Home remedies for boils and abscesses

Ayurveda regards boils or abscesses as an accumulation of toxins in the blood that are being expelled from the body by inflammation.

The skin is the commonest organ for such elimination. Helping the toxins to be eliminated enables the body to heal more rapidly than suppressing the inflammation with antibiotics.

Infection can take over an abscess site and then antibiotics may be indicated.

Ayurveda has a timeless remedy to assist in the rapid resolution of an abscess or boil. A paste is made from marigold leaves (the calendula species), tumeric powder and water. This is applied as a dressing over the boil or abscess. Cover with a gauze.

Change this dressing four times daily. The abscess will soften and discharge within the day. Tumeric is an anti-microbial as well as an anti-inflammatory. Marigold leaf extracts stimulate wound healing as well as disinfects the affected tissue.

Burns

Burns can be extremely painful and immediate application of one of the following can bring great relief in a short while.

Apply honey directly to the burn site. Honey is an anti-microbial as well as an anti-inflammatory. Clean and change the dressing four times daily.

Apply a mixture of one part tumeric powder plus two parts butter ghee to the burn site. Clean and change the dressing every three hours.

The sap of the aloe vera leaf is an ancient remedy for burns. This must be the fresh sap. The burn site can be cleaned and more aloe leaf sap applied every three hours.

Aloe vera sap can heal a burn with very little scarring.

It also reduces the burn pain in a short time. Aloe gelee is commercially available today and should form part of a home emergency burn kit.

Urticaria and itchy skin lesions

Inflammation of the skin from allergies, insect bites or dermatitis can be managed successfully with the following remedy:

Apply a thin film of butter ghee directly over the affected area. Clean with warm water and apply a second smearing. This should be done every two hours until the itchy and red lesion has subsided and itching is no longer a problem.

Insect bites and intense urticaria can be managed by applying a mixture of tumeric powder (one part) plus butter ghee (two parts). This can be repeated every hour until the itching subsides and the inflammatory redness has abated.

Pink eye and dry irritation of the eyes

Melt down some butter ghee. Cool. Insert two drops in the affected eye. Roll your eyes around to allow the butter ghee to spread around the eye.

This application should be done every three hours until the redness, itching and pain subsides.

Butter ghee is a potent anti-inflammatory.

Dr Rajen Cooppan (MBChB, MD) www.drrajencooppan.com