(pulled an old name up for this ...)
So woke up Friday, and had a painful sensation on my right nostril - just visible if you lift your head. It's on the actual skull, just above the lip.
Looking at it I saw a swelling, and a little bit of hot water compress revealed a whitish spot. So a boil.
Did hot water a few times Friday, as it was hurting more and making my face feel a little odd.
Scouring the web I read about Mag. Sulphate. so off to the chemist yesterday and applied with a pad of cotton wool. Changed a few times and tried to get to sleep with it, although it was quite painful.
Woke up this morning and pain had subsided a lot to the extent it's not hurting at rest. But there was a quite yucky smell in that nostril....
Carefully pulled out the cotton wool poultice (I guess that's what it was ?) and while the actual spot on the face is incredibly tender, it is the only source of pain now.
I guess folk can imagine what the cotton wool looked like ....
So the question(s) are ...
- is it likely the infection has subsided and is on the mend ?
- What's the best course for continued treatment ?
Working from instinct, and an assemblage of non-idiot pages on the web, I got some saline and did my best to clean out the nostril. (It is very sensitive where the head of the boil is). And then another splodge of Mag. Sulphate on a cotton wool pad to stay up there and carry on the good work.
Obviously in the current situation I'm keen not to waste professionals time if it's at all possible.
Luckily the pain means any attempt to hurry the excision of pus out isn't going to happen. Which - through all the reading - seems best.