Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsTypes of Skin AbscessCausesDiagnosisTreatment and Healing Process for AbscessesPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Types of Skin Abscess
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment and Healing Process for Abscesses
Prevention
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.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoZay Nyi Nyi / Getty Images
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Zay Nyi Nyi / Getty Images
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.
Abscess Symptoms
An abscess looks like a little bump or a pimple that can grow into an inflamed, fluid-filled cyst. 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).
Furuncles and carbuncles are two similar types of skin abscesses. A furuncle, sometimes called aboil, is caused when a hair follicle becomes infected and creates a small abscess. Acarbuncleis defined as multiple pus-draining follicles that combine to create a single infected mass.
Furuncles and carbuncles tend to appear in areas that have been exposed to minor trauma, sweat, or friction (such as beneath a belt or where the skin has been irritated from shaving).
Diagnosis is usually made on appearance alone. While smaller abscesses usually can be treated at home, medical attention should be considered if an abscess:
Small abscesses can be treated at home with a warm compress to relieve pain and promote drainage. A larger abscess mayneed to be drainedat the doctor’s office to both relieve the pain and treat the infection. Depending on the cause of an abscess, a doctor may consider whether an antibiotic is needed.
Antibiotics are often prescribed to people who have a weakened immune system or are experiencing whole-body symptoms like fever.In such cases, a doctor may take a pus sample to better evaluate the cause and ensure that the bacteria is not drug-resistant.
Do not attempt to drain an abscess at home. You’ll run the risk of making the infection worse. Always wash your hands after touching an abscess. And clean anything that comes into contact with it.
Medical Procedure for Abscesses
Some abscesses need to be drained, particularly if they are not resolving on their own or are causing significant pain.
Procedure
Minor surgical procedures calledincision and drainage (I&D)may be performed to drain an abscess of pus, dead skin, and any other material that has built up. A healthcare professional will numb the area then make a small incision to allow the contents of the abscess to drain fully. 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.
Outlook
A week after the procedure, a healthcare professional should examine your wound to ensure it is healing properly and not becoming infected. New skin should begin covering the wound within a couple of weeks.
At-Home Care
Caring for abscesses at home can include using warm compresses, keeping the area clean and dry, and possibly using antibiotics to mitigate bacterial infection.
It is important not to try to pop or press the pus out of the abscess at home. This can actually push the pus deeper into the tissues of the surrounding area, causing increased inflammation. It can also lead to infection.
While abscesses are not entirely avoidable, there are a few simple measures you can take to prevent them:
Summary
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kolar SL, Liu GY.Targeting bacterial abscess formation.EBioMedicine. 2016;12:16-17. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.10.017Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Boils and carbuncles: Overview.Creech CB, Al-zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-64. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007.Patterson, JW.Practical Skin Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach. Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences.National Health Service.Treatment-abscess.Baiu I, Melendez E.Skin abscess.JAMA. 2018;319(13):1405. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1355.Nemours KidsHealth.Abscess.Merck Manual Professional Version.Abscesses.Nemours KidsHealth.Skin Abscesses.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kolar SL, Liu GY.Targeting bacterial abscess formation.EBioMedicine. 2016;12:16-17. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.10.017Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Boils and carbuncles: Overview.Creech CB, Al-zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-64. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007.Patterson, JW.Practical Skin Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach. Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences.National Health Service.Treatment-abscess.Baiu I, Melendez E.Skin abscess.JAMA. 2018;319(13):1405. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1355.Nemours KidsHealth.Abscess.Merck Manual Professional Version.Abscesses.Nemours KidsHealth.Skin Abscesses.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kolar SL, Liu GY.Targeting bacterial abscess formation.EBioMedicine. 2016;12:16-17. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.10.017Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Boils and carbuncles: Overview.Creech CB, Al-zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-64. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007.Patterson, JW.Practical Skin Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach. Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences.National Health Service.Treatment-abscess.Baiu I, Melendez E.Skin abscess.JAMA. 2018;319(13):1405. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1355.Nemours KidsHealth.Abscess.Merck Manual Professional Version.Abscesses.Nemours KidsHealth.Skin Abscesses.
Kolar SL, Liu GY.Targeting bacterial abscess formation.EBioMedicine. 2016;12:16-17. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.10.017
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).Boils and carbuncles: Overview.
Creech CB, Al-zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-64. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007.
Patterson, JW.Practical Skin Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach. Amsterdam: Elsevier Health Sciences.
National Health Service.Treatment-abscess.
Baiu I, Melendez E.Skin abscess.JAMA. 2018;319(13):1405. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1355.
Nemours KidsHealth.Abscess.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Abscesses.
Nemours KidsHealth.Skin Abscesses.
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