An abscess is an infection below the skin that can cause a red bump to start growing. Underneath this red bump white blood cells are sent by your body’s defense system to fight the infection. Sometimes too many can be sent and they start to collect in this one area combining with the damaged tissue and other cells and begin to form a liquid called pus.
Most of the abscesses are caused by bacterial infections and can be warm and sensitive to touch as well as painful. Although they can occur in any part of the body you will usually find them in armpits, around a tooth, skin area near the anus and vagina, in the groin area and at the base of the spine. Hair follicle can get stuck in the skin and cause inflammation which can lead to an abscess.
In all cases, the pus must be drained from the infection. Abscess Drainage can sometimes require a surgical incision if the problem is ignored.
Bacteria are all over your body at all times, but in most cases doesn’t cause any problems. However, when you have a wound that bacteria will travel into your bloodstream or underlying skin (below the skin you can see) and cause an infection which can lead to an abscess.
Symptoms related to Abscess
The most common symptoms associated with an abscess are
- Painful, compressible area of skin that resembles a pimple or open sore
- The skin around the affected area appears red and is warm and sensitive to touch
- Swelling around the affected area
- If ignored, the infection could become severe and patients might have a fever
When to seek medical attention
Not all abscess require medical attention since smaller abscesses could drain on its’ own after applying a hot compress. However, if ignored or if you develop a painful abscess, you should seek the health care services in Nashville for abscess drainage. Situations where you should get medical attention are
- The continued growth of the sore skin
- If the sore is more than 1/2 inch in diameter
- If it is near the rectal or groin area
- There are noticeable red streaks leading away from the growth (this indicates a bad bacterial issue)
- If you have a fever
Abscess Drainage Procedure
Antibiotics alone cannot fix the abscess problem because the pus confined inside the abscess needs to be drained. However, antibiotics combined with the cleaning of the wound from Abscess drainage to treat the bacterial infection will help prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.
- The doctors will clean and sterilize the site of the abscess
- A local anesthetic will be administered for the pain
- An incision will be made through the abscess
- Pus is drained out from the abscess
- With the help of a sterile saline solution, the area is cleaned
- The wound is covered with a dressing to absorb excess pus that might be produced after the procedure
- If it is a larger abscess doctors will “pack” the wound to keep the abscess area open. This helps the tissue heal from the inside out.
- Your doctor may have a sample of pus sent to the lab to be analyzed.
The healing process after your Abscess Drainage
Depending on the location and severity of the abscess, your healing time will vary post abscess drainage.
Medication – Doctors will probably prescribe antibiotics for the infection to make sure everything is destroyed and may suggest pain-relievers to deal with the pain.
Dressing of the wound – The dressing gauze should be checked frequently and replaced with fresh gauze as needed. Follow your doctor’s advice.
Cleaning of the wound – Your doctor will provide you will clear instructions on what to do and not do to help ensure this problem doesn’t continue or start again.
If you think you are developing an abscess, the sooner you have it checked the better. It is a lot easier to deal with a small abscess than a large one. Contact your healthcare professionals at Clinica Hispana La Paz, a family healthcare clinic in Nashville for abscess drainage.
Visit https://clinicahispanalapaz.net/ or contact us at 615 627 1282 today.