The symptoms of an abscess depend on whereabouts it develops in your body.
Skin abscesses
If you have a skin abscess, you may have symptoms such as:
- a smooth swelling under your skin, or an open wound, or sore,
- pus in the affected area that appears white, yellow, or green, and may smell unpleasant,
- pain, warmth, and redness in the affected area, and
- feeling generally unwell (fever, chills, and aches and pains).
Skin abscesses can appear anywhere on your body. However, the skin around the anus (back passage) is one of the most common areas to be affected.
Internal abscesses
An abscess that develops inside your body is more difficult to spot than a skin abscess. If you have an internal abscess, your symptoms may include:
- pain in the area of the abscess, and
- feeling generally unwell (fever, chills, and aches and pains).
Depending on where inside your body the abscess is, you may also have a number of other symptoms.
For example, if you have a dental abscess, you may notice a bitter taste in your mouth, and your breath may begin to smell. A breast abscess can cause itching and a discharge from your nipple. Or, you may notice that your balance, and/or memory, are affected if you have an abscess in your brain.
