hot compress for boils and other sores?

Went to the doctor and was recommended I use a hot compress for some sores.  It should open up the pores and let it drain and with a bit of prevention (which I'm working on), will go away.  If it doesn't, we can try drugs, but she wants me to try this first.  

Any thoughts on this hot compress?  Should it be moist or dry?  How long do I apply?  How often?  

Moist. I Life to apply a compress for as long as the heat hholds out - then, swap it for the next one. If you have some drawing salve, apply that directly to the spot, first, with the hot compress directly on top. If you have activated charcoal or bentonite clay, you can make a moist paste poultice with it, then top that with the compress. No need to wash it off, until you're ready to stop applying the heat. In fact, you can put the salve or paste on, top it with a bandage, then the heat, and just leave the drawing politics on, even after you decide you can't just sit with the heat on, any more.

Page 6, 1st column
http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1995/pdf/1995-v10n0304-p177.pdf

Above all, drink lots of water and increase dark greens for the D and chlorophyll (internal soap for humans).  Avoid sugar because though sugar can (sometimes) draw infection out when used topically, internally sugar increases opportunity for friendly environments for unfriendly things.

If the boil is not on or around the eye, like a stye, a warm water compress serves well enough.  Though I've heard not to pop them, the few I had were so painful I popped them anyway.  Then ran Hyrdogen Peroxide over 2x / 3x a day until healing was apparent, which was a few days.  

Per the paper above, zinc can help however little goes a long way with zinc.  And it should be a bioavailible form.  Sometimes topical zinc ('Butt Paste' for babies) can help.  If you're not sure how much zinc to take, find a salve with zinc, smear a little on the soft, transdermal areas of your feet, add socks. and your body will absorb what it needs.

Taking more vitamin C can expedite healing by helping adrenal glands respond better.  

Vitamin D is really a 'master steroid' and touches all hormone function.  A preventative measure might be adding more sources of vitamin D to the diet.  

Though a trauma or extended deficiency can be a root cause, usually by the time we feel uncomfortable there is more than one thing happening.  Check the diet for overdoing sugar or under doing important nutrients.  A good springboard for that is http://www.doctoryourself.com   There is also an excellent reference book for self-advocates titled, 'Nutrition Tests For Better Health' by Cass Ingram.  

I have had very good success using castor oil for boils.

I've had several boils over the years. Luckily not near the eyes.  It was recommended to rub caster oil on / near the hot spot. It seemed to hasten their coming to a head.
I did not know that you are not supposed to encourage them to pop. Nor did I know you should peroxide them if you do...
I'm afraid I did the first and not the second... still here and seemingly healthy.

what about Epson salts in the compress water?  I used that for when I had a boil.

These are a bit different.  Its where the skin touches the skin and the doctor says it's like a pimple that grew deep into the skin.  The key is to keep it as dry as possible when not using the compress so I wasn't sure if the compress needed to be dry or moist.  

r ranson wrote:what about Epson salts in the compress water?  I used that for when I had a boil.

These are a bit different.  Its where the skin touches the skin and the doctor says it's like a pimple that grew deep into the skin.  The key is to keep it as dry as possible when not using the compress so I wasn't sure if the compress needed to be dry or moist.  

Epsom salts wouldn't hurt.

"as dry as possible when not using the compress " to me, implies moist.  You know how a difficult splinter can be brought to the surface with soaking?  Similarly, the gick in boils and infected sores can be invited to the surface by saturating skin with moisture.  If the doctor did not specify further, I assume water, though Epsom salts wouldn't hurt.  If you are tempted to tinker with the boil and it becomes sore, you could also try grating a teaspoon of onion and mixing that with half a teaspoon of seasalt to treat any bruising with something of an antiseptic effect.  ACV and seasalt also have an antibiotic effect.

I've had good luck with hot compresses for styes. I've never had a boil, though.

One trick I found for keeping a hot compress warm was to use a handwarmer. (Amazon randomly sent us 80 handwarmers. Supposedly this is a thing sellers do to make reviews on their product. Can't complain about free handwarmers, though!), Anyway, I'd get a piece of cotton damp but not soggy, and hold it over the heatpack. The heat pack would warm it up and keep it warm. The wetness eventually got to the handwarmer, but it still was a whole lot easier than constantly heating up new rags to stick on my eyelid...

If you have a microwave, 30 second bursts are an easy way to heat up a wrung out flannel to use as a compress.