10 Tips: When to Go to the Emergency Room for Abscess
Infections can occur at any part of the body, either due to an open wound or due to poor hygiene. Most of the times, infections are accompanied by abscesses, which is the mass that forms when pus accumulates in the affected area of the body. Abscesses are also referred to as Cysts or Boils, and can develop in any part of the body, but in most cases they develop on the skin or in the mouth. Abscesses on the skin are most of the time due to infections of wounds but can also be due to poor hygiene. In the mouth, abscesses are mostly due to poor dental hygiene, mostly due to a lack or regular brushing and flossing of teeth, but can also develop after an injury on the gums and soft tissue in the mouth. Abscesses in most cases can be treated easily but there are situations where one may need to go to the emergency room for the same. This article will look to help to identify such situations as it will highlight 10 tips on when one should go to the emergency room for an abscess.
One of the very first instances where one should ensure they go to an emergency room for an abscess as soon as possible is if they have one and also develop a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If the fever is prolonged and shows no sign of easing, then visiting an emergency room should be the next thing one ensures they do.
Speaking of high fever, if one has an abscess as well as a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit and they have a condition that is suppressing their immune system such as HIV/AIDS or are undergoing a procedure that is suppressing their immune system such as dialysis, chemotherapy or are on steroids and other immunosuppressant medication, then as per the subject matter experts over at FrontlineER.com, they should also ensure they head over to an emergency room as soon as possible.
Another tip as to when one should go to an emergency room or an abscess is if, together with the abscess, they start to develop a red streak that is leading away from the abscess. This should be taken seriously as it is usually a sign that the infection causing the abscess is spreading, something that should be arrested as soon as possible to avoid one going into sepsis.
The subject matter experts over at FrontlineER.com are also adamant that, which is our next tip, if one has an abscess that is on the face and is larger than 1 centimeter or spans more than half an inch across, then they should also ensure that they head over to an emergency room as soon as possible, especially since the face is a sensitive part of the body.
Speaking of sensitive parts of the body, one should ensure they head over to an emergency room as soon as possible if they develop an abscess on or near the groin and rectal area. For obvious reasons, abscesses near or on these parts of the body should always be taken seriously and one should head over to an emergency room pronto so that they can be assessed, and especially if the abscess is leading to tender lymph nodes in the groin area.
Another instance where an abscess requires one to go to an emergency room for treatment is if they develop an abscess in the mouth, either on the gums, soft tissue of the mouth or between the teeth. As per the gurus over at FrontlineER.com, abscesses here may lead to damage of soft tissue in the mouth and may even spread and cause sepsis if not addressed immediately, hence whey one should visit an emergency room as soon as they can.
One should also head over to an emergency room as soon as possible for an abscess if they develop severe nausea and vomiting, even if they don’t have an abscess that is visible or on the skin. This is because this could mean that one has internal abscesses due to injuries caused by conditions such as inflammatory bowel syndrome, which should always be taken very seriously.
If you develop an abscess and you begin to see black or dead skin around the area with the abscess, then you should also ensure that you head over to an emergency room as soon as possible. This is because, this could be a sign of serious conditions such as necrotizing fasciitis, which as covered in detail over at FrontlineER.com, is a condition that should be taken very seriously.
One should also ensure they head over to an emergency room as soon as they can if they have an abscess that is causing them to lose use of a limb or any other body part. If you are unable to use say your arm due to an abscess, then you should ensure that you go to an emergency room as soon as you can to be attended to.
Another tip we have for you as far as abscesses are concerned and when to go to an emergency room when you have one, is if you are having difficulties breathing or swallowing and you suspect you have a throat abscess. If you look towards the back of your throat, you may be able to see a swollen whitish boil, and if it leads to breathing difficulties and problems swallowing, then you should head over to the emergency room as soon as possible to be attended to.
The above are some of the tips we hope will help you know when to go to the emergency room for abscess, with more on this to be uncovered by heading over to FrontlineER.com.
