What home remedies help against an abscess

The term abscess refers to a collection of pus in a cavity. The cause is due to a bacterial infection, often staphylococcus. Inflammation can occur anywhere in the body, for example, on the skin, in the genital area, on the buttocks, but also inside the body, in organs and tissues. In this article we are going to deal only with skin abscesses,

What does an abscess look like?

Skin abscesses are characteristic and easy to identify by visual diagnosis. You can recognize them by a red, painful, and often throbbing swelling.

Local redness is often overheated and reacts very sensitively to touch or movement. A small yellowish lump of pus may form in the center of the affected area of ​​skin.

What symptoms can it give?

The most frequent are swelling, redness, tenderness, and a feeling of tightness. The swelling or lump may be hard. A white point of pus may appear in the center.

In some cases, fever, chills and fatigue may appear, symptoms that indicate the need to go to a medical emergency.

What are the causes?

Skin abscesses are usually caused by bacteria, generally from the staphylococcus family and very frequently by Staphylococcus aureus.

A small skin lesion it may be enough for the bacteria, which resides in the skin, to penetrate the subcutaneous tissue and cause infection there. The infection destroys tissue and forms a cavity in the skin, which is encapsulated. Inside the bag formed, white blood cells that fight infection accumulate. Pus is made up of broken down white blood cells, bacteria, and tissue.

The abscess also can form from a boil, or infection around a hair follicle.

How can an abscess be treated?

An abscess should always be treated by a doctor. Your GP is the right contact person in this case. In the case of severe accompanying symptoms such as fever, chills or extreme pain, a prompt visit to an emergency department is recommended.

Basically, the pus must be removed, the inflammation decreased, and the bacteria prevented from spreading to the rest of the body. Surgical drainage is usually the most appropriate method for this.

An abscess should only be opened by a doctor, anyone who does it on their own runs the risk of aggravating the condition and even end a blood poisoning.

Under local anesthesia, a doctor punctures or cuts the abscess and drains the pus. Then the cavity is thoroughly rinsed so that no pathogens remain. Depending on the location and size, a drain is sometimes placed so that the pus can continue to drain.

Antibiotics are rarely used as part of treatment, because they have difficulty penetrating through the encapsulation into the focus of inflammation.

When is an abscess dangerous?

Skin abscesses can often be treated quickly and effectively. However, under certain circumstances they can have life-threatening consequences.

Especially when the bacteria enter the blood vessels with the pus, the bacteria can spread to the brain. Blood poisoning can also be life-threatening.

What remedies help with an abscess?

If your abscess is still very small, home remedies may temporarily relieve symptoms. However, you should not expect miracles, as the home remedy may not work. Some remedies are:

Fresh quark cheese wrapper. It may help if there is no pus in the abscess. Place the wrap on the affected skin area and wait for the compress to warm up. Then replace the wrap if necessary.Onion. It has antiseptic properties and can help treat pus buildup. Cut a slice about 1 cm thick and then place it on the skin area. With the help of a cloth, the onion slice should remain on the abscess for a few hours so that it develops its full effect.Garlic. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory effect, it can also relieve abscesses. Simply squeeze 2-3 fresh cloves and apply the paste to the swelling. Leave on for 5-10 minutes, then rinse well.Medical ointments with antibacterial effect. They are particularly helpful and can speed up the maturation process of an abscess. The tissue softens and the pus can drain faster. We advise discussing the application with your doctor beforehand.