Abscess

If you have an abscess in Brooklyn, you may be wondering what the next steps are and how you even got it in the first place. An abscess is an infection that occurs in the soft tissues of the skin and it results in a small pool of pus that is located underneath the skin. Abscesses are usually caused by a bacteria and your body’s response to it. The bacteria may be fungal or viral in nature. Most abscesses will appear to be red on the skin and they are painful and swollen. Upon touching the abscess, you may find that it is firm or hard directly under the surface. Many times, an abscess will need to be drained to treat it and it will not go away on its own. You can develop abscesses in the groin and armpit areas as well.


If you think you may have abscess, you should try to evaluate it to see if it is. Sometimes, you may mistake a pimple or cyst for an abscess and vice versa. An abscess is usually tender in nature and will be surrounded by skin that is either bright red, pink, or even purplish in color. The inside of the abscess is filled with pus and other debris, which makes up the hard bump on the surface of the skin. The more time that goes by, the larger the abscess will become and the more painful it can be.


If you think you have an abscess in Brooklyn, it is important that you receive proper treatment for it to prevent a serious infection.


Abscess Treatment Options

There are several treatment options for your abscess and the type of treatment you receive will depend on the size and location of the abscess. Some patients will attempt to drain them at home, but this is not recommended as you may injure yourself or cause scarring to occur.


Sometimes, an abscess will come to head itself and simply rupture on its own, but this is not as common. In most situations, antibiotics will be given to the patient. This antibiotic can either be a topical cream or a pill that must be swallowed. If the abscess does not respond to that treatment, it will require surgical treatment to remove it.


The surgical process is not simply just cut the abscess off and must be done carefully to ensure full removal and minimize the risks. A needle will be inserted into the center of the abscess, so that the fluids or materials have a chance to be aspirated. From there, a local anesthetic will be administered to the patient and the fluid will be drained completely.


Often, the fluid is collected and then sent off to be tested in a lab to find out what type of infection caused the abscess. If it is something that needs to receive treatment, you will be informed.


Schedule Your Appointment

If you would like to discuss treatment for an abscess in Brooklyn, call Kleydman Dermatology today to schedule a consultation with our board-certified dermatologist.

 

An abscess is an infection of the soft tissue that results in a pooling of pus. Typically, an abscess is caused by bacteria, although it may be the result of a virus or fungal infection. An abscess appears as a reddened, swollen, painful area, often in the groin or armpit. Most often, surgical abscess drainage is necessary to treat an abscess successfully.

 

There are some situations in which an abscess will come to a head, rupture and drain without surgical intervention. In most cases, however, an abscess, unlike other infections, does not normally respond to antibiotic treatment alone. It will usually require an incision and drainage through needle aspiration. This ensures precise and effective treatment of the abscess.

 

During the incision and drainage process, a small needle is inserted directly into the abscess so that any accumulated fluid or material can be to aspirated. Patients undergoing incision and drainage normally require only a local anesthetic. The drained fluid is usually sent to a laboratory for pathology testing to identify the particular germ responsible for the infection.

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