An abscess on the skin (abscess) is an inflammatory process in soft tissues that occurs due to exposure to pyogenic flora and is characterized by the accumulation of purulent contents. Often, an abscess is observed in people with reduced immunity, mainly in young and old age.
In acute inflammation, the volume of pus increases rapidly. At best, it can open the surrounding shell and reach the surface of the skin, which will lead to healing and recovery. At worst, it can break through under the skin and pour into the tissues, provoking purulent inflammation and blood poisoning.
Causes of occurrence
The main cause of an abscess on the skin is the ingestion of pyogenic microbes into the human body and their further reproduction. There are two microorganisms that cause inflammation:
- staph;
- Streptococcus.
Sometimes both pathogens are present in the human body and provoke inflammation (mixed flora). Microorganisms penetrate the skin through microcracks, pores of the sebaceous and sweat glands.
Factors,provoking the development of inflammatory processes under the skin:
- earth and chemical injuries;
- hypothermia;
- overheat;
- violation of personal hygiene rules;
- unbalanced diet;
- immunodeficiency;
- endocrine system disorders;
- infections (purulent arthritis, tonsillitis, pneumonia).
Another provocateur is diabetes mellitus, in which cases of pustular abscesses are much more common. This is due to a violation of the permeability of the capillary walls, which contributes to the rapid spread of pathogenic microorganisms and slowing down the reaction of the immune system.
Classification
Abscesses on the skin are classified according to the nature of the flow:
- acute - up to two months;
- chronic - more than two months.
Depending on the degree of damage, they distinguish:
- superficial (in subcutaneous fat);
- deep (deep in tissues, cavities and organs).
Depending on the route of entry of the pathogen:
- exogenous (microbes penetrate from the outside - abrasions, cuts);
- endogenous (spread of infection from a nearby purulent focus, for example, with tonsillitis).
Views
Pustular diseases are possible on any part of the body. Some are mild and go away on their own, while others require surgery. Symptoms, causes, course of the disease and their treatment are usually similar.
- Furuncle (in the common people - a boil) is an acute purulent inflammation of the hair follicle, covering the connective tissue and the nearby sebaceous gland. They often occur in places of friction, sweating and pollution: on the face, neck, in the armpit and groin, buttocks, chest, hips and lower back. The main causes of boils on the body are infections caused by staphylococcus aureus.
- Carbuncle is a more complex disease. Several hair follicles, sebaceous glands with extensive damage to the skin and subcutaneous tissue become inflamed at once. Purulent formations are more often localized on the neck, buttocks and shoulder blades. The inflammatory process can affect the deep layers of the dermis.
- Panaritium is a purulent inflammation of the tissues of the fingers (less often the legs). It usually develops after some kind of injury: a cut, a scratch, a prick, a small wound, sometimes as a complication of an ingrown nail. Often requires surgery. Without treatment, the disease can end in amputation.
- Hydradenitis is a purulent inflammation that affects the sweat glands in the armpit, less often in the groin. Provoking factors - increased sweating, poor hygiene. The disease develops gradually. First, itching occurs at the site of inflammation, then a dense and painful swelling forms. Over time, the seal increases, and the pain intensifies. The skin at the site of swelling becomes purple-red. The focus of inflammation softens, opens and empties to the surface of the skin. Surgical intervention is often required, since hidradenitis is prone to prolonged (over two weeks)flow and involvement in the process of nearby sweat glands.
Diagnosis and treatment of all the above diseases is carried out by a surgeon.
Symptoms
Burns on the skin develop gradually. First, under the influence of pyogenic microbes, a focus of inflammation is formed. The skin above it swells and turns red, the surrounding tissues become warmer and denser. Over time, pain and swelling increase. In the center of the focus, tissue softening is observed, a cavity filled with pus is formed.
When localized in the subcutaneous fat, the abscess is clearly visible as a speck of white-yellow color. If the skin abscess is deep, pus may not show through the skin. In this case, you can feel a soft cavity filled with liquid.
If the focus of inflammation is demarcated from neighboring tissues, tension, pain and pressure increase in the area of the abscess. Sometimes the pain is so pronounced that it does not allow you to sleep, it can be aching or throbbing. With a successful outcome, the skin over the focus opens, and its contents are poured onto the surface in the form of a viscous white-yellow liquid, possibly with a blood admixture. After that, the person feels better, the pain disappears, the wound heals and heals completely in a few days.
Unfortunately, there are times when the human body is unable to cope with an abscess. If the bacteria that provoked the abscess have a pronounced aggressive effect, then general complaints join the local symptoms. Observedfever, headache, aching joints and muscles, weakness, loss of appetite. Enlarged lymph nodes can be felt near the source of infection.
Possible consequences
Sometimes an abscess under the skin on the finger, back, leg, lower back spreads to he althy tissues, pus rushes into the deeper layers of the skin, penetrates the muscles, nerves and blood vessels. Often this process is irreversible. In particularly difficult situations, inflammation affects bone tissue, causing purulent fusion of bones (osteomyelitis). All these consequences carry a serious danger and require urgent treatment in a hospital. The risk of a poor outcome increases with:
- localization of an abscess on the face (especially in the nasolabial triangle), under the skin on the fingers, in the ear, mammary glands, in the groin;
- compromised immunity;
- mechanical action (an attempt to squeeze or pierce an abscess).
How to treat?
Treatment of small abscesses on the skin, as a rule, is not required, they do not bring much discomfort and go away on their own. You can postpone a visit to the doctor in case of slight swelling and redness on the skin. At this stage, the patient is able to cope on his own, preventing the development of the purulent stage.
Inflammation in the initial stage is amenable to conservative methods of treatment. Some of them are available at home. If you need to relieve inflammation, apply dry heat to the site of the outbreak (when there is no pus yet) (a heating pad, a woolen cloth removed from the battery, a clean bag with heated s alt or sand).
It is not recommended to use wet warming compresses, baths, mustard plasters. Water quickly spreads the infection to neighboring tissues. You can not knead and massage the inflamed area. If an abscess has formed on an arm or leg, it is necessary to ensure rest for the limbs.
Sometimes the inflamed areas are treated with antiseptics: medical alcohol, a special solution of 70-95%, brilliant green, ointment from abscesses on the skin (betadine), vodka. The center of the focus can be treated with iodine. Drying compresses soaked in rubbing alcohol and bandaged to the affected area work well for this stage.
At the discretion of the doctor, the patient can undergo a course of physiotherapy: UV, UHF, infrared irradiation and other procedures available in the arsenal of territorial polyclinics and private clinics.
When to see a doctor?
If the abscess is already formed, then the only possible outcome is its effusion. Pus cannot resolve, and the treatment of an abscess on the back under the skin (and not only) always comes down to removing its contents. Do not wait until the boil opens on its own. This process can take several days, causing pain and discomfort, and there is a risk of complications. To avoid negative consequences, consult a doctor.
Things requiring urgent medical advice:
- severe pain in the affected area;
- abscess location deep under the skin or in dangerous places;
- deterioration (weakness, high fever,swollen lymph nodes);
- presence of several abscesses on the skin;
- presence of underlying diseases (diabetes mellitus, chronic disorders of the heart, kidneys, AIDS, chronic hepatitis, frequent colds).
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is carried out with an external examination and palpation of an abscess on the back under the skin or other affected area. In rare cases, a diagnostic puncture is performed, as a result of which the seized material is sent for bacterioscopic examination.
Treatment
The decision on how and how to treat an abscess under the skin is made by the surgeon. At the reception, he will examine the area of \u200b\u200binflammation and, possibly, immediately open the abscess. Usually this manipulation is carried out in the clinic. Hospitalization is necessary only in case of severe malaise, large size of the focus of infection, its deep localization or high risk of complications.
Before the operation, the doctor does local anesthesia. The very event of cutting the skin and removing purulent contents takes only 15 minutes. With deep localization of the focus in the wound, drainage is left. No stitches are needed for this operation. The wound heals on its own. Dressings will be needed to care for her.
If the doctor insists on hospitalization, then there are reasons for that. Some types of ulcers are difficult to remove under local anesthesia. In this case, surgeons resort to anesthesia. In addition, general treatment is carried out in medical institutions: antibiotics are administered, drugs that strengthen the immune system and help resistinfections.
Treatment with folk remedies
Alternative medicine is effective only in mild illness. Therefore, before treating an abscess on the skin with folk remedies, consult a specialist.
- Aloe juice. This remedy has an antibacterial effect and promotes wound healing. Porridge from the leaves or gauze soaked in juice, apply to the inflamed area overnight and bandage. The procedure is performed until the purulent contents are released and the affected tissues heal.
- Medical alcohol, honey and Vishnevsky's ointment. Mix the components in equal proportions. Apply the finished mass to the problem area overnight. This procedure will speed up the resorption of the abscess.
- Onions. A baked onion placed under a bandage accelerates the maturation and rejection of an abscess.
- Rye bread. The steamed product is applied to the damaged area, covered with cabbage leaves and left for a day.
Prevention measures
Prevention consists in maintaining a proper and balanced diet, observing the rules of hygiene, skin care, and giving up bad habits. It is also necessary to avoid overheating, hypothermia, microtrauma and treat endocrine diseases.
Conclusion
Sometimes people, fearing surgical interventions or underestimating the disease, self-medicate through folk recipes, open abscesses themselves, apply ointments and compresses without the doctor's knowledge. All these manipulations are fraught with rupture of the capsule,penetration of pus into the blood and the spread of infection. Do not pull and contact specialists in the initial stages of the disease. Take care of yourself and take care of your he alth!
