An abscess is a place of accumulation of the creamy
white, yellow, or greenish fluid, known as pus, surrounded
by reddened tissue. It is the result of the body’s inflammatory
response to a foreign body or a bacterial,
viral, parasitic, or fungal infection. An abscess usually
dries out and resolves when it is drained of pus. The
most common parts of the body affected by abscesses
are the face, armpits, arms and legs, rectum, sebaceous
glands (oil glands), and the breast during lactation.
Description
Most abscesses are septic, which means they are the
result of an infection. Abscesses occur when white blood
cells (WBCs) gather in response to an infection. They produce
oxidants (for example, superoxide radical) and enzymes
to digest the invading bacteria, viruses, parasites, or
fungi. The infective agents are then broken down by the
WBCs into small pieces that can be transported through
the bloodstream and eliminated from the body. Unfortunately,
the enzymes may also digest part of the body’s tissues
along with the infective agents. The resulting liquid
of this digestion is pus, which contains the remains of the
infective agents, tissue, white blood cells, and enzymes.
A sterile abscess is one that is not produced by an
infection. It is caused by irritants, such as foreign bodies
or injected drugs, and medications that have not been totally
absorbed. Sterile abscesses quite often heal into
hardened scar tissue.
Common types of abscesses:
• Boils and carbuncles. Sebaceous glands and superficial
skin are the places usually infected.
• Dental abscess. An abscess that develops along the root
of a tooth.
• Pilonidal abscess. People who have a birth defect involving
a tiny opening in the skin just above the anus
may have fecal bacteria enter this opening, causing an
infection and a subsequent abscess.
• Retropharyngeal, parapharyngeal, peritonsillar abscess.
As a result of throat infections like strep throat and
tonsillitis, bacteria invade the deeper tissues of the
throat and cause a parapharyngeal or peritonsillar abscess.
A retropharyngeal abscess is a result of something
usually blood-borne, and not from a direct spread
of tonsillitis. These abscesses can compromise swallowing
and even breathing.
• Lung abscess. During or after pneumonia, an abscess
can develop as a complication.
• Liver abscess. Bacteria, parasites, or amoeba from the
intestines can spread through the blood to the liver and
cause abscesses.
• Psoas abscess. An abscess can develop in the psoas
muscles, when an infection spreads from the appendix,
the large intestine, or the fallopian tubes.
• Butin abscess. Any blood-borne feeding off bacteria
that stimulate pus production (pyogenic organisms).
Can cause abscesses in possibly many sites.
Causes & symptoms
Many different agents cause abscesses. The most
common are the pyogenic, or pus-forming bacteria, such
as Staphylococcus aureus, which is nearly always the
cause of abscesses directly under the skin. Abscesses are
usually caused by organisms that normally inhabit nearby
structures or that infect them. For example, abscesses
around the anus may be caused by any of the numerous
bacteria found within the large intestine. Brain abscesses
and liver abscesses are caused by the bacteria, amoeba,
and fungi that are able to travel there through circulation.
Symptoms of an abscess are the general signs of inflammation.
Symptoms that identify superficial abscesses
include heat, redness, swelling, and pain over the affected
area. Abscesses in other places may produce only
generalized symptoms, such as fever and discomfort. A
sterile abscess may present as painful lump deep under
the site of an injection. A severe infection may bring on
fever, fatigue, weight loss, and chills. Recurrent abscesses
may indicate undiscovered allergies or decreased immune
functioning.
Diagnosis
A general physical examination and a detailed patient
history are used to diagnose an abscess. Recent or
chronic disease or dysfunction in an organ suggests it
may be the site of an abscess. Pain and tenderness on
physical examination are common findings. There may
also be a leakage of pus from a sinus tract connected to
an abscess deep in the body tissue.
Treatment
Bentonite clay packs with a small amount of goldenseal
powder (Hydrastis canandensis) can be placed on
the site of a superficial abscess and used to draw out the
infection. Tea tree oil (Melaleuca spp.) and garlic (Allium
sativa) directly applied to abscesses may also help to
clear them.
Applications of a hot compress to the skin over the
abscess will hasten the draining or the reabsorption of
the abscess. Contrast hydrotherapy, using alternating
hot and cold compresses, can also be used. Additionally,
localized warm/hot soaks three to five times daily frequently
brings an abscess to heal.
Homeopathic remedies that can be taken to help diminish
abscess formation include belladonna, silica,Hepar sulphuris, and calendula. Also, acupuncture
may be recommended to help treat pain caused by an abscess.
In addition, vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, zinc,
liquid chlorophyll, and garlic are useful as supportive
daily nutrients to help clear up abscesses.
Allopathic treatment
Often, the pus of an abscess must be drained by a
physician. Ordinarily, the body will handle the remaining
infection. Sometimes antibiotics are prescribed. The
doctor may often put a piece of cloth or rubber, called a
drain, in the cavity of the abscess to prevent it from closing
until all the pus has drained.
Expected results
Once the abscess is properly drained, it should clear
up in a few days. Any underlying diseases will determine
the overall outcome of the condition. Recurrent abscesses,
especially those on the skin, return due to either defective/
altered immunity, or staph overgrowth, where there is
high bacterial colonization on the skin. The patient should
consult a physician for treatment with which to wash the
skin areas, and treatment to eradicate colonization.
If the abscess ruptures into neighboring areas or if
the infectious agent spills into the bloodstream, serious
consequences are likely. Abscesses in and around the
nasal sinuses, face, ears, and scalp may spread the infection
into the brain. Abscesses in the abdominal cavity,
such as in the liver, may rupture into that cavity. Blood
poisoning, or septicemia, is an infection that has spilled
into the bloodstream and then spreads throughout the
body. These are emergency situations where the patient
needs to be seen by a physician as soon as possible.
It is important to take note that abscesses in the
hand may be more serious than they might appear. Due
to the intricate structure and the overriding importance
of the hand, any hand infection must be treated promptly
and competently.
Prevention
Infections that are treated early with heat, if superficial,
or antibiotics, if deeper, will often resolve without
the formation of an abscess. It is even better to avoid infections
altogether by promptly cleaning and irrigating
open injuries, particularly bites and puncture wounds.
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