It's more difficult to identify an abscess inside the body, but signs include:. Read more about the symptoms of an abscess. See your GP if you think you may have an abscess.
They can examine a skin abscess or refer you to hospital if you may have an internal abscess. There are several tests available to help diagnose an abscess, depending on where it's located. Read about diagnosing an abscess. When bacteria enter your body, your immune system sends infection-fighting white blood cells to the affected area. As the white blood cells attack the bacteria, some nearby tissue dies, creating a hole which then fills with pus to form an abscess.
The pus contains a mixture of dead tissue, white blood cells and bacteria. Internal abscesses often develop as a complication of an existing condition, such as an infection elsewhere in your body. As pus builds up, it can press against the skin and surrounding inflamed tissue, causing pain.
Some abscesses are caused by an irritant like an injected medication that was not completely absorbed. Since they're not caused by infection, these kinds of abscesses are called "sterile" abscesses. Sterile abscesses aren't as common as infected abscesses, but they can happen on occasion. Most abscesses can be managed at home. If you think you have a skin abscess, avoid touching, pushing, popping, or squeezing it. Doing that can spread the infection or push it deeper inside the body, making things worse.
Try using a warm compress to see if that opens up the abscess so it can drain. You can make a compress by wetting a washcloth with warm — not hot — water and placing it over the abscess for several minutes. Do this a few times a day, and wash your hands well before and after applying the washcloth. If the abscess opens on its own and drains, and the infection seems to clear up in a couple of days, your body should heal on its own.
If it doesn't, it's time to call your doctor's office. Sometimes, an abscess needs a doctor's care. If you notice any of these problems, call your doctor:. If a doctor thinks you have an abscess, he or she will decide if it needs to be drained or if it can be treated another way, like with antibiotics. If an abscess needs to be drained, the doctor will decide if it's best to pull out the pus using a needle called aspiration or to make a small cut in the abscess with a scalpel so the pus can drain out.
For a skin abscess, the doctor will probably use numbing medications before draining an abscess so it's not too painful. After the doctor drains the abscess, he or she may pack it with gauze. The gauze will soak up drainage and help the abscess heal.
An abscess that is deep inside the body might require surgery. This may mean staying in the hospital for a while so doctors and nurses can be sure the person heals properly. After the abscess drains, your doctor will pack the wound with surgical material. This helps it to heal and prevents the abscess from reoccurring. After the procedure is over, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to prevent the wound from becoming infected.
Severe cases of skin abscesses are generally also treated with antibiotics. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic such as dicloxacillin or cephalexin if you have any of the following:.
If your doctor thinks MRSA is the cause of the abscess, they may prescribe clindamycin or doxycycline to fight the infection. You may not always be able to prevent a skin abscess. However, there are ways to minimize your chance of acquiring the staph infection that commonly leads to an abscess.
To minimize your risk of a staph infection:. If you do have a cut or sore, wash your bedding and towels in hot water, detergent, and bleach regularly and dry them on the hot setting. Abscess drainage is the treatment typically used to clear a skin abscess of pus and start the healing process.
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