A nasal abscess is a localized infection filled with pus that can occur in the nasal cavity due to bacterial or viral infections, foreign substances, or injuries. It can be treated with antibiotics or surgically drained. Nasal septal abscesses can cause pain, inflammation, and bleeding. MRSA abscesses are a serious concern due to antibiotic resistance.
An abscess is a pus-filled pocket of localized infection surrounded by inflammation. An abscess can occur anywhere in the body, but an abscess that occurs inside the nasal cavity is referred to as a nasal abscess. The nasal cavity is the area of the body inside the nose that extends from the nostrils to the throat.
Bacterial and viral infections, parasites, intrusion of foreign substances into the nasal cavity, and injuries can cause a nasal abscess. After the underlying insult has occurred, the immune system sends white blood cells to the damaged location to fight the infection. Pus, which consists of lymph fluid, active and dead white blood cells, destroyed tissue, and bacteria or other foreign matter, begins to build up in the area.
Unlike many other types of abscesses, a nasal abscess can often be treated with antibiotics, because the nasal cavity is highly vascularized, making it easier for antibiotics traveling through the bloodstream to reach small pockets of infection in the nose. Sometimes a nasal abscess needs to be surgically drained. This is usually a simple outpatient procedure done with a local anesthetic, but if the patient has underlying health conditions that compromise their immune system, hospitalization may be required. If a nasal abscess is left untreated, the infection can spread to the bones or bloodstream, potentially life-threatening.
One type of nasal abscess is a nasal septal abscess. The nasal septum is the structure that runs through the center of the nose, dividing it into two sides, each defined by a nostril at the outer end. The nasal septum is made up of both bone and cartilage. Nasal septal abscesses usually occur in the cartilaginous portion of the septum after a traumatic injury. Dental infections, sinusitis, flu, and nasal surgeries can also cause nasal septal abscesses, and symptoms include pain, inflammation, redness, and bleeding. If left untreated, nasal abscesses can cause nasal obstruction, difficulty breathing, and eventually permanent damage to the septum.
Abscesses can be a serious concern because of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterium that has become resistant to many of the first-line antibiotics usually used to fight infections. MRSA abscesses usually respond to treatment with stronger antibiotics, such as vancomycin, but doctors often choose to drain abscesses infected with the MRSA bacteria instead of giving antibiotics. This is done to help prevent MRSA from becoming resistant to even more types of antibiotics.
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