whys

If you’ve ever had a cut that seems to ooze “white stuff” or have noticed a white pimple on your face, then you’ve seen pus. Pus may be disgusting to look at, but it is actually a sign of your body’s ability to fight infections. Pus means your white blood cells are attacking infections present on or in your body.

Pus can be white, slightly yellow or green, and is relatively thick, approximately the same as Elmer’s Glue. It’s actually a collection of dead skin cells, white blood cells called neutrophils, and some bacteria that is still putting up a fight. It is a visible sign that you have an infection. A minor source of tiny amounts of pus, as in a pimple, merely needs to be washed and cleaned with an antiseptic. Many infections that show pus are derived from staph bacteria, which we all have in some amount on our skin.

With small pimples, it is sufficient to use hot compresses, so that the pus drains. After a daily compress treatment, you should always be sure to use an antiseptic on the pimple. Further, wash your hands after dealing with pus in pimples, because it can still contain live bacteria which can be spread to those around you, or infect other areas of your skin. It’s usually fine to ignore small pimples until they go away. Your body is battling to fight off this small infection, and often wins this battle.

Pus coming from a wound, or a pimple that gets larger and larger, especially if it is above the cheekbone and below the forehead, suggests the body may need a little extra help fighting the infection. In these cases, a wait and see approach to pus is definitely not recommended. Untreated infections that the body can’t fight can lead to staph infections in the blood, which can be extremely serious.

If you have a great deal of pus coming from a wound, and the wound feels hard, hot, or has red streaks, these are the early signs of an infection called cellulitis, and you should see a doctor right away. Normally, a simple course of antibiotics will clear up the pus and the infection and will promote wound healing. Waiting can mean delaying healing and risking your overall health.

Pus can also be a source of infection to others, especially when there is a lot of it. If you are helping others treat an infected wound, or treating your own, you definitely want to observe excellent handwashing techniques each time you touch the wound. If you’re caring for someone else and have an infected wound, you want to keep this completely covered with bandages so as not to infect others. Young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to staph infections.

Often, our body makes pus that we never see. For example, doctors often diagnose ear infections by noting pus in the ear canal. Organs can also be filled with pus, signalling serious infections. Sometimes a person might notice a thick yellowish or whitish fluid while urinating, suggesting a bladder infection which should be checked out by a doctor.

As ironic as it may seem, however, a small amount of pus, particularly in a pimple, is a sign of good health. People who don’t produce enough neutrophils also don’t produce enough pus, and can have a terrible time fighting off infections. In people with healthy immune systems, a simple pus filled pimple suggests your body is working as it should.

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Gumboils are rather like pimples, except they occur on the gums instead of on the face or neck. They also usually indicate an infection deep in the roots of a tooth, whereas pimples tend to merely indicate a blocked pore or hair follicle. Gumboils can occur at any time and are usually caused by gum disease, or a tooth that has died or that has severely infected roots. Infection from the root of the tooth pushes outward to the gum creating a small to large pus filled pocket that can feel very painful.

Occasionally the gumboil will show up and may recess and emerge again. Some people may have scarring that looks like but doesn’t feel like gum boils. Small hard bumps on the inside of the cheeks could be the result of repeated biting of the cheek, or hardening from wearing braces from several years. There are other things that may be confused with gumboils.

Such boils can also look like a canker sore, especially since these tend to burst also. You can usually tell the difference though because the canker sore may react more readily to irritation with acids, and they resolve within a few days without treatment. Canker sores can also occur on the tongue, the insides of the mouth, the roof of the mouth, and on the lips.

Dentists recommend that you make an appointment to see a dentist if you have a gumboil since it almost always indicates a problem and infection with an underlying tooth. The boils can get very large, and they can pop and drain pus, which tastes very bitter. This doesn’t usually resolve the infection, because the gumboil could be called an outward expression of a deeply hidden infection.

When a dentist sees you, he will typically use x-rays to look for underlying tooth infection and the dentist may drain the boil to offer some relief. Antibiotics are very often prescribed, since infection at the root of the tooth must be addressed usually before a person can undergo a root canal or tooth extraction if necessary. When gum disease is the cause, occasionally planing the roots, making them smooth, and scaling the teeth can help resolve the condition.

Sometimes gumboils occur if a person has a piece of food imbedded in the root of a tooth. These may resolve when the tooth is thoroughly cleaned and the irritant removed. Dentists do say that gumboils should be taken seriously, since they can very often mean a tooth is endangered without treatment. There is also the real possibility of blood infection if infection is allowed to remain.

Some people are especially prone to gumboils. These include people with autoimmune conditions and with diabetes. Regular teeth cleaning and dental care can help stave off certain infections in most people, but not always. It can also help to use a softer bristle brush, since sometimes gumboils can result from cuts and repeated abuse of the gums from harder bristled toothbrushes.

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An abscess may occur on any part of the body, or may occur internally. This is particularly the case with the vital organs, and especially the reproductive glands of women. One may notice pain in the area around the uterus or ovaries, suggesting the presence of an abscess or cyst.

All abscesses are the result of bacteria accumulating in a “pocket” of the body. The body responds by walling off the collection of pus, so that it is sealed from the body. However, an abscess may drain or burst creating infection in the blood.

The first goal in treating an abscess is to seek medical advice. Even a skin abscess can lead to blood infection when the abscess bursts. Most abscesses need to be treated with antibiotics to completely resolve.

It is, of course, quite difficult to treat an abscess located inside the body. Applying a heating pad over an abscessed ovary may provide some comfort. However, normally, antibiotics and pain medication are the prescribed treatment.

Usually those with an abscess on the skin have other treatment options combined with taking oral antibiotics. Some treatments can help reduce time an abscess remains on the skin and can as well help to reduce pain.

One of the gold standard recommendations for treating a skin abscess is to apply warm compresses to the site for 10-15 minutes four times a day. Doctors suggest using tap water on a washcloth that is as hot as one can tolerate. Sometimes, tap water heat may be set too high, and it may not feel to the hands as though the water is too hot.

If one is unsure about the heat of the cloth, apply the warmed washcloth to a more sensitive area like a forearm. If it feels too hot, do not apply it to the abscess. An abscess does not need to be complicated by burned skin tissue. As well, consider turning down the heat on the water heater to avoid burning one’s self in the future.

Hot compresses allow the abscess to resolve sooner, and drain sooner. They also may provide relief from pain. Even a small abscess on the skin can be quite painful.

If the abscess is located on a limb, or the hands or feet, consider elevating that limb when possible. This can also help resolve the abscess sooner. It can also help keep the abscess from swelling.

If one is treating the abscess with a compress and it bursts, be certain to wash the hands carefully. As well, wash the area around the skin to clean up any pus. When the abscess bursts it can spread bacteria to other skin cells.

When one is on a treatment course of antibiotics, and the abscess appears to get worse, or larger, contact a physician again. In some cases, a stronger antibiotic may be required to destroy the bacteria present. Also note signs for greater infection like a significant increase in pain, or red streaks present on the skin that seem to shoot out from the abscess. These may indicate resistant infection.

Failure to treat an abscess can cause significant tissue damage, including gangrene. If an abscess begins to smell badly, or if the tissue surrounding the abscess appears to be swelling significantly, contact a doctor immediately. Some bacteria are more difficult to treat and may warrant intravenous (IV) antibiotics.

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