Draining pus from an abscess should be done by a health care provider in a sterile environment. If done improperly the home, the infection could worsen or spread to other parts of the body. When draining pus from an abscess, the health care provider generally uses a disposable needle to aspirate or draw back the pus, filling the barrel of the needle. Prior to the procedure, the abscessed area is cleansed to eliminate bacteria, and after the procedure, the area is generally covered with an antibiotic ointment and covered with a sterile dressing. Sometimes, an oral antibiotic is given to make sure the infection clears.
A pus-filled abscess is caused by a bacterial infection, and if not treated, can cause a severe blood infection. Symptoms of an abscess can include pain, inflammation, and redness. The pus can be white, green, or yellow, but red or pink pus might also be noticed. This happens when blood gets mixed with the pus, however, it is not an indicator of how serious the infection is. Rarely, red streaks appear in the area of the abscess, which can indicate blood poisoning. This symptom is considered a medical emergency, because if not treated, kidney failure or cardiovascular problems can occur.
Sometimes, pus from an abscess starts to drain on its own. When this occurs, the area needs to be washed with warm water and mild soap. After the area has been cleansed, antibiotic ointment should be applied, followed by the application of a sterile bandage. Small abscesses usually heal without complications, but they are sometimes very resistant to healing.
A small boil can quickly turn in to a large, pus-filled abscess if not kept clean and free from bacteria. This is especially troublesome when it occurs on the face, however, treatments are available. The health care provider can recommended oral antibiotics or prescription acne medication to help reduce symptoms. Pus from an abscess on the face should never be drained because doing so might lead to scarring.
Pus from an abscess around a tooth usually drains slowly into the mouth, and can cause throbbing pain and even a sore throat, as the infection spreads. The dentist will evaluate the abscess to determine how the infection should be treated and if the tooth will need to come out. Commonly, oral antibiotics are prescribed for a tooth abscess to prevent the infection from reaching the sinuses or tonsils.
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bluespirit
Post 5 |
I would get an abscess drained as soon as possible, as the longer you wait, the worse the bacterial infection can get. It can eventually become life-threatening! |
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snickerish
Post 4 |
This question kind of tricks a person into thinking there is an at-home solution to draining pus out of an abscess, when really it is always best to see a health-care professional. If anything looks suspicious, and is in a suspicious place, it is best to get it checked out by a professional.
I say this from personal experience, as I have had staph infection twice before. Luckily, I did not pick at my staph the first time, as I thought it was a spider bite. The doctor said it was very good that I did try to drain/pop the pus out of the abscess myself, for I could have made the infection a lot worse than it already was.
The two times I had to get my staph infected abscess drained, it really was a quite simple procedure that was mostly painless, more scary looking than it actually looked. If you are squeamish, I would recommend looking away when they drain the pus, because it is pretty gross looking. I would get an abscess drained as soon as possible, as the longer you wait, the worse |
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indemnifyme
Post 3 |
I actually had an abscess drained by a doctor not too long ago. I have to say, the process was a little bit gross, but fairly painless. As the article said, they simply insert a needle into the abscess and draw the pus out. My doctor was kind enough to give me a bit of local anesthetic first, so I didn't feel a thing! |
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Monika
Post 2 |
@strawCake - Wow! That was brave of your friend. But I agree, self-treating probably isn't the best idea for an abscess.
I personally have a hard time not picking at anything that is filled with pus. However, a staph infection broke me of that habit years ago. I thought I just had acne on my legs or something, so I tried to pop the puss-filled boils on my own.
Needless to say, it did not work out well for me. I ended up having a pretty bad infection since I picked at it and waited awhile before I went to the doctor. Now, if I see any kind of suspicious abscess, I head straight to the doctor. |
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strawCake
Post 1 |
I have a friend who treated a dental abscess on her own. She cut it open, drained it, and then doused it with hydrogen peroxide. Afterwards, she took some antibiotic herbs in case of infection.
In her case, it worked out fine. However, I don't think I would recommend this kind of thing to anyone who has access to a doctor (my friend didn't have any insurance or money at the time she had her dental abscess.) Even though it worked out alright for my friend, I think that there is too much that could go wrong with something like this to just treat it yourself. |
