 1-24 hours, as needed.
As the poultice draws out infection and neutralizes the toxins, you may
feel a throbbing pain. When the
pain subsides, remove the poultice. Apply
fresh poultices as needed, washing the skin thoroughly after each poultice is
removed.
Onion poultices are also good for boils, but place
the finely chopped onion between two pieces of cloth, rather than directly on
the boil, as this would be too strong.
You can also take Goldenseal internally to cleanse
the lymph glands, but not for longer than one week at a time, or at all during
pregnancy or breast feeding, or if diabetic or suffering from glaucoma.
If a boil persists, or is very large or recurrent,
make a visit to your doctor; it may need to be drained.
Health Supplements
- Boils
Often, a combination
of supplements may help in alleviating this
condition. You may wish to consult a nutritional
therapist for personal advice. Supplements that may
be helpful in alleviating symptoms are shown below:
(please
also read this important notice concerning supplement
medical claims)
Also
see
Four Week Cleanse
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