Liezel G.

Mercado

MASSAGE THERAPY

Abscesses
An abscess is a tender mass generally surrounded by a colored area
from pink to deep red. Abscesses are often easy to feel by touching.
The middle of an abscess is full of pus and debris.
Painful and warm to touch, abscesses can show up any place on your
body. The most common sites are in your armpits (axillae), areas
around your anus and vagina (Bartholin gland abscess), the base of
your spine (pilonidal abscess), around a tooth (dental abscess), and in
your groin. Inflammation around a hair follicle can also lead to the
formation of an abscess, which is called a boil(furuncle).
Unlike other infections, antibiotics alone will not usually cure an
abscess. In general an abscess must open and drain in order for it to improve. Sometimes draining occurs on its own,
but generally it must be opened by a doctor in a procedure called incision and drainage (I&D).
Abscess Formation
Abscesses are caused by obstruction of oil (sebaceous) glands or sweat glands, inflammation of hair follicles, or
minor breaks and punctures of the skin. Germs get under the skin or into these glands, which causes an
inflammatory response as your body's defenses try to kill these germs.
The middle of the abscess liquefies and contains dead cells, bacteria, and other debris. This area begins to grow,
creating tension under the skin and further inflammation of the surrounding tissues. Pressure and inflammation
cause the pain.
People with weakened immune systems get certain abscesses more often. Those with any of the following are all at
risk for having more severe abscesses. This is because the body has a decreased ability to ward off infections.

Chronic steroid therapy

Chemotherapy
Diabetes
Cancer
AIDS
Sickle cell disease
Leukemia

Peripheral vascular disorders

Crohn's disease
Ulcerative colitis
Severe burns
Severe trauma
Alcoholism or IV drug abuse

Other risk factors for abscess include exposure to dirty environments, exposure to persons with certain
types of skin infections, poor hygiene, and poor circulation.

Assessing Abscesses

Most often, an abscess becomes a painful, compressible mass that is red, warm to touch, and tender.

As some abscesses progress, they may "point" and come to a head so you can see the material inside and
then spontaneously open (rupture).
Most will continue to get worse without care. The infection can spread to the tissues under the skin and
even into the bloodstream.
If the infection spreads into deeper tissue, you may develop a fever and begin to feel ill.

Caring for Abscesses

Seek medical attention! The abscess will be treated with antibiotics and/or lancing and draining to abscess.
The abscess may also need to be packed with dressings. Applying warm compresses without pressure for
20 minutes 6-8 times per day before the abscess is lanced can help.

Do not:

Try and lance / drain the abscess on your own. This can spread infection- without appropriate antibiotics
blood poisoning can develop fast
Use antibiotics off the street, as they may not be the appropriate type.
Inject near an abscess. Give that area time to heal
Rub with alcohol, iodine or hydrogen peroxide when the abscess has rupturedthis slows healing!
Leave an abscess to get better on its own.

Vitamin Care

Appropriate levels of vitamins in the body have been shown to speed healing of abscesses and other
wounds.
Vitamin C and Zinc support the immune system in fighting infections, the healing process and in
preventing infection recurrence.
Vitamin A and Vitamin E support immune function in fighting infections and contribute to general skin
health.

Note:

Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Zinc are fat-soluble and can become toxic if too much is taken. Counsel clients
appropriately.

Healing Abscesses

Some abscesses seem to take a very long time to heal and leave a lot of scar tissue.If an abscess is not
healing after lancing ,but is no longer infected, the client should see a RN who can use particular dressings
to help it heal.
Dressings that contain silver seem to work well.

Can i get a massage if i have a skin boil? Why?

While pimples are usually infections that are caused on the epidermis, boils usually go deeper and
have origins in the deeper layers of the skin. Boils are usually cyst-like formations that have a thin outer
layer and are filled with pus and dead cell material. These boils are usually red in color and are often
painful. Usually, when the pus begins to fill inside the boil, it comes to a head. This fluid should be
drained out so that the healing of the boil can begin. However, it is recommended that you do not pick the
boil because it can cause infection or leave a scar.

Since the boils are so sensitive, it is advised that you do not have a massage as long as you have
any skin eruptions. Having a massage with a boil on the skin can puncture it or aggravate it causing even
more redness and pain. The pus in the boil may contain bacteria. Puncturing it and releasing the fluid may
cause the skin next to the boil to become infected. The affected skin can therefore break out in more boils.
If the boils increase, you may experience flu like symptoms and fever.