"An anal abscess is a painful condition in which a collection of pus develops near the anus. Most anal abscesses are a result of infection from small anal glands.
The most common type of abscess is a perianal abscess. This often appears as a painful boil-like swelling near the anus. It may be red in color and warm to the touch. Anal abscesses located in deeper tissue are less common and may be less visible (www.webmd.com)."
My GI decided to send me to a general surgeon that day to try and have it drained.
I visited with the general surgeon. He gave me two options. He could numb the area and drain it in the office. He would have to leave the wound open and pack it with gauze so it would heal from the inside out for a month or so. That sounded awful.
Or he said he could send me home with antibiotics and see if it would drain on its own. Once the infection heals and is less inflamed, I can come back in September to have the surrounding tissue removed and stitch it back up. This is the route my husband and I chose.
For the next few days, I was in quite a bit of pain. After calling my primary care physician for advise, he told me to put a heating pad on the area so that is might drain. Heat causes the puss to rise and drain. This advise helped and the pain decreased significantly. I can sit and actually function better now.
"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 (www.webmd.com)."
Abscesses can appear anywhere on your body, but they are most common in the groin area, armpits, on your face and near your teeth. People with lowered immune systems are most susceptible.
I hope this is helpful for those of you who may discover a strange sore lump. Don't ignore it, go see a doctor. It must be taken care of.
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