Abscess Causes Symptoms Prevention And Treatment

Abscess –A Brief Introduction 

We all love to be happy and healthy all the time. Sometimes we get hold of diseases due to our carelessness. But at other times diseases get hold of us even when we are extremely careful. The abscess is one such infectious disease. 

What Is The Abscess? 

The abscess is a collection of pus in the tissues of the body as a response to an infection. It can affect any organ including the brain. It can also occur in any part of the body. 

Dental Or Tooth Abscess

Types Of Abscess

Types and locations of abscesses include:

• Abdominal abscess

• Amebic liver abscess

• Anorectal abscess

• Bartholin abscess

• Brain abscess

• Epidural abscess

• Peritonsillar abscess

• Pyogenic liver abscess

• Skin abscess

• Spinal cord abscess

• Subcutaneous abscess

• Tooth abscess

Causes Of Abscess 

The most common cause for the abscess is the bacterial infection. Abscesses are triggered when there is an obstruction of sebaceous glands or a hair follicle or a cyst. Other causes include parasites, other foreign materials and a prior history of disc herniation or spinal abnormality. Abscesses are part of the body’s immune system mechanism. 

Symptoms Of Dental Abscess 

An abscess occurs, as stated above, in any part of the body including skin, lungs, brain, kidney, tonsils and so on. The most common symptoms of an external abscess are redness, swelling,

pain, heat, fever, chills, and loss of function. Diagnosis of the internal abscess is difficult, yet pain, fever, and feeling unwell are the common symptoms. 

Prevention Of Abscess

Although treatments are available for abscess, it is better to take preventions as prevention is better than cure. 

Skin Abscess:

Clean up wounds and apply anti-bacterial creams. This helps prevent the formation of abscesses. 

Teeth Abscess:

• Brush and floss daily without fail.
• Get regular health check-ups 
• Avoid sweet food 

Lung Abscess: 

• Preventing aspiration is the best preventive measure for a lung abscess. 
• Prophylactic antibiotics against certain pathogens must be taken by patients prone to risk. 
• Improving oral hygiene can also help prevent lung abscess. So oral hygiene must be maintained with much seriousness. It is the simplest thing to do. 
• Avoiding overeating just before bed and changes sleeping positions is a must to prevent the disease. This helps to prevent gastric content aspiration. 

Breast Abscess: 

• Good breastfeeding habits and proper nipple hygiene help to reduce the chances of breast abscess. 
• Bra and other inner wears must not be too tight. 

After breastfeeding wipe, the breast with sterilized cotton dipped in warm water and let them dry naturally. 

Treatments Of Abscess

An abscess can be treated at home with a warm compress if it is small. This may reduce the pain and reddish appearance. Large abscess has to be drained by a doctor to treat the infection. The following are the treatments available for it.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are prescribed only in the following cases: 

1. Many sites of infection 
2. Rapid disease progression 
3. Presence of cellulitis 
4. Symptoms indicating bacterial illness throughout the body 
5. Health condition causing immunosuppression 
6. The patient is young or very old

Incision And Drainage

In order to identify the foreign object which caused an abscess, we need to open it up. In case it is not any foreign object that caused it, then the abscess must be incised and drained. This is the best way to cure the infection. 

Packing

After drainage, the wounds are packed with a cloth to prevent further infection. 

Primary Closure

Closing the abscess soon after drainage helps prevent recurrence. 

Surgery

In case of an internal abscess, whether or not incision would work depends upon its size. If incision does not work, the best alternative solution would be surgery. The type of abscess would decide the type of surgery to be performed. 

If abscesses are not drained, cleaned and dried, it spreads. This can be nasty and painful. Abscesses cannot be cured with the help of antibiotics alone. So incision, drainage, and packing are very much important when it comes to this disease. Most people confuse abscess with the cyst. Both are fluid-filled lumps. The difference lies in the fact that abscess is infectious while the cyst is not. A cyst may get infected and turn into an abscess. 

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Health is wealth. Staying healthy must be one of our priorities. Visiting the right doctor helps to get rid of the disease much better. Dr. Colleen Bullard, an expert dentist in Ypsilanti, recommends visiting a dentist on a monthly basis to avoid any dental emergencies.