I’ve been doing a little research due to a minor injury and have come across competing claims that soaking in Epsom is good for a minor infection or that they’re not beneficial and may even inhibit healing. I’m under the care of a doctor and I’m not looking for medical advice, just curious what the Straight Dope is with this stuff.
I’ve never heard of using them for infections or injuries, just for soreness, where the evidence is pretty lacking:
Is there any evidence that Epsom salts are effective?
Unfortunately, there’s not a great deal of scientific evidence to back up the supposed benefits of an Epsom salt bath. Research has been unable to prove that magnesium and sulfates get absorbed into the body through the skin.
That hasn’t been proven, but just soaking in warm water can help relax muscles and loosen stiff joints.
Hmm. I’d also been recommended hydrogen peroxide but research and looking at past Dope questions made me reconsider on that one.
I thought hydrogen peroxide was good for sterilizing wounds, but I haven’t done any research on it.
I was under the impression espom salts were also recommended for some skin conditions.
I soak in a plain hot water bath to help when I get flare ups due to hidradentitis suppurativa. The infections tend to be in my “underwear area” and the hot baths definitely shrink the infected cysts. I’ve never added epsom salt, though. Seems like the very hot water does the trick by itself.
Some years ago I had a random infection inside my finger (no idea how it happened, no finger injury or anything); had a nurse tell me to soak it in epsom salts to “draw the infection out”. I immediately decided she was an idiot, BUT I have been intending to start an OP like this ever since (but, like 99.99% of all posts I intend to make on the Straight Dope, I never actually did…).
I can think of no mechanism that would make her claim even remotely plausible.
Yeah, I’m dealing with an ingrown toenail with a little infection and I’m genuinely not sure what the Epsom is supposed to do in this case. Just medical “busywork”?
When I had surgery on my ingrown toenail the doctor told me it was to dry out the wound.
I think warm baths are relaxing. Adding salt to the wound? Makes no difference at practical concentrations. The body can easily compensate for electrolyte changes in muscle and skin. Adding electrolytes to the water does not mean they can easily penetrate skin. Electrolytes usually move due to specific ion transporters. But the warmth might feel good or even ease pain.
Well… sort of. It does kill off germs but it also damages your own cells. Putting it on a wound actually causes further damage.
OK, but the foaming action is so cool.
The three uses I know of for epsom salts:
- Fertilizing roses, which have a high need for magnesium.
- Relaxing bath for aching muscles.
- Added to a soaking boot for drawing hoof abscesses (common ailment in horses).
All of these are recommended by, respectively, rosarians, MDs, and veterinarians.
Does sterile alcohol do the same?
Yes.
The mechanism is a bit different, but it is still damaging to healthy tissues.
Of course, there’s a balance between “musn’t cause more damage!” and “there’s bad stuff in here that needs to be cleaned out”. Flushing dirt out of scrape is also important so maybe it’s justifiable for an initial cleaning but you certainly don’t want to keep re-applying it because that will delay healing.
Current recommendation is to NOT use either of those for first aid, use soap and water instead, or just clean water. Anything bad enough that that is insufficient warrants actual medical attention.
The benefit that I’ve always found from adding Epsom salts to a bath is that your skin doesn’t wrinkle as much. I take a long soak from time to time for back pain, and if I don’t use Epsom salts, by the time I get out I’m all pruned up.
I got diagnosed with colorectal adenocarcinoma tight at the output area of my intestines [I had been having digestive issues that lead us to believe it was my gallbladder and enough imaging called for getting a camera shoved up my bum] that also tried escaping leading us to also think external thrombosed hemerhoids] and when treatment began, the cancerous tissues started spalling off/out and left 4 fistulas from inside the ring of muscles and when the extreme liquid diarrhea seeps throufh the fistulas it feels like shattered glass. I decided to do the recommended sitz baths with the addition of epsoms salts to help shrink the tissues and baking soda to help neutralize the stomach acids seeping out. As far as i am concerned, it worked as I had planned. I still take sitz baths even though there is no lower passage remaining [surgically removed] because the warm water is very comforting and relaxing =)