Home Remedies for Boils

I've never had the experience myself but I have a sibling who had a boil when she was a child. Considering she had to lay on her stomach to avoid the pain of pressure on the boil located on her backside, I figured it must be unpleasant to have such a thing. For that reason, I thought a post on home remedies for boils seemed like a good idea.


Of course, as with anything, it's a good idea to think about how your diet may be contributing to what ails you. Chances are that a change of diet would help prevent another boil and help to heal the one you have now even faster.


If you do have a boil, I hope at least one of these home remedies helps you.

Home Remedies for Boils

Birch Tree Bark Tea

Make a tea by putting 1 cup of birch bark into 1 quart of boiling water. Boil the mixture together for a few minutes, then cool and strain. Drink this tea throughout the day instead of drinking water. Continue until the condition improves.

Garlic Poultice

In case you missed the last posting, it was called, How to Make a Poultice. You can see how to go about it by clicking the title link in the preceding sentence.

You can draw the boil to a head by applying a chopped garlic poultice. All you need is some fresh garlic, chop it up and make your poultice. Change when poultice has dried and apply a fresh one. Repeat until the swelling has been drawn out. It is not recommended that you lance the boil as you invite the possibility of infection.

Make Your Own Capsules

Mix together equal parts of the following and put into #00 capsules. I always like to advise people to make sure that they are not allergic to any of these ingredients before taking.

• cayenne peper
• powdered lecithin
• butcher's broom
• apple pectin

Taking 2 of these daily with a multi vitamin B will work to improve the circulation and flush toxins from the body.

Plantain Leaf

Take one plantain leaf and hold under running hot water. Crush the leaf until it goes limp and place over the boil. Plantain is an astrigent.

Heartsease Pack

Hearts Ease is actually wild pansy. You'll need to grind it up before boiling. Let it cool to warm, then put it on the boil and bandage. Leave on overnight to draw the boil.

Bacon Pack

A small piece of fatty bacon can help bring your boil to a head. Just apply it to the inflammation, bandage and leave on overnight.

Easy Parsley Pack

This is one of the easiest home remedies for boils. Just crush a handful of fresh parsley and put into a cheesecloth. Apply it to the boil and wrap with a hot cloth. Leave it on for 15 minutes, then put a fresh pack on and repeat the process.

Good luck, hope these home remedies for boils contribute to your healing.

How to Make a Poultice

Some of the articles that you will read here on Natural Treatments, will include the use of poultices. For that reason, I thought it was a good idea to do a post on how to make a poultice so that you can take advantage of some of the home remedies referred to on this site.

Poultices are great for drawing out infections and that is what they are best known for. They are useful for other maladies, as well, such as:

• to reduce the pain and swelling associated with sprains, ruptures and broken bones
• aid in the drawing together of cuts
• to help heal broken bones and bruises
• easing sore muscles
  

It is best to use fresh, organic herbs, vegetables, fruit or leaves for making up your poultices. Which you use will depend on which home remedy you are following. You will need to grate, chop or crush before putting into a clean muslin or cotton cloth. Again, go by the directions. If you do not have access to fresh materials, you can use dried. Just soften the ingredients with some boiling water before putting into your cloth.

If you have a real emergency and have no woven cloth, use whatever you have to resort to, even if it is a paper towel (white). Do not leave these on the skin for more than 10 or 15 minutes.

A poultice should be slightly damp. Change it either when it dries or approximately every 3 to 5 hours. With each change, ensure that you use a clean cloth to hold the poultice mixture.

Poultices can be used warmed up in the oven or microwave or at room temperature. They are versatile enough that you can also freeze them and use in situations where you want a cold poutice.

About the video below - I don't know the company or people in this video but if you watch it all the way through, you will see the process of how to make a poultice. Enjoy.

Natural Health | Daily Health Tips

Eating properly, exercising and maintaining a reasonably peaceful existence have all been part of natural health care since....well, for a long time. You certainly can't argue the benefits of any of those components but perhaps you can use a few pointers or reminders, which is the point of these daily health tips.

Natural Health | Daily Health Tips

Everyone's Body Responds Differently - Of course, everyone is unique and has different natural health needs. A good example of this is sleep. Some people feel terrible if they don't get a full 8 hours; others drag around all day if they sleep more than 6 hours a night. Natural health is about what works best for you.

The Ripple Effect - If you haven't put a lot of thought into your daily health yet, here's something for you to consider. When one part of your body or life is out of whack, it starts a domino effect that throws everything else off balance and out of kilter. Everything is interconnected in our bodies. Remember that old song, "The foot bone's connected to the shin bone; the shin bone's connected to the knee bone...". You get the idea. The optimum natural health of one organ is contingent on the one next to it.

Stress is Not Your Friend - Health is the normal state of your body, that why it's called natural health. Lack of harmony and disease is not normal. Stress and held tension are two of the biggest, most dangerous culprits when it comes to compromising your well-being. They are predators to your natural health.

Your Thoughts Can Make or Break Your Natural Health - You can increase your stress to dangerous levels by virtue of your thoughts alone. Luckily, the opposite is also true. You can find ways to relax and encourage healthier thoughts and attitudes. Meditation, yoga, deep breathing and regular exercise can all be helpful. Use these techniques when worry, anger and frustration are threatening to lower your resistance to illness. Try the method that works best for you to achieve and maintain good daily health via lower stress levels.

Natural Health for Children - While you're improving your own daily health habits, don't forget to promote good health with your children. Mother Theresa once said that she would not march against war but would march for peace. Take a similar stance when instilling good tips and guidelines for your children's daily health. Instead of telling them they'll catch cold if they go outside without their coats, maybe point out that dressing for the weather will help them stay healthy (yes, I know, you don't catch a cold that way). That's just the first thing that came to mind but you get the idea. Replace negative statements with positive ones.

Feeding Your Body for Daily, Natural Health - It goes without saying that a nutritious, balanced diet is a good thing to help your body fight stress and disease, as well as keep you looking and feeling good. Take that a couple of steps further for optimal results:

• Eat natural foods as much as possible to avoid the typical chemical additives and sugars.

• Chew your food thoroughly. Your meals should be relaxed and enjoyable to better aid digestion.

• Avoid overeating. It will help your body function easier and you get to skip the associated headaches and feelings of sluggishness.

• Wait at least one hour after eating vegetables before indulging in fruit to avoid a conflict in amino acids. Though eating these foods together seems natural, health benefits are lost.

• Eat only one type of fruit per day. For examples, only plums. The next day, you can choose a different fruit and only eat that fruit for the day. The reason is the same as for mixing fruits and veggies.

• Vegetables are okay to mix and eat in any combination daily. Health benefits are not lost.

• Replace coffee with fruit or juice first thing in the morning. It will help get your digestive juices going and you'll feel more cheerful. It does matter what type.

• Do not drink 1/2-1 hour before or after meals. It doesn't matter whether you're talking about wine or water. Liquid impedes the digestion process and can cause indigestion and gas.

• Do not gulp your drink, and be sure to have at least 24 ounces of water every day to flush and replenish your system and cells so they can maintain natural health. It is recommend that you sip the water in order to give your body a chance to reap the full benefit.
  

• Drink your water at room temperature. Ice cold water will give your system a shock and slow down digestive processes.

Exercise is a Big Daily Health Tip - I know, this isn't news to you. If you dislike exercising, then do something that you enjoy that will at least get you moving, such as walking, stretching, dancing or swimming. The activity will help you become more relaxed and will keep your glandular and digestive areas unclogged and working smoothly.

I hope this article on Daily Health Tips will be beneficial to your natural health overall.

Natural Home Remedies for Coughs

Apple cider vinegar is great for so many things, including as a base for natural home remedies for coughs.

As you'll see in the video below, this recipe is super easy. Just stir together 1/2 teaspoon each of apple cider vinegar and honey. That's it, that's all.

This simple yet effective solution for coughs is quick, easy and inexpensive. Best of all, natural home remedies for coughs are...well, natural. That's what we're all here for, isn't it. Enjoy the soothing results and remember - there are no side effects to worry about unless you are allergic to honey.

Wishing you much good health!

Allergy Relief Home Remedies

If you are one of the more than 22 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies, then you likely seek allergy relief from spring through fall. You can take any number of the allergy medicines available at pharmacies, many of which work well but can leave you feeling groggy. Allergy relief home remedies might be a nice, natural alternative to escape that medicinal fog and eliminate adding chemicals to your body while still getting allergy relief.

Home remedies have been used by our ancestors for countless years and are based on what works.

The following suggestions are all natural and easy to follow.

Allergy Relief Home Remedies

• Reduce Meat and Dairy Consumption - Animal products contain a fatty acid called arachidonic acid, which contributes to the constriction of bronchial air passages. This is an easy way to find some allergy relief.
  

• Eat Lots of Raw Fruit and Vegetables - Fruits and veggies are high in bioflavonoids, especially quercetin. Quercetin is available in many kinds of different fresh, raw produce. Since bioflavonoids are what give fruits and vegetables their colour, look for deep color in your produce. If getting bioflavonoids is difficult, you can take supplements.

• Shower and Wash Your Hair - If you've been out and find yourself suffering from itchy eyes, a cough or perhaps allergy fatigue, remove any allergens such as pollen, that may still be lurking in your hair or on your body. This is about the most natural allergy relief you can get.
  

• Get Your Vitamin C - The sunshine vitamin is also a natural antihistamine. It will help to reduce stuffiness and nasal drip because it eases the inflammation. You can take supplements or increase your citrus intake.
  

• Drink Nettle Tea - Nettle leaves help with hay fever symptoms. If you prefer, you can get your nettle leaves in a tincture or capsule form.

• Drink Angelica Tea - This is another good herb for hay fever, as well as for other types of allergies. I think that the hot tea also makes you feel better and helps to unstuff your head.
  

• Cider Vinegar Drink - You can try this, it won't hurt you. Just mix two tablespoons of cider vinegar into a glass of water. Drink. Easy, right? Repeat daily as needed. There is also another recipe that calls for using one tablespoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar mixed in with one tablespoon of local honey into a glass of water.
  

• Eat Local Honey - Depending on the type of allergy you have, this should provide some allergy relief. You may want to switch types, i.e. eat clover honey and switch to wildflower at some point. What you are doing is building up a tolerance so that your body reduces or stops its over-reaction to the allergen.

• Stay Generally Healthy - Your mother no doubt has told you - eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest. The healthier you are, the better your body is equipped to deal with any irritating allergens. Don't forget to drink lots of hydrating, mucous-thinning water, too.

There are even more allergy relief home remedies but these are good ones to start with.

Welcome to Natural Treatments!

The Natural Treatments blog is a resource for people who prefer natural methods of dealing with their health.

Here, you will find information, suggestions and products for natural alternatives to synthetic health and beauty care items. This site can also help you save money through using home remedies.

Please note that while the information on this site is drawn from methods used for, in some cases, centuries, it is not meant to replace advice from your physician or health care professional.

If you have any natural treatment requests, please feel free to send an email to NaturalTreatments4U [at] gmail.com

Stay healthy, stay natural!