To reduce swelling from an abscess, apply warm rags to draw pus to the surface. Once it has a white dot, poke it gently with a sterilized needle. If it doesn’t burst, see a doctor. After it drains, squeeze the area lightly. Recurring abscesses may require special medications.
You can minimize the swelling from the abscess by draining the wound and allowing it to heal. There are a few ways to reduce swelling until the abscess is ready to drain. In the meantime, you can try placing warm rags over the area to draw pus to the surface and temporarily reduce the pain. For very large abscesses, it may be necessary to see a doctor to incise or open it to allow for faster drainage.
Abscess swelling is caused by infection, tissue, debris, and blood cells that build up in a particular area of skin. This usually occurs in the hair follicles, pores or sweat glands, although they are also common under the teeth at the gum line. Internal abscesses can also occur, but are less common and need to be treated by a doctor.
The first thing you can try to reduce the swelling from the abscess is to place a washcloth dipped in warm water or warm vinegar on the area. The heat will minimize pain and swelling and help draw its contents to the surface so it bursts sooner and relieves pain. Using vinegar will help prevent infection because it has natural antibacterial properties.
Once the abscess has a white dot, you can try poking it gently with a sterilized needle. If this doesn’t work after a time or two, leave it alone and wait for the whitehead to become more prominent. Do not squeeze or attempt to “pop” an abscess, as this can occasionally lead to infections moving through the body and causing blood poisoning. Many times an abscess will eventually open on its own, mainly if it’s in an area of high friction such as the inner thigh or armpit.
After it begins to drain, the swelling should subside considerably. Once opened, you can squeeze the area lightly to speed drainage. Make sure you grasp it gently and slowly pull in and out to pull the contents away from your body.
Sometimes it may be necessary to see a doctor to relieve swelling. This may be necessary if an abscess doesn’t burst on its own after a week, has grown unusually large, or has become painful enough to disrupt your daily life. Your doctor can use a spear to open the top layer of the abscess, allowing it to drain. Antibiotics may be given to prevent infection. Tooth abscesses can be treated in much the same way, although it sometimes requires minor surgery to reach and drain the wound.
The swelling from the abscess should subside almost immediately after drainage and should go away after about a week. If the swelling doesn’t go away or starts to reappear after the wound has been drained, you may need to see a doctor for further treatment. While the abscess is draining, be sure to keep the area covered and clean up anything that may have come in contact with it, as they can be very contagious and could lead to more abscesses on you or someone else.
Severe or recurring abscess swelling occasionally signals a treatment-resistant strain of bacteria. You may need to be given special medications in this case. The area should be washed frequently and thoroughly, whether or not the abscess is severe, with an antiseptic wash or rinse.
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