A boil

[Redsun]

What would you suggest for a boil just below the temple ? its not painful but it is quite swollen and embaressingly noticable.

Any suggestions welcome :-)

[shaneystar2]

Have a look here....if it is a boil it will get painful.
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.a spx?articleId=164§ionId=14266
Don't mess about it ...if it doesn't clear up see your GP.

[janetsflower]

a brown paper bag with slits cut out for your eyes and a trip to the doc as they can get very sore and easily infected

[medsecslave]

Magnesium Sulphate paste from the chemist and Ibuprofen to take down the swelling but as shaneystar says see your GP if it doesn't settle.

[Iz66]

i had a boil on my leg once turned into an abscess then left a big hole...hahaha....i just happened to be on holiday so couldnt go swimming, then got antibiotics so couldnt drink.....great holiday that turned out to be....NOT!

[jno]

like Iz says... I had a boil on my face, it turned into an abscess and I had to have it operated on; so I now have a 2-inch scar on my face, very attractive. All this in about 5-6 days, growing faster than antibiotics could deal with it. So go see your GP pronto

[mycats]

Take a glass bottle (preferably a glass milk bottle) heat up the bottom of it, place the open end (er the top lol) over the boil and it will burst and all the gunk flies into the bottle. Honest, try it lol

[mazie]

re mycats suggestion...dont do it. My grandad did that with and abscess on someones stomach...there was so much puss he had to smash the bottle....not nice

go to the doctors, if its a boil it will become painful and will need antibiotics to clear it up

[mycats]

why did he have to smash the bottle?

[mazie]

there was so much puss he had to smash the bottle....

[Redsun]

Some great answers here! Thank you all (even all the frightening ones about pus) YUK!.
Im reluctant to take antibiotics at the moment wit this because it happened b4 in the same place and antibiotics did'nt work.
Just spoke to my Dad he advised to put a grilled onion on it as it draws the pus out of the boil. All his old methods work so im gonna try it.....LOL.
Keep em coming

Thanks all

[Her Bruce]

What, a pint bottle !!! are you sure it wasn't his lower intestine filling the bottle up ?

[Solarjunkie]

Below is taken from "What really works". Sticking a sterilised pin into it gives a weak point for the thing to burst, when encouraged with a hot oatmeal poultice or similar.

Boils

If you suffer recurrent infections, you may need to take a long look at your lifestyle. Poor nutrition and an overload of stress will depress the immune system, making you more susceptible to an infection by the staphylococcus organism that is usually responsible for this skin problem.

Several potent herbs will act not only as blood cleansers, but as antibacterial agents to help prevent re-infection too. Cutting out stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol, sugar, sweets, and cakes will greatly relieve some of the burden on your immune system - so try and cut down on these if you can.

If you have an infection, bring the boil gently to a head using either pure tea tree oil, applied two or three times a day, or by making a hot poultice mixing calendula tea and slippery elm powder. (To make a poultice, mix the herbs with boiling water to form a paste. Spread the paste on clean cloth and, when it is no longer scalding, apply to the boil. Cover with a thick towel to keep the site hot.)