Abscesses are unsightly bulges of debris and bacteria that generally formulates near a part of the body that is infected including skin, mouth, anus, and other locations. If you have an abscess it is possible that you can treat it on your own without ever having to go to the hospital. There are a few ways it can be treated including drainage, antibiotics or surgery.

Skin Abscess

Skin abscesses that are small could potentially drain on their own without a need for treatment. By applying warm compresses to the infected area, it can reduce swelling and begin to heal. If after a few days the abscess seems to be getting worse or not getting any better, you may have to go to your doctor. They will prescribe antibiotics to help clear up the infection so that it doesn’t spread around. Generally however, if you’ve gone to a doctor for assistance, they will tell you that antibiotics alone are not enough. At this point you will need to have it drained so that it does not continue to fill up with pus.

Incision and drainage
Draining your abscess is not recommended to be done on your own. Ideally you will undergo a small operation under local anesthesia. This means that you’re awake during the operation but the area the abscess is on is now numb so that you don’t feel the pain of the drainage. The surgeon will then make a cut into the abscess and allow the pus to drain out. It may be vital for them to get some samples to determine which bacteria caused the infection. Next the abscess area is cleaned out with saline solution to prevent further infection. Generally the abscess is left open so that any excess drainage can get out without trouble.

Internal Abscesses

Internal abscesses are more severe than external ones. It will not go away on its own and will need to be drained through surgery or by utilizing a needle. Your doctor will determine which method is best based on the size of your abscess and where it is located inside your body. For most instances you will have to take an antibiotic to kill the infection and a drainage process to keep it from spreading any further.

Incision and Drainage

When internal abscesses are small they can be drained with a fine needle. Depending on where the abscess is, you might need local or general anesthesia. Ultrasounds are used in this case so that the surgeon can be assured that they are placing the needle in the right location. Once the abscess is found, a cut will be made directly over the skin. Next a drainage tube is placed into the incision which allows the abscess to drain out into the bag until all debris has been removed.

If your abscess is really large a needle is not going to work for drainage and you will have to undergo surgery to remove all the pus. The length of time it will take to drain will depend on the type of surgery you have to get and the size of the abscess. Your doctors will do whatever methods are safest for your body.