Abscess

Symptoms

The symptoms of an abscess depend on where it develops in your body.

Skin abscesses

Signs of a skin abscess can include:

a smooth swelling under your skin that can feel hard or firm
pain and tenderness in the affected area
warmth and redness in the affected area
a visible build-up of white or yellow pus under the skin in the affected area
a high temperature (fever)
chills

A Carbuncles is a common example of a skin abscess.

Internal abscesses

Abscesses that developinside an organ or in the spaces between organs can be more difficult to identify than skin abscesses. The symptoms can be vague and there may be no obvious external signs of a problem.

The symptoms of an internal abscess can also vary depending on exactly where in the body the abscess develops. For example, a liver abscess may cause jaundice , whereas an abscess in or near the lungs may cause a cough or shortness of breath .

General symptoms of aninternal abscesscan include:

discomfort in the area of the abscess
fever
increased sweating
feeling sick
vomiting
chills
pain or swellingin your tummy (abdomen)
loss of appetiteand weight loss
extreme tiredness (fatigue)
diarrhoea or constipation

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 28 Jul 2016

Articles for abscess

Introduction

An abscess is a painful collection of pus, usually caused by a bacterial infection. An abscess is a painful collection of pus caused by bacteria, which can develop in any part of the body. There are several tests available to help diagnose an abscess, depending on where it's located.

Symptoms

The symptoms manifested depend on the localization of the abscess. The abscess may develop: on the skin, in an internal organ, between organs, etc. The basic symptoms of an abscess are: swelling, reddening, pain, heat, as well as loss of cellular function (tumor et rubor cun dolore et calore et funksio laeze).

Causes

Most abscesses are caused by an infection with either staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria. Usually, one of the main causes of abscesses are the staphylococcus bacteria. These bacteria are found on the skin, and when or if the skin becomes damaged (as in a wound, a rash, scratch, or a malfunction in the sweat glands), they may enter and cause a bacterial infection at the site of damage.

Diagnosis

See your GP if you think you may have an abscess. There are several tests used to diagnose an abscess, depending on where it's located. If a patch of skin has become swelled, is red, warm, painful and fluid-filled to the touch. Skin abscesses are easy to diagnose since they are visible. Abscesses that occur internally are more difficult to diagnose, and pose far more dangerous symptoms to the patient.

Treatment

Abscesses can be treated in a number of different ways, depending on the type of abscess and how large it is. "Ubipus ibi evacuo", which means where there is pus, drainage is necessary. After all of the pus has been drained, the wound needs to be treated regularly until all of the infection has cleared, and depending on the size and location of the abscess, taking antibiotics may be necessary. In internal abscesses, surgery is necessary.

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