If you notice an abscess in your skin, which is essentially a buildup of pus that can feel sore, swollen, and even hot, you might be eager to rid yourself of the problem on your own. While the average person can indeed drain an abscess, improper techniques can leave you fighting an infection and dealing with a worse problem than you had initially. On its own, an abscess isn't typically a medical emergency that should send you to a hospital or urgent care facility, but you will want to see your family doctor upon noticing this issue. Here are some ways that your health care professional will help you.
Drain The Abscess
One of your doctor's first priorities will be to drain the abscess. This can involve several different approaches, depending on the severity of the problem. Sometimes, the doctor can drain the abscess just by squeezing it gently. In other cases, he or she may actually need to use tweezers to dig into the abscess and pull it out. The latter is especially the case if the issue has been present for a long time, as the abscess will have expanded in size due to the addition of oils from your body. Draining the abscess can provide nearly immediate relief as you feel a reduction in the swelling and discomfort of the area.
Prevent Infection
The procedure isn't complete as soon as the doctor has drained your abscess. Instead, he or she will work to ensure that the area doesn't get infected. Technically, this process began earlier, as the doctor will have only used sterilized tools to treat the area. Afterward, however, he or she will swab the area with rubbing alcohol or another anti-bacterial product, as well as cover it with medication and a bandage if the hole in your skin is large. In this case, the doctor will give you some infection control techniques to employ at home, such as changing the dressing if needed.
Discussion Of Future Issues
Abscesses can develop for a wide range of reasons, so your family doctor will inform you about what likely caused your abscess, as well as talk to you about some of the things that you can do to control future issues. For example, it's possible to develop an abscess as a result of an ingrown hair. If this was the case for you, your family doctor may talk to you about reducing your risk of ingrown hairs by changing your grooming habits or even using sterilized tweezers at home to pull out a stubborn hair when it has started to grow back into your skin.
I was badly injured a year ago, and it took a long time to get back to my normal level of ability. One of the things that helped more than anything was the time that I spent in physical therapy. I didn’t always love going to physical therapy – in fact, sometimes, I really didn’t enjoy it at all. But ultimately, the therapists and other patients I worked with helped inspire me to get better, and the exercises facilitated my healing process. I started this blog to talk about all of the things I learned about physical therapy and healing during my recovery time. I hope my blog reaches other accident victims. I want to offer encouragement, hope, and information for people who are in the same boat that I was in.