If a skin abscess is not drained, it may continue to grow and fill with pus until it bursts, which can be painful and can cause the infection to spread or come back. If your skin abscess needs draining, you'll probably have a small operation carried out under anaesthetic — usually a local anaesthetic , where you remain awake and the area around the abscess is numbed.
During the procedure, the surgeon cuts into the abscess, to allow the pus to drain out. They may also take a sample of pus for testing. Once all of the pus has been removed, the surgeon will clean the hole that is left by the abscess using sterile saline a salt solution. The abscess will be left open but covered with a wound dressing, so if any more pus is produced it can drain away easily. If the abscess is deep, an antiseptic dressing gauze wick may be placed inside the wound to keep it open.
The pus usually needs to be drained from an internal abscess, either by using a needle inserted through the skin percutaneous abscess drainage or with surgery. Antibiotics will usually be given at the same time, to help kill the infection and prevent it spreading. You can, however, try these safe home treatments:. Be patient during this process. Let it drain on its own.
Never try to cut or squeeze open a boil yourself. With time, the boil may open on its own naturally. Draining can often be safely accomplished using only hot compresses , sanitary techniques, and proper bandaging. A boil is a painful infection that can resemble a pimple.
You may be tempted to pop your boil, but popping it at home can cause infection or may cause…. Boils are painful, red bumps on the skin that are caused by bacteria. Learn how to get rid of a boil and what you can do at home and with your doctor…. Learn about commonly prescribed antibiotics — some available over-the-counter — for treating boils. If you have a boil, you know how painful and…. Many boils can be treated at home. Discover home remedies for boils, such as a warm compress, oil, and turmeric.
Also get the facts on causes and risk…. She received a double B. Korin has been published in Read more. Topics tooth care dental health infections oral health. Sign up for our SELF Daily Wellness newsletter All the best health and wellness advice, tips, tricks, and intel, delivered to your inbox every day. Enter your e-mail address. Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy. It's easier to tell if you have a skin abscess because you can see and touch it.
But when someone gets an abscess in another part of the body, there will still be clues that something is wrong. With a tooth abscess, for example, people will feel pain even though they can't see the abscess. Abscesses can form wherever the body is fighting off an infection. For example, a skin abscess can appear when germs get into the body through an opening in the skin like a cut, insect sting, or burn.
Most germs don't belong in a healthy body and the immune system knows it: It's the immune system's job to be on the lookout for infection.
After figuring out that something is wrong, it sends in the troops otherwise known as white blood cells to destroy whatever's causing the infection.
Some of these white blood cells will end up in pus, which also includes stuff like dead skin and dead germs. The body considers pus garbage and will try to get rid of it. But when pus collects in an abscess, it may not be able to drain out.
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.
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