Keep it wet and warm. "A warm compress is the best way to treat a boil, but you have to keep it very wet and very warm," says John F. Romano, M.D., a dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at The New York Hospital--Cornell Medical Center in New York City. "It's not enough to wring out a washcloth and place it on the boil. You should leave the compress on for 10 to 15 minutes, but keep wetting it every few minutes to make sure the boil stays wet and warm." He suggests this 15-minute compress four or five times daily to bring the boil to a head, which leads to its draining and then healing.
Hit the showers. When a boil is draining, keep the skin around it clean by taking showers instead of baths. This reduces the chance of spreading the infection to other parts of the body. After treating a boil, wash your hands well before preparing food, because staph bacteria can cause food poisoning.
Head for the kitchen. Applying pieces of warm, milk-soaked bread directly on the boil is an old folk remedy--and some people find it works quite well, according to Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and author of The Honest Herbal.
Try vegetables ... or tea. Other home remedies for boils include "compresses" of heated slices of tomato--or raw onion, mashed garlic or the outer leaves of cabbage. You can press these cut vegetables directly on the boil and see for yourself how well they work. Another kitchen compress: Place a warm tea bag of black tea directly on the boil for 15 minutes several times a day.
When to See the Doctor
You can treat most small boils (less than 1/2 inch) at home, but boils that are larger than that or that don't respond to simple remedies require a doctor's attention. You should never squeeze a large boil or a boil of any size around certain "danger zones": face, armpits, groin and the breasts of a nursing woman.
Be sure to consult a doctor if you see red lines radiating from the boil or if you get fever, chills or swelling in other parts of your body. You may also need a doctor's care if the boil is extremely tender or is under a thick layer of skin, as with some boils on the back. And if you have diabetes, you should always consult with your doctor any time boils appear: You might need antibiotics that are available only by prescription.
2007-03-21 11:25:40
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answer #1
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answered by Dark Angel Rogue 3
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it might need lancing-and yes it would be safe during pregnancy. If it's a 'boil', or infected cyst, they usually numb you up, then do a very small incision to allow the pus to drain out, then put in a very small piece of cloth or wick to keep it open till all the badstuff drains out, then pull the gauze out to allow it to close up. It's uncomfortable, but, people feel immediate relief of pressure after the procudure is done. Your ob might be able todo it in his office,if not a regular doc, last resort ER. good luck, get it done-whatever it is so you can concentrate on birthing babies
2007-03-21 18:21:07
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answer #2
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answered by nickname 5
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Do you shave that area? Boils in that area are usually due to shaving when an ingrown hair gets infected. I used to get them under my arm.
I told a friend about it a few years ago and she gave me her Grandma's cure. She said to sleep with a copper penny directly on the boil to draw the yuk out. Nothing happened the next morning, so I forgot about it. I walked around like a lunatic because I could not put my arm down straight (you feel me on that one).
Lo and behold, the next morning when I was in the market, I put my arm down by accident and felt the goo.
2007-03-21 19:33:05
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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Use a warm tea bag and set it there for a few minutes, the tea may help draw it out better, always worked for me, if not the ole dermatologists>>Good luck and congrats!!
2007-03-21 18:18:26
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answer #4
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answered by leslieknows 3
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Hot water and salt. Salt will draw the pucker out.
2007-03-21 18:20:22
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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I'm sure that it is due to your pregnancy. Your doctor should be able to diagnose something for you. That is why I always say that children should love their mothers especially. They go through so much for us.
2007-03-21 18:15:56
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answer #6
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answered by Anthony F 6
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