Most inflamed
Your cyst became infected and your healthcare provider wants to treat it with antibiotics. You will likely take the antibiotics by mouth or apply it as a cream, or both. If the antibiotics don't clear up the infection, the cyst will need to be drained by making a small cut (incision).
Antibiotics
You may feel better after a few days, but you will be advised to continue finishing the whole course.
A cyst will not heal until it is lanced and drained or surgically excised. Without treatment, cysts will eventually rupture and partially drain. It may take months (or years) for these to progress.
With an incision and drainage procedure, your medical provider will start by numbing the area with a local anesthetic. He or she will make a small incision into the abscess using a scalpel or needle. The pus will then be drained from the abscess, and some of the discharge may be collected for testing.
Apply a Warm Compress
After cleaning the cyst, hold a warm compress on the area for five to ten minutes. The moisture and the warmth help to encourage the substance trapped under the skin to make its way out of the hair follicle. Repeat this process up to three times per day until the cyst drains on its own.
Once the pus is drained, antibiotics may not be needed unless the infection has spread into the skin around the wound. The wound will take about 1 to 2 weeks to heal, depending on the size of the abscess.
Appropriate oral antibiotics include amoxicillin (Augmentin), clindamycin, and several other agents.
Apply moist heat to the area
Share on Pinterest Applying a warm compress may help reduce the inflammation in a cyst. A warm compress may help ease inflammation in a cyst. To use a warm compress, try the following: Soak a clean towel or washcloth in warm water.
In some cases, cysts can become inflamed, swollen, and tender. If a cyst grows rapidly or shows signs of becoming infected, it's likely not going to disappear spontaneously.
Your doctor can remove the entire cyst. You may need to return to the doctor's office to have stitches removed. Minor surgery is safe and effective and usually prevents cysts from recurring. If your cyst is inflamed, your doctor may delay the surgery.
If left untreated, benign cysts can cause serious complications including: Infection – the cyst fills with bacteria and pus, and becomes an abscess. If the abscess bursts inside the body, there is a risk of blood poisoning (septicaemia).
Most inflamed sebaceous cysts (inflamed due to sebum) are not infected and will settle spontaneously over 4 weeks.
Epidermoid cysts often go away without any treatment. If the cyst drains on its own, it may return. Most cysts don't cause problems or need treatment. But if a cyst is a concern to you for any reason, see your healthcare provider.
Massaging a ganglion cyst can have some benefits, though — it may cause some of the fluid to seep out of the sac, making the cyst grow smaller. Though massage can provide a small amount of relief, you'll likely want to seek professional medical treatment if the cyst does not disappear on its own.
The best test to determine whether a cyst or tumor is benign or malignant is a biopsy. This procedure involves removing a sample of the affected tissue — or, in some cases, the entire suspicious area — and studying it under a microscope. Karthik Giridhar, M.D.
Do not routinely prescribe antibiotics for inflamed epidermoid cysts (formerly called sebaceous cysts) of the skin. The inflammation is secondary to an intense foreign body reaction to the cyst contents leaking into adjacent tissues and will respond to incision and drainage.
A cyst may need further treatment if it becomes: Inflamed and swollen -- the provider may inject the cyst with steroid medicine. Swollen, tender, or large -- the provider may drain the cyst or do surgery to remove it. Infected -- you may be prescribed antibiotics to take by mouth.
However, you should definitely see a doctor if your cyst displays any of these symptoms: Yellow discharge, which could indicate an infection. Pain, tenderness, or redness. A rapid change in size, color, or shape.
Cysts can feel tender to the touch, and a person may be able to move one easily. Tumors can also grow almost anywhere in the body. They tend to grow quickly and are usually firm to the touch. It is possible to have cysts and tumors in the same organ.
Sebaceous cysts normally don't hurt, but they can become tender, sore and red if they get infected. One sign of infection is redness and swelling around the cyst or foul-smelling drainage seeping out of the cyst. See your healthcare provider if you have such symptoms.
Infections, tumors, parasites, and injuries can cause cysts. They are usually noncancerous. If a person is worried about a cyst or has noticed a new lump, they should see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and treatment, if necessary.