Herbal Medicine for Boils

A boil, also known as a furuncle, is a common type of skin infection that involves a hair follicle and its surrounding skin tissue. Boils, notes the National Center for Biotechnology Information, are often caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, although other types of bacteria and fungi found on your skin may also cause this problem. Natural treatment methods such as herbal medicines may be helpful in treating this condition, but you should first ask your doctor if herbs are appropriate for you.

Boils

Boils, which commonly occur on your neck, thighs, buttocks and armpits, are red, painful skin lesions in which pus forms, causing your boil to become larger over time. The National Health Service of the United Kingdom states that, if left untreated, your boil will rupture, allowing the pus to drain. Boils may range in size from a pea to a golf ball, and they may grow quickly and crust over. As your boil fills with pus and dead tissue, it will become more painful.

Useful Herbal Medicines

Boils have long been treated using herbal medicines. However, some herbs have not been scientifically studied and should be used with great caution when treating your boil. Nutrition researcher and certified nutritional consultant Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," states that numerous herbs may help treat your boil, including burdock root, goldenseal, olive oil extract, pau d'arco, dandelion, milk thistle, echinacea, flax, fenugreek, oat straw, onion, red clover, suma and tea tree oil.

Featured Herb: Oat Straw

Oat straw may be a helpful herbal medicine in treating your boil and has been used for many years to treat numerous health ailments. When consumed in tea form, oat straw supplies your body with silica, which has a known anti-inflammatory effect. Oat straw may be particularly effective in treating skin disorders, although it may also be used to help reduce stress levels, treat mild depression and decrease enuresis, or bed-wetting, in children.

Warning

Several serious health complications are associated with boils, including abscesses in various parts of your body, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, spinal cord infection and permanent scarring. If you develop a boil, do not hesitate in visiting your family doctor. A qualified health care professional can render a proper diagnosis and provide you with a relevant treatment plan to address your health complaint. Always use caution when taking herbs, and review herb-related topics with your doctor before using herbal medicines.