An abscess may present as a red, painful lump. This article reveals what the symptoms are, when an abscess can become dangerous, and what home remedies help fight it.
The term abscess refers to an accumulation of pus in a cavity. The cause is due to a bacterial infection, often by staphylococci. Inflammation can occur anywhere on the body, for example, on the skin, in the genital area, on the buttocks, but also inside the body, in organs and tissues. In this article we are going to deal only about abscesses on the skin,
WHAT DOES AN ABSCESS LOOK LIKE?
Skin abscesses are characteristic and easy to identify by visual diagnosis. You can recognize them by a red, painful, and often throbbing swelling.
Local redness is usually overheated and reacts very sensitively to touch or movement. A small yellowish bump of pus may form in the center of the affected area of skin.
WHAT SYMPTOMS CAN IT GIVE?
The most frequent are swelling, redness, pain to the touch and a feeling of tightness. The swelling or lump may be hardened. In the center may appear a white dot of pus.
In some cases, fever, chills and tiredness may appear, symptoms that indicate the need to go to medical emergencies.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?
Skin abscesses are usually caused by bacteria, usually from the staphylococci family and most often by Staphylococcus aureus.
A small lesion on the skin may be enough for the bacteria, which resides in the skin, to penetrate the subcutaneous tissue and provoke infection there. The infection destroys tissue and forms a cavity in the skin, which is encapsulated. Inside the formed bag accumulate white blood cells that fight infection. Pus is made up of broken-down white blood cells, bacteria, and tissue.
The abscess can also form from a boil, or infection around a hair follicle.
HOW CAN AN ABSCESS BE TREATED?
An abscess should always be treated by a doctor. Your GP is the right contact person in this case. For severe accompanying symptoms such as fever, chills or extreme pain, a quick visit to an emergency department is recommended.
Basically, you need to remove pus, decrease inflammation, and prevent bacteria from spreading to the rest of your body. Surgical drainage is usually the most appropriate method for this.
An abscess should only be opened by a doctor, anyone who does it on their own runs the risk of aggravating the picture and even ending up with blood poisoning.
Under local anesthesia, a doctor punctures or cuts the abscess and drains the pus. Then the cavity is thoroughly rinsed so that no pathogens remain. Depending on the location and size, a drain is sometimes placed so that the pus can continue to drain.
Antibiotics are rarely used as part of treatment, because they have difficulty penetrating through encapsulation into the focus of inflammation.
WHEN IS AN ABSCESS DANGEROUS?
Skin abscesses can often be treated quickly and effectively. However, under certain circumstances they can have life-threatening consequences.
Especially when bacteria enter blood vessels with pus, bacteria can spread to the brain. Blood poisoning can also be life-threatening.
WHAT REMEDIES HELP WITH AN ABSCESS?
If your abscess is still very small, home remedies may temporarily relieve symptoms. However, you should not expect miracles, as the home remedy may not work. Some remedies are:
- Fresh quark cheese wrap. It may help if there is no pus in the abscess. Place the wrap on the affected area of skin and wait for the compress to warm up. Then replace the wrapper if necessary.
- Onion. It possesses antiseptic properties and can help treat the accumulation of pus. Cut a slice about 1 cm thick and then place it on the skin area. With the help of a cloth, the onion slice should remain on the abscess for a few hours so that it develops its full effect.
- Garlic. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory effect, it can also relieve abscesses. Simply squeeze 2 to 3 fresh cloves and apply the paste over the swelling. Leave on for about 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
- Medical ointments with antibacterial effect. They are particularly useful and can speed up the maturation process of an abscess. The tissue softens and pus can drain faster. We advise discussing the application with your doctor beforehand.
