A boil develops when a hair follicle, or the sebaceous gland which releases sebum into the hair follicle, becomes infected by bacteria. The most common type is Staphylococcus Aureus. This thrives in the sweat glands, which are abundant in armpit chest and groin, or areas that are likely to be rubbed, such as under the collar.
It is important to have your blood-sugar levels checked, if this has not been done already: diabetics get boils if the sugar level in their blood is not controlled. This so-called ‘sweet’ blood always attracts infections.
Hippocrates, the great greek physician who lived in the fifth century BC, cited boils as a typical example of a disease that our own healing power can deal with perfectly well if it is strong. A boil appears, matures, bursts and heals. The physician’s role in the past was to encourage the boil to mature by covering it with a paste of clay or termite mud, or a wasp’s nest, which is made of mud. The crust trapped heat and blocked the pores. The heat killed the germs so that the white blood cells could devour them. The yellowish green pus in the boil is a result of the process of the white cells attacking the germs. The pus is the source of the itchiness and throbbing pain. As soon as it bores a hole through the skin and bursts out, the pain disappears and the cavity heals on its own.
Modern doctors panic about blood poisoning and want to give quick relief – so they prescribe antibiotics, which means bypassing the painful maturation stage. The problem is that the more antibiotics are taken, the weaker the immune system becomes – reducing the body’s innate healing power. Since you get so many boils so frequently, you need to care for your own defective immune system. It’s also likely that you have an over growth of Candida albicans, which is often a result of taking antibiotics and is very much linked to boils.
To build up your immune system, you must focus on your nutrition and general well being:
- Avoid yeast products and sugar completely for three months, particularly if you have taken antibiotics (as I have explained, these often result in an overgrowth of Candida albicans). Also avoid coffee, alcohol, citrus and sour fruits. This will aid digestion and improve the immune system by not draining the body’s energy reserves.
- Drink a mug of home-made chicken or lamb stock (preferably organic) an hour before your supper. Boil bones and meat for one and a half to two hours with garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and a pinch of turmeric; strain and remove any fat. Make lots and refrigerate for the week. This will improve body energy.
- Massage your neck and shoulders twice a week for ten minutes with Lifestyle Oil , or mix three tablespoonfuls of sweet almond oil with three or four drops of lavender essential oil. This will improve blood flow to the pituitary gland in the brain and kick-start the immune system.
- Since you are in the menopausal age range and the immune system is sometimes weakened due to hormonal imbalance, take my own formulation: Woman’s Hormone Support, this combination of herbs contains Shatavari, which is useful in regulating hormonal balance. Take one tablet twice daily for four to six months.
- Drink Detox tea or soak three twigs of Kadu and a half teaspoonful of Kariatu in a cup of boiling water at night, then stain and drink first thing in the morning. Do this for three months.
- Take Zinc (Zinc Citrate), one l5mg tablet daily for two months.
- When boils appear, suck two tablets of the homeopathic remedy Hepar sulph 30 three times daily for five days. If possible, consult a qualified homeopath.
- At the first sign of a boil (usually when itchiness starts), apply Skin Oil on the affected area for five days.
- Use a strong soap, such as Dettol, to disinfect the skin.
