Abscesses are typically brought on by abacterial infection.With proper treatment, abscesses heal in stages within two weeks.
They tend to appear on the back, chest, buttocks, and face.
Sometimes, they develop in areas where hair is present, such as the armpits and pubic area.
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Zay Nyi Nyi / Getty Images
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This article explains the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for abscesses.
It also provides pictures of abscesses and points out how to prevent them from developing in the first place.
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The skin surrounding an abscess is often painful and warm to the touch.
In some cases, an abscess can be extremely hard and firm (indurated).
Types of Skin Abscess
Furuncles and carbuncles are two similar types of skin abscesses.
aureusinfection, including:
A condition calledfolliculitiscan cause an abscess to form within a hair follicle.
It is also associated with swimming in an improperly chlorinated pool or hot tub.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is usually made on appearance alone.
Depending on the cause of an abscess, a doctor may consider whether an antibiotic is needed.
Do not attempt to drain an abscess at home.
You’ll fire off the risk of making the infection worse.
Always wash your hands after touching an abscess.
And clean anything that comes into contact with it.
The area is cleaned out thoroughly.
Stitches are not required for smaller abscesses, but the area is left open to heal.
Deeper abscesses might be drained with a needle.
In both procedures, medicine will be injected to numb the area.
You might also be given pain medication.
After the procedure, the area is covered with a dressing.
Recovery
Depending on your particular case, you might be given antibiotics.
However, antibiotics are not always necessary.Over-the-counter pain medications can help with both pain and inflammation.
New skin should begin covering the wound within a couple of weeks.
This can actually push the pus deeper into the tissues of the surrounding area, causing increased inflammation.
It can also lead to infection.
But other culprits, like acne, eczema, or poor hygiene shouldn’t be overlooked as possible culprits.
Large abscesses must often be drained (by a medical professional only) to ease the pain and discomfort.
Depending on the cause, an antibiotic may be justified to finish off the abscess.
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