An abscess is a painful collection of pus, usually caused by a bacterial infection. Abscesses can develop anywhere in the body. A skin abscess often appears as a swollen, pus-filled lump under the surface of the skin. You may also have other symptoms of an infection, such as a high temperature and chills. It's more difficult to identify an abscess inside the body, but signs include:.
Read more about the symptoms of an abscess. See your GP if you think you may have an abscess. They can examine a skin abscess or refer you to hospital if you may have an internal abscess. There are several tests available to help diagnose an abscess, depending on where it's located. Read about diagnosing an abscess. A skin abscess, or boil, is a pus-filled bump that collects in or below the skin. Skin abscesses can develop wherever there are hair follicles, but they appear most often on the face, back, chest, and buttocks.
Skin abscesses are usually not dangerous and disappear on their own with time. In some cases, they may need to be drained or removed by a doctor. If left untreated, abscesses can spark an infection that spreads throughout your body, and can be life-threatening.
Call your doctor if your skin abscess does not go away on its own, or with home treatment. A skin abscess can resemble a pimple, and be red and sensitive to the touch. Over time, it can grow to develop a visible pocket of fluid, or pus. You may experience additional symptoms such as a fever, if an abscess progresses to an infection that spreads throughout the body.
When diagnosing a skin abscess, your doctor will conduct a physical examination to determine whether the abscess is caused by a physical wound or by an ingrown hair. A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that's caused by a bacterial infection. The abscess can occur at different regions of the tooth for different reasons. A periapical per-e-AP-ih-kul abscess occurs at the tip of the root, whereas a periodontal per-e-o-DON-tul abscess occurs in the gums at the side of a tooth root.
The information here refers specifically to periapical abscesses. A periapical tooth abscess usually occurs as a result of an untreated dental cavity, an injury or prior dental work. Dentists will treat a tooth abscess by draining it and getting rid of the infection. They may be able to save your tooth with a root canal treatment, but in some cases the tooth may need to be pulled.
Leaving a tooth abscess untreated can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications. If you have a fever and swelling in your face and you can't reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Also go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing.
These symptoms may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw and surrounding tissue or even to other areas of your body. A periapical tooth abscess occurs when bacteria invade the dental pulp — the innermost part of the tooth that contains blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue.
Bacteria enter through either a dental cavity or a chip or crack in the tooth and spread all the way down to the root. The bacterial infection can cause swelling and inflammation at the tip of the root.
A tooth abscess won't go away without treatment. If the abscess ruptures, the pain may decrease significantly — but you still need dental treatment.
If the abscess doesn't drain, the infection may spread to your jaw and to other areas of your head and neck. You might even develop sepsis — a life-threatening infection that spreads throughout your body.
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