Boils – The Basics

When it comes to Boils, prevention is the best form of cure. A major cause of boils is that your body is tired and you are run down. Therefore to avoid getting boils try and avoid getting too tired and being rundown.

Useful tips are :

Eat a healthy balanced diet
Drink lots of water – ideally at least 4 pints a day
Do not consume too much alcohol
Take regular exercise

These important tips will help you keep healthy and in turn will help prevent Boils from forming. Please note that if you have an underlying condition that affects your immune system then it becomes even more important to take these steps so you can be as healthy as possible.

If Boils do develop on your body then these tips should help

Try and keep the area surrounding the boil clean, you could use an antiseptic soap for this.
Dissolve some salt in warm water with cotton wool or a clean cloth and press against the boil and gently squeeze.
It is important that you do not burst, lance or pierce the boil, as this will release the pus and this can lead to further infection and result in more boils appearing.
If after a few days, the boil isn’t beginning to heal then you should seek medical advice.

If you have a very large or very painful boil then you should seek medical advice, as the boil may need to be drained using a needle and syringe, or with a small cut to the skin.