Symptoms

An abscess under your skin is easy to see. It may appear red, raised and swollen. The skin over the center of the abscess may be thin. It may look yellow or white because there’s pus underneath the surface of your skin. The abscess may feel tender and warm to the touch. Other symptoms of a skin abscess include pain, fever and chills.

An abscess in your mouth may cause a severe toothache. A gum abscess looks like swelling on your gums. Sometimes your jaw, floor of your mouth or cheeks may swell as well. Other symptoms of mouth abscesses include:

• Teeth sensitivity.
• Fever
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Difficulty opening your mouth.

For deeper skin abscesses or those inside your body, symptoms aren’t as obvious. Some symptoms relate to the part of your body that’s affected. You may experience:

• Fatigue.
• Pain and tenderness.
• Fever.
• Chills.
• Excessive sweating.
• Loss of appetite.
• Weight loss.

Causes

Bacterial infections usually cause abscesses. A bacteria called Staphylococcus causes most abscesses. When bacteria enter your body, your immune system sends white blood cells to go fight the infection. This process causes inflammation, and the tissue nearby dies. When this happens, a pocket forms and fills with pus, creating an abscess.

Rarely, viruses, parasites and fungi can cause abscesses.

Treatments

A very small abscess or one close to the surface of your skin may resolve by itself. You may be able to get rid of an abscess by applying a warm compress to the area. It may drain naturally, but you shouldn’t attempt to drain or burst an abscess at home. If you try to squeeze the pus out of an abscess yourself, it can easily spread the bacteria to other areas of your skin.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe an antibiotic. But treatment for an abscess may also require surgical drainage. First, your healthcare provider will apply a local anesthetic to the area around the abscess. With local anesthesia, you’ll stay awake but the area will be numb.

Your healthcare provider will make a tiny cut (incision) in the abscess. They’ll allow the abscess to drain and remove any remaining pus, dead tissue and debris. They’ll leave the abscess open to allow any remaining pus to drain. (For larger abscesses, they may pack the open abscess with gauze.) Then, they’ll apply a clean, dry bandage to the area. The incision will heal on its own. You may have a scar at the incision site. A scar can tell you your abscess is healing.

To get rid of an abscess on your gums, your dentist will perform a surgical drainage procedure. Depending on the severity of the abscess, they may have to perform a root canal or pull any affected teeth (tooth extraction). They may prescribe antibiotics as well.

For internal abscesses, your healthcare provider may perform a needle aspiration. Depending on the location of the abscess, you’ll receive local or general anesthesia. Then, they’ll guide a needle into place using an ultrasound or CT scan. They’ll drain the abscess using the needle. They may make a small incision in your skin and insert a thin plastic tube called a drainage catheter. The catheter allows the abscess to drain into a bag. You may have to leave the bag in place for a week or more.