What Are the Causes of Abscesses?

Experts refer to reddened, painful skin swellings with a collection of pus in the lower skin layer as an abscess or boil. Doctors speak of abscesses when the pus-filled area is encapsulated and a new cavity has formed in the skin tissue.

Characteristic of abscesses is that the pus accumulation is not visibly recognizable on the surface, the inflammation is located within the skin, and there is no drainage to the outside. This happens, for example, when skin pores are blocked by sebum or dirt, or when a wound has been inadequately treated. In such cases, bacteria have an easy time.

Accordingly, even a seemingly inflamed pimple can be a small abscess. An abscess develops when, for example, germs enter the skin and multiply in the tissue. The body’s immune system triggers an inflammatory response and attempts to fight the pathogens.

As a result of this reaction, an accumulation of liquid or viscous pus forms at the affected site. This consists of depleted white blood cells that form during the fight against the skin inflammation. The pus contains killed and often still living pathogens. For health-threatening reasons, it should therefore not remain in the skin or spread further.

Why Does an Abscess Hurt?

An abscess is an encapsulated pus accumulation in a non-preformed cavity in the skin tissue. These boils can be small and barely visible, nodular, or as large as a palm.

The body forms the capsule to protect healthy cells. It exerts pressure on the surrounding tissue. Depending on the size and depth of the pus accumulation, nerve endings are irritated or even damaged. This leads to sometimes severe pain with pressure, movement, and friction. An abscess on the buttocks or in the intimate area is particularly painful when standing, walking, and sitting. However, abscesses on the face, e.g., on the nose, are also very painful for those affected and should be treated medically.

If abscesses are still immature, meaning the tissue capsule has not yet completely filled with pus, they cannot be felt with the fingers. Treatment with ilon Classic promotes the maturation process and thus healing before it worsens due to the spread of bacteria. A mature abscess is recognizable by the whitish pus envelope in the skin, which is also easily palpable.

Why Can an Abscess Endanger Health?

Accumulations of pus in the skin tissue not only cause pain, they can drain inward when touched or moved. This is problematic because pus and bacteria spread unhindered throughout the entire body. Pathogens penetrate internal organs, such as the lungs, or spread via the bloodstream to the brain. There is a risk of blood poisoning (sepsis), which can lead to death. To prevent this, it is important that the capsule receives a channel for drainage to the outside so that the pus accumulation can drain completely.

How dangerous abscesses are depends primarily on the location and size of the inflammation, as well as timely treatment. An abscess on the face, e.g., above the nose or on the eyes, poses a particularly high health risk. In such cases, you should not wait long and consult a doctor directly. They can suggest appropriate, gentle therapy, such as treatment with a drawing salve dressing to mature the abscess or surgical removal of the pus capsule. This usually involves only a minor procedure that is often performed on an outpatient basis.

As soon as reddish streaks become visible on the skin around the abscess, increased caution is required. In this case, the inflammation is spreading further in the body. In the worst case, there is a risk of blood poisoning, which can put those affected in acute danger of life. Therefore, pay attention to the mentioned symptoms of skin inflammations and treat skin diseases at an early stage with proven ointments and medications.