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Overview
Types of
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Related questions
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Conditions
Infection
Abscess

Abscess

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Painful swollen tissue that contains pus.

Dr. Geoffrey Rutledge reviewed this

39 year experience in Internal Medicine

Is a type of:

Bacterial skin infection • Infection

How long it usually lasts:

Medium-term (lasts weeks to months)

How common it is:

Common
Baby
0-2
Common
Preteen
6-13
Very common
Teenager
14-18
Very common
Young adult
19-40
Very common
Middle-aged adult
41-60
Very common

How it can usually be treated?

Can be cured with medical treatment

How is it usually diagnosed?

Self-diagnosable

Body locations

Skin

Types of

Abdominal abscess
Condition
Furuncle
Condition
Tonsilar abscess
Condition
Lung abscess
Condition
Retropharyngeal abscess
Condition
Load more

Symptoms

Chills
Fever
Fever, mild (99.0 F - 100.9 F)
Soft tissue swelling
Skin redness or irritation
Load more

Medications

Ratings show how effective doctors think these medications are at treating Abscess
Keflex
Doxycycline
Bactrim
Vancomycin
Clindamycin
Load more

Procedures

Ratings show how effective doctors think these procedures are at treating Abscess

Surgery

Incision and drainage

Other treatments

Warm compresses
Load more

Tests

Blood culture
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Complete blood count
Wound or tissue culture
Load more

Risk factors

Personal

Injection drug use
Immunosuppression
Recent sore throat
Recent dental procedure

Related questions

A 35-year old female asked:

How do I cure an abscess?

2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 61-year old asked:

Info on paraspinal abscess?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

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How can i treat an abscess?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 38-year old asked:

What are the symptoms of abscess?

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 30-year old asked:

Will an abscess cause remote pain?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 31-year old asked:

What can be done about an abscess?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 53-year old asked:

What sort of problem is an abscess?

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 35-year old asked:

What should I do for abscess i popped?

2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

A 38-year old asked:

On average, how long will an abscess last?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 47-year old female asked:

I think my son has a abscess after tonillitis?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 38-year old asked:

What works most effectively to do for a abscess?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 32-year old asked:

I have abscess but it just formed. What do I do?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 33-year old male asked:

What is the definition or description of: Abscess?

1 doctor answer • 8 doctors weighed in

A 18-year old male asked:

Will a abscess possibly effect my physical performance?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 35-year old asked:

Abscess not painful anymore but still there, what to do?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 31-year old female asked:

I have a abscess on my left brest and Im in horrible pain?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 36-year old asked:

What will happen if you shoot up where you have an abscess?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 44-year old asked:

Scared. I think I have an abscess. What should I do right away?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A female asked:

What does it mean when abscess goes rock hard? What can happen?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 27-year old male asked:

Follow up from my question about an abscess will it pop itself?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 20-year old female asked about a 62-year old male:

I have a bad bad cut it's like an abscess or something worse . ?

5 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A 18-year old female asked about a 18-year old female:

I keep getting abscess on my body what are some reasons for this?

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 42-year old asked:

I'm wondering how long can an abscess go untreated before it's too late?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 37-year old asked:

How can it be that my abscess pops and then comes back a few minutes later?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 47-year old asked:

I've had an abscess for one and a half years now, how can I get it removed?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

If called an abscess why don't all toa's need to be drained.?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 48-year old asked:

What's a facial abscess?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 32-year old asked:

Can you pop an abscess on gum?

2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

A 29-year old asked:

Does appendicitis cause any abscess?

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 47-year old asked:

How do a cyst and an abscess differ?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

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