Medicines for Skin abscess

What it is

A skin abscess is a painful, swollen lump that forms under the skin and is filled with pus, caused by a bacterial infection. It develops when bacteria get into the skin (for example through a small break, a hair follicle, or a blocked gland) and the body’s immune system responds, forming a collection of pus walled off from the surrounding tissue. Skin abscesses are common and can occur anywhere on the body; small ones affecting a hair follicle are often called boils. The symptoms of a skin abscess can include: a painful, firm or fluctuant (fluid-feeling) lump under the skin; redness, warmth, and swelling of the overlying and surrounding skin; tenderness; a build-up of pus, which may come to a head and sometimes discharges; and, if the infection is more significant or spreading, feeling unwell, a high temperature, or spreading redness. Many small skin abscesses and boils improve on their own — for example by coming to a head and draining — with simple self-care, and heal without specific treatment. However, larger abscesses, or those that are very painful, not improving, or associated with spreading infection or feeling unwell, usually need medical treatment: because an abscess is a walled-off collection of pus, it often needs to be drained (incision and drainage) to clear it, as antibiotics alone may not penetrate it well; antibiotics are used in addition when the infection is spreading or the person is unwell, or in certain situations. It is important not to squeeze or burst an abscess yourself, as this can spread the infection. People with diabetes or a weakened immune system, or with abscesses in certain locations, need particular attention. The key messages are that small skin abscesses/boils may settle with self-care, that larger or worsening ones usually need draining and sometimes antibiotics, and that spreading infection or feeling unwell needs prompt assessment.

How it is treated

Skin abscesses are managed according to their size and severity — small ones may settle with self-care, while larger ones usually need to be drained, and the infection treated if it is spreading. For a small skin abscess or boil, self-care measures can help: applying a warm compress (a clean, warm, damp cloth) to the area several times a day, which can help it come to a head and drain naturally, and keeping the area clean; simple pain relief for discomfort; and not squeezing, picking, or bursting it yourself, as this can push the infection deeper or spread it, and can cause scarring. Many small abscesses and boils drain and heal with these measures. However, medical treatment is usually needed for abscesses that are larger, very painful, not coming to a head or draining, not improving, or associated with spreading redness, feeling unwell, or a temperature. The main treatment for such an abscess is to drain it — a procedure (incision and drainage) in which a small cut is made to let the pus out, usually done under local anaesthetic, which relieves the pain and clears the collection; because an abscess is walled off, draining it is often necessary, as antibiotics alone may not clear it. Antibiotics are used in addition when the infection is spreading (for example into the surrounding skin, causing cellulitis), when the person is unwell or has a fever, or in certain situations (such as particular locations, or in people with diabetes or a weakened immune system). After drainage, the wound is cared for as it heals. It is important to seek prompt assessment for an abscess with spreading redness, feeling unwell, or a fever (which may indicate a spreading infection), for abscesses in certain sensitive locations (such as the face or near the spine or genitals), for recurrent abscesses, and particularly in people with diabetes or a weakened immune system. The reassuring messages are that many small skin abscesses and boils settle with self-care, that larger or worsening ones are effectively treated by draining the pus (with antibiotics when needed), and that it is important not to squeeze them yourself and to seek assessment for larger, worsening, or spreading abscesses or if feeling unwell.