Carbuncle and Homoeopathy

What is a carbuncle?

A carbuncle is a skin infection that often involves a group of hair follicles. The infected material forms a lump, called mass, which occurs deep in the skin. When you have more than one carbuncle, the condition is called carbunculosis.

A carbuncle is made up of several skin boils. The infected mass is filled with fluid, pus, and dead tissue. Fluid may drain out of the carbuncle, but sometimes the mass is so deep that it cannot drain on its own.

Carbuncles may develop anywhere, but they are most common on the back and the nape of the neck. Men get carbuncles more often than women.

Causes
Most carbuncles are caused by the bacteria staphylococcus aureus. The infection is contagious and may spread to other areas of the body or other people.

Infection

Because the condition is contagious, several family members may develop carbuncles at the same time. Often, the direct cause of a carbuncle cannot be determined.
Things that make carbuncle infections more likely include:
• Friction from clothing or shaving
• Poor hygiene
• Poor overall health

Persons with diabetes, dermatitis, and weakened immune systems are more likely to develop staph infections.

Symptoms
A carbuncle is a swollen lump or mass under the skin. It may be the size of a pea or as large as a golf ball. The carbuncle may be red and irritated and might hurt when you touch it.

It may also:

Grow very fast
Have a white or yellow center
Weep, ooze, or crust
Spread to other skin areas

Sometimes, other symptoms may occur. These may include:

Fever
Fatigue
General discomfort or sick feeling
Skin itching before the carbuncle develops

Clinical Exams and Tests
Your doctor will look at your skin. The diagnosis is primarily based on what the skin looks like. A skin biopsy may be done to help make the diagnosis or determine the exact type of bacteria involved.

Management

Carbuncles usually must drain before they will heal. This most often occurs on its own in less than 2 weeks.
Placing a warm moist cloth on the carbuncle helps it to drain, which speeds healing. Gently soak the area with a warm, moist cloth several times each day. Never squeeze a boil or attempt to cut it open at home because this can spread the infection and make it worse.
You need treatment if the carbuncle lasts longer than 2 weeks, returns frequently, is located on the spine or the middle of the face, or occurs along with a fever or other symptoms.
Deep or large lesions may need to be drained by a health care provider.
Proper hygiene is very important to prevent the spread of infection. Always wash your hands very well after touching a carbuncle. Do not re-use or share washcloths or towels -- this can cause the infection to spread. Clothing, washcloths, towels, and sheets or other items that contact infected areas should be washed in very hot (preferably boiling) water. Bandages should be changed frequently and thrown away in a bag that can be tightly closed.

Homoeopathic Treatment

Anthracinum; Apis mellifica; Arsenicum album; Belladonna atropa; Borax (compress); Lachesis; Silicea; Tarentula cubensis.

Anthracinum: Blue, blistering and bloody appearance, with a black centre.

Apis mellifica: Considerable swelling, tension and redness extending to the surrounding tissues.

Arsenicum album: Large, painful, malignant carbuncle with prostration

Belladonna atroba: Shiny red, stabbing pains before pus formation.

Borax (compress): In painful and infected chronic cases. Slow to heal. Patient often has a high fever.

Lachesis: When bluish or purplish appearance of the skin predominates.

Silicea: Intense pain and burning with fetid pus and greenish sdiscolouration of underlying tissue.

Tarentula cubensis: A secondary remedy when blueness of the skin predominates.

Homeopathy Helps Sinusitis

Drug Resistant Tamiflu at Duke Hospital

Tags: MRSA, carbuncle, infection, staph

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Permalink Reply by Yogesh Gupta on May 16, 2011 at 8:37am

Dr Saraswat,
A good article on carbuncle.

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Permalink Reply by Dr Rajneesh Kumar Sharma MD(Hom) on May 16, 2011 at 11:32pm

Sir I had a case of severe carbuncle, cured within 10 days with a dose of Lachesis 200, for symptom. The patient induced in me a headache due to his loquacity.

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Permalink Reply by Dr Ravindra Saraswat on May 17, 2011 at 12:18am

Thank you,
Dr Sharma,If the symptoms agree, no matter for disease.....name--

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Permalink Reply by Dr Rajneesh Kumar Sharma MD(Hom) on May 17, 2011 at 12:24am

That is True sir.

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Permalink Reply by Dr.Vikas Verma on February 2, 2012 at 12:22pm

Excellent article, Thanks for sharing the information. Recently I have treated a case of carbuncle of a 68 year old male who was suffering from Diabetes, and of course the totality of symptoms helped there too.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Sayed Tahir Hassan on October 7, 2011 at 12:42pm

Good compilation Dr. Ravindra.

I use a lot of Anthracin 1M to clear the carbuncle.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Prabhat Kumar Dasgupta on November 20, 2011 at 9:28pm

Carbuncles are mostly controlled by single dose of high potency similimum followed by few doses of low potency 'followed well ( if needed )'....

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Permalink Reply by Gina Tyler DHOM on January 12, 2012 at 1:15pm

open up a case- using nosode staplc in high potency great results in addressing the problem to be followed by a deep acting const. remedy

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Permalink Reply by Gina Tyler DHOM on January 12, 2012 at 3:19pm

Staphylococcin nosode: (prior to use lab test needs to confirm staph bacteria) Should only be used by exp. homeopaths. A reminder-Nosodes remove blocks-walls to cure, needing the const remedy to finish the case-
Clinical therapeutic
Acne, Abscess, Furuncle.
Impetigo contagiosa. parotiditis.
Mastitis
Phlegm. carbuncle, Mastoiditis.
Empyema. Ecthyma Cellulitis
Pyelo-nephritis. Phlebitis. Lymphadenitis
Pyaemia. Oedema. Endocarditis
Valvulitis. Aortitis.
Onset: Subacute and chronic problems.

Characteristics:
History of staphylococcin infection.
Succession of abscesses.
Recurrent staphylococcal lesions over a long period of time and when the staphylococcal lesions are wide-spread viz

Recurrent widespread acne
Recurrent mastitis
Recurrent carbuncles
Recurrent conjunctivitis
Widespread oedema

Staphylococcinis indicated in dysentery. A dose of antipsoric remedy can be given to complete the cure.

Special Clinical Notes:
Acute and chronic cases of bacillary dysentery with discharge of blood and pus.
It acts best when the ailment comes during the rainy season and continues upto late autumn.
In chronic cases of dysentery where blood with mucopurulent discharges does not respond to the indicated remedy or recurrs or prolongs unduly, Staphylococcin 200 rescues such a case. A dose of anti-psoric can be given to complete the cure.

In typhoid where there is a low sepsis, haemorrhage and mucopurulent stool with fever towards the third week, Staphylococcin rescues such cases.
In varieties of staphylococcal infections.
It may be of interest to know that in the making or extraction of this medicine, the writer Dr. E.A. Anshultz was compelled to get out of the room due to an undefined malaise. The odour, aroma or effluvium was ambrosial compared to the atmosphere of the dissecting room with its lumps of putrefaction but it had much greater expellant power not nauseating but sickening and chemically probably due to some of the fatty acids.

Staphylococcin works best where weakness of the protective mechanism or debility due to other bacterial agencies eg overwork, worry, lack of proper food, humidity, etc. is prominent.

Special caution:
In cases of furuncles, abscess, etc. - the bacteriological examination of blood tissues is a must before the use of the toxin.

Clinical case:
A case of anal fistula with creamish white putrid discharge of years standing was not responding to any line of therapy. The blood sugar was normal. Staphylococcin 200C gave a miraculous result. The main indication being a prolonged staphylococcal infection.
Potency: 200c, 1M, 10M

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Permalink Reply by Kuldip Singh on February 1, 2012 at 1:57pm

I have come across cases of carbuncles quite often. Such patients approach for treatment generally when a carbuncle has advanced, it is painful swollen and red. I have treated such cases commonly with Belladonna 200 or 1m, repetitions. If the suppuration continues then I give Hepar Sulph for a few days to resolve the carbuncle completely. Sometimes in place of Hep Sulph, Silicea is needed to be given. Thus I have been able treat all such cases with just these three remedies mostly.

Dr. Saraswat has provided quite an elaborate and useful information on carbuncles covering all aspects.

Use of Staphylococcin nosode has been very well explained by Dr. Gina Tyler.

Thanks Dr. Saraswat & Gina for coming up with such educative & informative write-ups.