Introduction
An abscess is classified as a bacterial infection that usually involves a collection of pus in one area. This can develop anywhere. However, we are going to focus on:
- Skin abscesses that develop under the skin
- Internal abscesses that develop in the body usually in an organ or the space between two organs
The symptoms that a person has is going to vary depending on the type of access that they have. The person will
notice that they may have a lump under the skin, along with other issues such as a fever since they do have a sort of bacterial infection. For those who have an internal abscess, they may have a feeling of just being unwell, along with pain and fever. If you do believe that you have an abscess, you are going to want to see your doctor.
The Causes of an Abscess
The causes of an abscess are almost always a bacterial infection. The pus that is in an abscess is a mixture of blood cells, bacteria, and tissue. As the bacteria form in the body, the body starts to fight it off, leading to the pus forming. Skin abscesses are usually caused due to a scratch, the hair root and a gland that is blocked by oil. You can reduce the risk of skin abscesses through using good hygiene and being healthy.
Internal abscesses often develop after an infection has been in the body. Thus, the situation is going to differ for each individual.
How Abscesses Are Treated
A small skin abscess might drain by itself, or just reduce in size, dry up and fade without any need for treatment. Though, bigger abscesses might need to be managed by taking antibiotics to kill the infection, and the pus might have to be drained. This will generally be completed either by injecting a needle into your skin or by creating a slight slit in the skin to drain the pus.
As stated, a person’s abscess might drain on its own, and never require treatment. However, when a large abscess is present, it may take infection pills being given, along with the pus being drained from this.
The Other Types of Abscesses
Though we focused on two types of abscesses, there are several other types of abscesses out there, including:
- Anorectal abscess which is located in the rectum and anus
- A brain abscess located inside the skull
- A dental abscess that is location under a tooth and can be seen in the gum line most often
- Pilonidal abscess located near the cleft of the buttocks
- Spinal cord abscess is located around the spinal cord