An infection and purulent inflammation of the body tissue that can occur in any part of the body, which is caused by bacteria, parasites or foreign substances, is known as an abscess. The word abscess is of Latin origin abscessus, which means ‘leaving, moving or moving away from a site’.
Abscesses are defense mechanisms that attempt to isolate an area that is the product of the infection that it suffers. At that time, white blood cells move through the walls of blood vessels to the area of infection where pus is formed, purulent substance made up of fluids, live and dead white blood cells, dead tissues, bacteria and other substances .
Abscesses can form in any part of the organism, being more visible in some areas than others, but which can still cause damage to the organs and their symptoms are notable.
Abscesses are characterized by being red, elevated and painful, and sometimes it can cause pain and tenderness in the area, and, if severe, the patient may develop a fever.
It is recommended to assist the doctor to perform a culture and thus have knowledge of the bacteria to apply the appropriate treatment based on antibiotics, although in the vast majority of cases the treatment is accompanied by surgery to drain the abscess.
The synonyms of abscesses are boil, tumore, pimple, purulence, infection.
In English, abscess is translated abscess.
Dental abscess
Dental abscess refers to the accumulation of pus in the center of a tooth due to a bacterial infection. Some of the symptoms are: pain when chewing, bad breath, sensitivity of the teeth to heat and cold, swelling in the gum, fever, malaise, among others.
Perianal abscess
Perianal abscess involves the presence of purulent secretion in the region of the anus or around it, usually caused by the infection of small glands present in the anal canal. Some of its symptoms are muscular, osteoarticular pain, the area is red, hot and there is pain to the touch.
Liver abscess
Hepatic abscess is the concentration of pus mass in the liver and can be suffered by abdominal infections, intestinal inflammation, perforated intestines, etc. The individual may feel loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, fever, pain, among other symptoms.
Peritonsillar abscess
This type of abscess refers to the accumulation of infected material around the tonsils. The individual may have difficulty opening his mouth and swallowing, presenting reddened tonsils that presses the uvula also causing fever, headache, earache, swollen lymph nodes, etc.
Skin or skin abscess
It is the accumulation of pus inside or on the skin after a bacterial infection, wound, boils, folliculitis. It can present hardening of the skin tissue, redness, sensitivity and heat, local inflammation, fever, etc.
Lung abscess
The pulmonary abscess is a cavity filled with pus in the lung surrounded by inflamed tissues due to an infection that is normally caused by bacteria located in the mouth and is inhaled into the lungs. Symptoms are fatigue, loss of appetite, sweating, fever, etc.
Periodontal abscess
Periodontal abscess is a purulent inflammation in periodontal tissues along with a destruction of the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. With this type of abscess the individual feels sudden and intense pain in the root of the teeth, has bad breath and red gum, expulsion of pus from decay or gum, etc.
Brain abscess
It is a bag of pus located in the brain. The affected person may suffer from headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, weakness of one side of the body, sometimes drowsiness that can lead to coma, etc.
Abscess or access?
Both terms are paronymous but do not have the same meanings. As stated earlier, the abscess is an inflammation in the tissues due to the accumulation of pus, for example: my cousin has an abscess in the back. While the term access refers to an entry. In medicine, access is the sudden emergence of a medical condition, such as: cough access, fever access, etc.