Important Note: Although the information in this section was written by Healthphone.com's Healing Centre Panel of professional Chinese doctors, licensed acupuncturists, herbalists and other experts, Healthphone.com accepts no legal responsibility nor liability for any errors or omissions. The information in this section is presented as is, for educational purposes only. As with any medical matter, always consult your healthcare professional before acting on any health-related information.

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1. Overview and Causes
2. Symptoms
3. TCM Effectiveness and Evaluation
4. Common Syndromes and Treatments in TCM
  a. Kidney and Liver low function
  b. Stomach and spleen and acummlate of heat
5. Healing by Other Therapies
  a. Qigong and other
  b. Medicated diet
  c. Life style


1. Overview and Causes

A boil or furuncle, is a skin infection affecting a hair follicle or gland and it results in the production of inflammation and pus.The infection is often due to the bacterium "streptococcus" ( which easily multiplies in the warm and moist environment of the skin). The boil is painful and occurs in the form of a swelling in the skin that is easily detected by touch. When a group of boils interconnects below the surface of the skin, a carbuncle forms.

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2. Symptoms

(a) Boils appear most frequently on the neck, face, and back, and can erupt in several places at once.
(b) They characteristically form white or yellow pustules. As the infection progresses, the pustule becomes red and hot.
(c) Excess fluid in the boil produces pressure on the nerves underneath and that can result in considerable pain.

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3. TCM Effectiveness and Evaluation

Chinese herbal medicine is an effective way to treat boils. In treating a serious case, modern therapeutic method should also be employed.

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4. Common Syndromes and Treatments in TCM

This ailment, according to TCM, has different syndromes. The treatment for these syndromes using herbal medicine and acupuncture is shown below.

Syndrome (a)
Internal Treatment

The skin lesion is mainly in the form of a pustule. When the pustule breaks, a scab will form, the local lymph nodes (small oval structures in the body which help in getting rid of foreign materials or disease causing organisms) swell and there is a sensation of burning heat, itching, or pain. In a serious case, fever, thirst, constipation or yellow urine, etc. may accompany it. It is a disease due to noxious heat.

To treat by Herbal medicine
Therapeutic principle: Clearing away heat and toxic material.

Prescription/Formula: Modified Huanglian Jiedu Tang and Wuwei Xiaodu Yin. Lonicera flower (jinyinhua) 15g, Viola (zihuadiding) 15g, Wild Chrysanthemum (yejuhua) 15g, Coptis (huanglian) 9g, Phellodendron (huangbai) 9g, Capejasmine Fruit (zhizi) 9g, Scutellaria (huangqin) 9g, Semiaquilegia seed (zibei tiankui) 9g, Dandelion (pugongying) 15g.

  

To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion

  

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Syndrome (b)
External Treatment

Ordinary mild cases can be treated by mere external treatment. And severe cases should be treated with the combination of internal and external treatments.

To treat by Herbal medicine
Choose one of following external treatments:
(a) Apply Jinhuang Gao or Daqing Gao onto the affected part, once daily.
(b) Make a paste by mixing water with the powder of Phellodendron (huangbai) or with the powder of Rhubarb (dahuang). Apply the paste to the affected part twice daily.

  

To treat by Acupuncture and Moxibustion

  

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5. Healing by Other Therapies

(a) Qigong and other therapies

For effect of Qigong on the Nervous System Function, click here.

Generally speaking, Qigong is good for healing effect of this specific ailment, however individual results may vary. It improves the flow of the qi and the circulation of the blood, so you'll experience more energy, but, you won't see/ feel any immediate effects, as with many exercises and therapies, it takes a few weeks or even months of practice before you'll see any significant improvements.

The following types of Qigong may help:

For the information of different types of Qigong ,just click a link above.

This information is for education purpose only. We strongly advise you seek a licensed Qigong master to learn the correct ways to conduct these exercises before attempting them.

(b) Medicated diet
1) Appropriate quantity of Green Gram Seed (Ludou), Polished round-grained nonglutinous rice (Jingmi) 100g
Clean the Green Gram Seed and soak it for half a day, put it together with the rice to cook into gruel. Eat the gruel when it is wet. Take it twice a day
2) Lean Pork 50g, Rehmannia Root (Shengdi) 25g, Glabrous Greenbrier Rhizome (Tufuling) 50g.
Cook them together to make soup. Drink the soup twice a day.
3) Take less amount of greasy, seafood, refrain from drinking alcoholic and irritating food with a pungent hot taste, eat more vegetables, fruit and try to keep the digestive canal free from disturbance
(c) Life style
(a) Pay attention to hygiene and give timely treatment to itchy skin diseases.
(b) Boils should never be squeezed, particularly if they are on the face.
(c) The cloth should be disinfected in boiling water or in the hot cycle of a washing machine.
(d) To prevent new eruptions, the skin needs to be kept cool and dry.
(e) If boils frequently recur, underclothing and bed linen should be changed every day.
(f) If the boil does not heal within a few days, a physician should be consulted.

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Acknowledgments:
Healthphone.com greatly acknowledges the support and dedication of our
Healing Centre Panel, without whom this section would not be possible.

We also greatly acknowedge Ms. Najaf Munir, MBBS, for her editorial support. Ms. Munir simplified the highly technical medical documents into easy-to-read documents, for the enjoyment and education of our numerous visitors.