The best thing for treating boils at home is to apply pressure with a warm damp cloth for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, a few times a day. Keep the cloth warm. This will cause the boil to come up and drain. Continue to use the warm compresses a few days after the boil starts to drain.

You can use a bandage to stop the pus from getting on your clothing, but it's fine to leave the wound open to allow drainage as long as the surface stays clean.

Causes for Boils

The main cause of this painful disease is growth of staphylococcus germs. These germs enter into the body through sweat glands. Another reason for boils is increase in level of toxic substance in blood. This can be due to improper bowel movement, unhealthy food style, excess alcohol consumption, or due to some chronic diseases.

Symptoms for Boils

The main symptom of boils is small red balls appear on the skin. Slowly, these red balls become big with a small mouth at the center, where puss accumulates. With the passage of time these balls become stiff, and the surrounded area also become hard and red. Patient may also suffer from fever because of severe pain.

Home remedies For Boils

Bitter Gourd is an effective home remedy for blood-filled boils. A cupful of fresh juice of this vegetable, mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice, should be taken, sip by sip, on an empty stomach daily for a few months to treat this condition.

Garlic and Onions have proved most effective among the several home remedies found beneficial in the treatment of boils

Application of Turmeric Powder on boils speeds up the healing process. In the case of fresh boils, a few dry roots of turmeric are roasted, the ashes dissolved in a cupful of water, and then applied over the affected portion. This solution enables the boils to ripen and burst.

Juice of garlic or onion applied externally on boils helps to ripen them, break them and drain out the pus.

A cupful of fresh bitter gourd juice mixed with a tsp of lime juice taken on an empty stomach daily treats this condition.

Mix 1 tsp of milk cream mixed with 1/2 tsp of vinegar and a pinch of turmeric powder to form a paste. When applied, it helps ripening the blood boils and heals them without becoming septic.

Gently warm a betal leaf till it becomes soft.

Coat it with a layer of castor oil and put it over the inflamed part. Replace the leaf every few hours. Few applications of the castor oil coated betal leaf will rupture and drain out the boil.

Ground cumin seeds in water forming a paste. Apply the paste to the boils with beneficial results.

Steep parsley in boiled water till it is soft and juicy.

When hot, wrap it clean muslin or linen cloth and apply it on the boils.

Bacon.

The fat and salt content of salt pork are believed to help bring boils to a head. Roll some salt pork or bacon in salt and place the meat between two pieces of cloth. Apply the cloth to the boil. Repeat throughout the day until the boil comes to a head and drains. This can be messy.

Eggs.

The whites of hard-boiled eggs were used for treating boils in the nineteenth century. After boiling and peeling an egg, wet the white and apply it directly to the boil. Cover with a cloth.

Milk.

Heat 1 cup milk and slowly add 3 teaspoons salt (adding the salt too quickly can make the milk curdle). Simmer the milk for ten minutes. Then add flour or crumbled bread pieces to thicken the mixture. Divide the mixture into 4 poultices and apply 1 to the boil every half-hour.