If you have an abscess, seek medical attention if you develop a fever, chills, the area around the abscess get warm or the redness and swelling get worse. Once an abscess has drained, it usually heals quickly and doesn't cause long-term consequences.
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:
you are finding it hard to breathe. have a swollen or painful eye, or suddenly start having problems with your eyesight. have a lot of swelling in your mouth.
If you have a fever and swelling in your face and you can't reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Also go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. These symptoms may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw, throat or neck or even to other areas of your body.
Abscesses can cause pain, swelling and inflamed or red skin. Although most abscesses do not result in complications, if they are left untreated they could result in an emergency situation. Visit the closest emergency room if you have pain that you cannot control at home.
Sometimes this basic treatment is enough for an abscess to resolve. But, if your abscess continues to get bigger and more painful, you'll need to drain it. Here are other signs you may need your abscess drained: It has been more than 1 week, and it's not getting better on its own.
The pus contains a mixture of dead tissue, white blood cells and bacteria. The abscess may get larger and more painful as the infection continues and more pus is produced.
Superficial abscesses are commonly seen in the emergency department. In most cases, they can be adequately treated by the emergency physician without hospital admission. Treatment consists of surgical drainage with the addition of antibiotics in selected cases.
Often, an abscess is simple and can be drained in the emergency department. Occasionally, abscesses are complicated and require surgical consultation. In some cases, complicated abscesses may be better drained in the operating room.
An emergency room is the only facility that has the necessary equipment and personnel to handle the abscessed tooth and contain any widespread infection. Here, a CT scan can be done to establish the spread of the infection in addition to one being taken to the operating room to undergo oral incision and drainage.
Time Span of an Untreated Abscess
In case a person does not treat a dental abscess in its initial stage, then the infection may last anywhere between 5 months to 12 months or even more. Moreover, if no treatment is meted out to the condition, the precious dental pulp will die away and may get another abscess.
It's important to get help as soon as possible, because abscesses don't go away on their own. They can sometimes spread to other parts of the body and make you ill.
Treating an abscess
A small skin abscess may drain naturally, or simply shrink, dry up and disappear without any treatment. However, larger abscesses may need to be treated with antibiotics to clear the infection, and the pus may need to be drained.
Incision and drainage
During the procedure, the surgeon cuts into the abscess, to allow the pus to drain out. They may also take a sample of pus for testing. Once all of the pus has been removed, the surgeon will clean the hole that is left by the abscess using sterile saline (a salt solution).
How Are Abscesses Treated? Most abscesses can be managed at home. If you think you have a skin abscess, avoid touching, pushing, popping, or squeezing it. Doing that can spread the infection or push it deeper inside the body, making things worse.
You may feel some pressure, but it shouldn't be painful. When the needle arrives at the abscess, your interventional radiologist will exchange the needle for a thin tube called a catheter to drain the infected fluid.
This retrospective data suggests that abscesses greater than 0.4 cm in depth from the skin surface may require a drainage procedure. Those less than 0.4 cm in depth may not require a drainage procedure and may be safely treated with antibiotics alone.
Cysts and abscesses may also run their course and disappear before they become an issue. But what happens when an abscess won't go away? As an abscess grows, it becomes more painful and surgery may be necessary.
If left untreated, abscesses can spark an infection that spreads throughout your body, and can be life-threatening.
Emergency Warning Signs: When should I see a doctor? Emergency medical care could be in order if the abscess is accompanied by a fever higher than 101°F or if the abscess measures more than half an inch. If red streaks radiate from a possible infection site, seek medical attention right away.
Sleep with your head elevated – Prop up a few pillows to prevent your blood flow from rushing to your head, making your tooth pain worse. Use a cold compress – A cold compress (or towel-wrapped ice pack) can reduce inflammation and numb the area.
When you have an infection such as an abscess, swelling occurs in the area. Applying ice to the area constricts the blood vessels, which reduces pain and swelling. This will not heal the abscess, but it will reduce the symptoms.
If the abscess cannot be drained effectively at bedside, or if the pain is too great for local anesthesia to be helpful, or other reasons, the procedure can be drained in the operating room under sedation or general anesthesia.
Healing could take a week or two, depending on the size of the abscess. During this time, new skin will grow from the bottom of the abscess and from around the sides of the wound.
Gently clean the skin with a sterilizing solution. Apply ice to the abscess. Anesthetize the skin with lidocaine and epinephrine. The numb area will blanch within the next two minutes.