An Abscess? No Worries. These Herbs Know What to Do
Abscesses are caused by the obstruction of sebaceous glands or (less often) sweat glands, or by the inflammation of hair follicles. Minor breaks and punctures of the skin also present a risk of abscess, as germs can get under the skin or into these glands and follicles and this causes an inflammatory response through which your body’s defenses try to kill these germs. If an abscess is getting quite ugly pretty fast, it may need to be opened and drained by a doctor, and in many cases the administration of antibiotics may also be required (although, unlike most bacterial infections, abscesses will not usually be cured by antibiotics alone). Whatever the case, the following plants can be of great help, either as a direct cure, or at least as a means to accelerate the healing of the affected tissue.
Mayweed
Contents
FOR INTERNAL USE
- Echinacea (tincture 1:5 with alcohol 45%)
2-5 ml in a glass of water, 3 times a day
- Garlic (powder, capsules 300 mg)
1-3 capsules a day
- Siberian ginseng (tincture 1:3 with alcohol 25%)
20 drops in a glass of water, after a meal, 3 times a day
FOR EXTERNAL USE
- Mullein
Add 3 teaspoon of dried plant in 300 ml cold water and let it rest for 30 minutes. Slowly heat the water until it starts to boil. Soak a poultice in this liquid and apply 2 times a day.
- Aloe vera (gelly)
Apply 2-3 times a day.
- Fenugreek
Add 2 g of powder in hot boiled water and let steep for 10 minutes. Soak a poultice in this infusion and apply for 15 minutes.
- Mayweed
Steep a satchel for 10 minutes, squeeze it and apply for 15 minutes. Repeat 2-3 times a day.
- Lavender (essential oil)
Apply 1 drop, once a day.
- Nettle
Boil 20 g of dried plant in 750 ml water until a third part evaporated. Apply poultices for 10 minutes.
- Slippery elm (powder of the inner bark)
Mix 1 teaspoon of powder with 2-3 tablespoons of water until it forms a paste. Apply once a day.
