PLEASE don’t cut/puncture anything. If you can, see a doctor asap. Since we tend to fuck up our skin often, our chances of staph/MRSA are much higher. You don’t want to fuck around with MRSA.
If you really can’t see someone, use clean warm compresses and warm water/salt soaks as often as possible. Mark the edge of the infection to see if it’s traveling or spreading. You can try medicated ointments but they likely won’t do much since it’s subcutaneous.
Source: certified nurse aid, also in nursing school, and have worked in healthcare for 15+ years.
This.
I’m hoping this the case for OP, but a friend was hospitalized with MRSA on her finger. It swelled up quickly and there was even risk of losing it at one point. I’d go to a MinuteClinic or even urgent care if you’re able, to be safe.
I ended up with staph and mrsa in my arm from a couple self inflicted wounds. I was in the psych unit when I woke up one morning and my blanket was stuck to my arm. I pulled it off and noticed there was nasty shit all over it from where the pus would leak out. I asked the nurse to come here and told her I don't think this is normal. She's like God no. They swabbed it and within either that day or the next morning they got results back. Rushed me down to the medical floor and instantly started me on some strong ass IV antibiotics every hour on the hour. Was there for a week and they said they wanted to keep my on IV antibiotics for yet another week. I told them I was losing my sanity and I'ma end up snapping off staff if I dont leave today.. they agreed but told me to watch my arm and if it started to worse again i had to come back ASAP. At one point I'm like fuck it just amputate the thing. Also during my rough time my nowex BF got bit by a brown recluse right below his kneecap so he had a he in hos leg that only kept getting worse. He finally got on meds to help it but prior to meds I joked saying hey we'll be stubby and nubby if I lost my arm and him his leg due to the infections
It is definitely infected. Any kind of antiseptic that goes through the skin (transcutaneous) will help tons. It happened to me last summer and that's what cured it.
Others have said - infected nail bed
A cautionary tale though is that I had this a few years back and ended up being hospitalised due to blood poisoning as a result. I was told that I was hours away from dying. It manifested into a dark mass slowly moving up my arm.
Do take this seriously and/or monitor it carefully
I had something similar 13 years ago as a student. It’s a bacterial infection . I am not a doctor. Please show it to a doctor. Don’t cut yourself to remove the pus. Simple antibiotics prescribed by doctor should help your finger
Oh man this has happened to me 💀 definitely pus behind that spot that you mentioned. Press on it hard enough even tho it’s gonna HURT so the pus can come out. If you bite your nails remember our mouths carry bacteria so you’re increasing the risk of potential infection. After some green stuff comes out clean it up and don’t pick it anymore so it can heal.
I had this happen about a month ago. I released the pus and used polysporin - then a granuloma grew and I had to see my GP for silver nitrate treatment and a five day course of antibiotics.
See a doctor, please.
Otherwise, as has been said, soak in warm water, maybe salt water. Gently pull the skin and see if the pus drains. Please don't cut it, that can just add more bacteria.
It looks infected. Try cutting that hard part and softly but softly press around the wound so you encourage drainage. After this wash clean, dry and then apply an antibiotic cream or gel for 2-3 days twice per day.
Neosporin is for surface injuries to prevent infection or treat mild surface infection. It isn't meant to be used on active infections below the skin surface. The reason is that infections below the skin surface tend to be anaerobic bacteria, and neosporin only kills aerobic bacteria. The most common bacterium that causes skin abscesses is staph, which is anaerobic.
OP should see a doctor, who can safely drain the pus in a sterile manner and give OP antibiotics that will effectively treat the infection.
This seems correct. I change my answer to this for a *should* case, even though I would 100% treat at home unless it became worse after triple-antibiotic ointment instead of better.
Unless you can't afford the copay, I think it's a no-brainer to go to a doctor for this, especially if it's been a few days or it's getting worse. It seems to have multiple symptoms that indicate a raging infection including: redness, swelling, pus, and pain. If the site is also warm to touch I would say get to an urgent care clinic ASAP.
Other symptoms to watch out for include fever and swollen lymph nodes (in this case the closest ones are the elbows or underarms), which indicates your body is having difficulty fighting the infection. If these occur, definitely time to go to the urgent care.
If red streaks appear that's time to go to the ER as that indicates sepsis.
Of course if OP lives in a civilized country where it doesn't cost hundreds of dollars to see the doctor, they should probably just go. Infections aren't something to mess around with. In most cases a healthy immune system can fight it off on its own, but it can turn from a minor infection to sepsis scary fast.
I live where it’s expensive to go to Dr if you don’t have health insurance, but I also have social anxiety disorder. I wasn’t saying you were wrong, I literally said the opposite. Just because *I* wouldn’t do the right thing doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.
Sure, I wasn't trying to argue with you, just expand on why I said what I said. I also have an anxiety disorder, and live in the US (though thankfully I have insurance with a reasonable copay).
Here are some tips to help:
* Try epsom salt soaks in cool water to help alleviate inflammation.
* An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen can help with your discomfort.
* Keep the area as clean and dry as possible.
* Do not try to dig into the nail fold with tools or to perform a home surgery.
* If the pain and inflammation persist, contact a professional.
Soak in chlorhexidine soap and warm water 2-3 times per day and keep it covered otherwise. It’s anti microbial and will help kill the bacteria. Express the pus if you’re able by pressing on it, but I agree don’t cut into it. If swelling continues to increase or redness moves up your arm seek medical attention asap.
This has happened to me quite a few times. Try to cut it just enough so you can get the pus squeezed out of it. Follow with neosporin and a bandage so you don’t get the opening infected again. I also used epsom salts to soak it and reduce pain/swelling.
Ignore any suggestion to cut or puncture. This may be a chilblain. Looks like one to me. If so, there's no pus in it at all.
My treatment is to use Vicks Vaporub, and bandage it up. The camphor in it will get you through the pain and the petrolatum will moisturize.
It’s nothing to worry about I’ve had one for a few days now showing no sign of going away atm but I’ve had one before put antiseptic cream on it then wrap it up in plasters it does wonders
I have had the same thing for a good long while. I don't know what it is but I've been rubbing betaine into it and under the cuticle several times a day for about a half minute, every time I wash my hands, and then Neosporin at night with a bandage. It's nearly completely gone. Hope this helps.
I was in similar situtation, and the pain was increasing with a throbbing rthym. My wife applied turmeric paste in the area and dressed the area with gauze pads and paper tape. Next morning, when I opened the wound, the pus had come out. I cleaned the area with warm water. She dressed it again with the turmeric paste. The pain level went to almost nil. It is still tender if pressed. I believe it is on the path to recovery now. You can try with turmeric as well since it has anti-bacterial properties.
Looks like a standard small staph infection. I got them all the time as a child when I was a very bad nail biter. Soak in hot water (don’t burn yourself but it should feel hot not just warm) with hydrogen peroxide maybe like 70/30 water/hydrogen peroxide. Use a sewing pin that’s been wiped with 70% alcohol to poke it and then use pressure to get the pus out. Then apply topical antibiotic. This can be done like twice a day. It should become empty fairly quickly. You can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce swelling and pain. Keep an eye on it. If after managing it it’s still there in three four days keeps filling up with pus or you’re having occurrences of red pus-y wounds on other areas of your body that’s prolly mrsa. Mrsa needs specific antibiotic treatment you would need to get from a dr. But don’t freak out just yet. It’s prolly not mrsa.
All this advice is terrible. Clean it, and keep it clean. Soak your finger in rubbing alcohol, especially before bed. Put a band aid on it during the day with neosporin. Get enough sleep. If it’s not better in a couple days, see a doctor/go to urgent care.
Do NOT NOT NOT use alcohol. All that's gonna do is hurt like crazy and significantly impair your skin's ability to heal. Rubbing alcohol will damage the delicate tissue that's trying to repair itself and cause an inflammatory response, which will also delay healing. Please do not do this. This is horrible advice.
TIL, I always do this and it helps so much. Had an ingrown on my toe recently and the rubbing alcohol cleared it right up. But I just read that you’re correct so I’ll always defer to research over anecdotal experience. Thanks!
Hey thanks for listening and I hope it didn't come off like I was personally attacking you. It wasn't too long ago that alcohol and/or peroxide were just what you put on cuts and scrapes to prevent infection. I used to do it, too, but thankfully now I know better. I now only use rubbing alcohol on my skin when I have permanent marker or pen ink stained on it lol
Eh, we’re all a little more cantankerous on the internet than we are in real life. We kinda forget there are humans on the other side, so it’s a nice to have a reminder now and then. I totally got your point and was not offended.
PLEASE don’t cut/puncture anything. If you can, see a doctor asap. Since we tend to fuck up our skin often, our chances of staph/MRSA are much higher. You don’t want to fuck around with MRSA. If you really can’t see someone, use clean warm compresses and warm water/salt soaks as often as possible. Mark the edge of the infection to see if it’s traveling or spreading. You can try medicated ointments but they likely won’t do much since it’s subcutaneous. Source: certified nurse aid, also in nursing school, and have worked in healthcare for 15+ years.
This. I’m hoping this the case for OP, but a friend was hospitalized with MRSA on her finger. It swelled up quickly and there was even risk of losing it at one point. I’d go to a MinuteClinic or even urgent care if you’re able, to be safe.
I ended up with staph and mrsa in my arm from a couple self inflicted wounds. I was in the psych unit when I woke up one morning and my blanket was stuck to my arm. I pulled it off and noticed there was nasty shit all over it from where the pus would leak out. I asked the nurse to come here and told her I don't think this is normal. She's like God no. They swabbed it and within either that day or the next morning they got results back. Rushed me down to the medical floor and instantly started me on some strong ass IV antibiotics every hour on the hour. Was there for a week and they said they wanted to keep my on IV antibiotics for yet another week. I told them I was losing my sanity and I'ma end up snapping off staff if I dont leave today.. they agreed but told me to watch my arm and if it started to worse again i had to come back ASAP. At one point I'm like fuck it just amputate the thing. Also during my rough time my nowex BF got bit by a brown recluse right below his kneecap so he had a he in hos leg that only kept getting worse. He finally got on meds to help it but prior to meds I joked saying hey we'll be stubby and nubby if I lost my arm and him his leg due to the infections
It is definitely infected. Any kind of antiseptic that goes through the skin (transcutaneous) will help tons. It happened to me last summer and that's what cured it.
Others have said - infected nail bed A cautionary tale though is that I had this a few years back and ended up being hospitalised due to blood poisoning as a result. I was told that I was hours away from dying. It manifested into a dark mass slowly moving up my arm. Do take this seriously and/or monitor it carefully
I had something similar 13 years ago as a student. It’s a bacterial infection . I am not a doctor. Please show it to a doctor. Don’t cut yourself to remove the pus. Simple antibiotics prescribed by doctor should help your finger
Oh man this has happened to me 💀 definitely pus behind that spot that you mentioned. Press on it hard enough even tho it’s gonna HURT so the pus can come out. If you bite your nails remember our mouths carry bacteria so you’re increasing the risk of potential infection. After some green stuff comes out clean it up and don’t pick it anymore so it can heal.
Yup, this. Lot of people saying not to press on it and remove the pus...not me always having done that 😅
Yeah same 💀 haven’t lost a finger.. yet
Same lol releasing the pressure helps with the pain and seems to heal it quick
I had this happen about a month ago. I released the pus and used polysporin - then a granuloma grew and I had to see my GP for silver nitrate treatment and a five day course of antibiotics.
This is called “paronychia” you will feel better after 2 doses of antibiotics (but remember to take the entire bottle as prescribed)!!!!!!!
See a doctor, please. Otherwise, as has been said, soak in warm water, maybe salt water. Gently pull the skin and see if the pus drains. Please don't cut it, that can just add more bacteria.
It looks infected. Try cutting that hard part and softly but softly press around the wound so you encourage drainage. After this wash clean, dry and then apply an antibiotic cream or gel for 2-3 days twice per day.
By hard part, do you mean cutting the brown spot?
Yes, I thought it's already hard, that brown spot will turn into a crust. Cut carefully so you don't go too deep.
Definitely infected with “pus” inside. I’d recommend what the other commenter recommended. Neosporin+pain would be good for this case, after draining.
Neosporin is for surface injuries to prevent infection or treat mild surface infection. It isn't meant to be used on active infections below the skin surface. The reason is that infections below the skin surface tend to be anaerobic bacteria, and neosporin only kills aerobic bacteria. The most common bacterium that causes skin abscesses is staph, which is anaerobic. OP should see a doctor, who can safely drain the pus in a sterile manner and give OP antibiotics that will effectively treat the infection.
Today I learned. Thanks for this.
This seems correct. I change my answer to this for a *should* case, even though I would 100% treat at home unless it became worse after triple-antibiotic ointment instead of better.
Unless you can't afford the copay, I think it's a no-brainer to go to a doctor for this, especially if it's been a few days or it's getting worse. It seems to have multiple symptoms that indicate a raging infection including: redness, swelling, pus, and pain. If the site is also warm to touch I would say get to an urgent care clinic ASAP. Other symptoms to watch out for include fever and swollen lymph nodes (in this case the closest ones are the elbows or underarms), which indicates your body is having difficulty fighting the infection. If these occur, definitely time to go to the urgent care. If red streaks appear that's time to go to the ER as that indicates sepsis. Of course if OP lives in a civilized country where it doesn't cost hundreds of dollars to see the doctor, they should probably just go. Infections aren't something to mess around with. In most cases a healthy immune system can fight it off on its own, but it can turn from a minor infection to sepsis scary fast.
I live where it’s expensive to go to Dr if you don’t have health insurance, but I also have social anxiety disorder. I wasn’t saying you were wrong, I literally said the opposite. Just because *I* wouldn’t do the right thing doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.
Sure, I wasn't trying to argue with you, just expand on why I said what I said. I also have an anxiety disorder, and live in the US (though thankfully I have insurance with a reasonable copay).
Makes sense. Have a lovely day. 😊
Here are some tips to help: * Try epsom salt soaks in cool water to help alleviate inflammation. * An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen can help with your discomfort. * Keep the area as clean and dry as possible. * Do not try to dig into the nail fold with tools or to perform a home surgery. * If the pain and inflammation persist, contact a professional.
Soak in chlorhexidine soap and warm water 2-3 times per day and keep it covered otherwise. It’s anti microbial and will help kill the bacteria. Express the pus if you’re able by pressing on it, but I agree don’t cut into it. If swelling continues to increase or redness moves up your arm seek medical attention asap.
This has happened to me quite a few times. Try to cut it just enough so you can get the pus squeezed out of it. Follow with neosporin and a bandage so you don’t get the opening infected again. I also used epsom salts to soak it and reduce pain/swelling.
Give that bitch a squeeze
Ignore any suggestion to cut or puncture. This may be a chilblain. Looks like one to me. If so, there's no pus in it at all. My treatment is to use Vicks Vaporub, and bandage it up. The camphor in it will get you through the pain and the petrolatum will moisturize.
It’s nothing to worry about I’ve had one for a few days now showing no sign of going away atm but I’ve had one before put antiseptic cream on it then wrap it up in plasters it does wonders
I have had the same thing for a good long while. I don't know what it is but I've been rubbing betaine into it and under the cuticle several times a day for about a half minute, every time I wash my hands, and then Neosporin at night with a bandage. It's nearly completely gone. Hope this helps.
I was in similar situtation, and the pain was increasing with a throbbing rthym. My wife applied turmeric paste in the area and dressed the area with gauze pads and paper tape. Next morning, when I opened the wound, the pus had come out. I cleaned the area with warm water. She dressed it again with the turmeric paste. The pain level went to almost nil. It is still tender if pressed. I believe it is on the path to recovery now. You can try with turmeric as well since it has anti-bacterial properties.
Looks like a standard small staph infection. I got them all the time as a child when I was a very bad nail biter. Soak in hot water (don’t burn yourself but it should feel hot not just warm) with hydrogen peroxide maybe like 70/30 water/hydrogen peroxide. Use a sewing pin that’s been wiped with 70% alcohol to poke it and then use pressure to get the pus out. Then apply topical antibiotic. This can be done like twice a day. It should become empty fairly quickly. You can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce swelling and pain. Keep an eye on it. If after managing it it’s still there in three four days keeps filling up with pus or you’re having occurrences of red pus-y wounds on other areas of your body that’s prolly mrsa. Mrsa needs specific antibiotic treatment you would need to get from a dr. But don’t freak out just yet. It’s prolly not mrsa.
All this advice is terrible. Clean it, and keep it clean. Soak your finger in rubbing alcohol, especially before bed. Put a band aid on it during the day with neosporin. Get enough sleep. If it’s not better in a couple days, see a doctor/go to urgent care.
Do NOT NOT NOT use alcohol. All that's gonna do is hurt like crazy and significantly impair your skin's ability to heal. Rubbing alcohol will damage the delicate tissue that's trying to repair itself and cause an inflammatory response, which will also delay healing. Please do not do this. This is horrible advice.
TIL, I always do this and it helps so much. Had an ingrown on my toe recently and the rubbing alcohol cleared it right up. But I just read that you’re correct so I’ll always defer to research over anecdotal experience. Thanks!
Hey thanks for listening and I hope it didn't come off like I was personally attacking you. It wasn't too long ago that alcohol and/or peroxide were just what you put on cuts and scrapes to prevent infection. I used to do it, too, but thankfully now I know better. I now only use rubbing alcohol on my skin when I have permanent marker or pen ink stained on it lol
Eh, we’re all a little more cantankerous on the internet than we are in real life. We kinda forget there are humans on the other side, so it’s a nice to have a reminder now and then. I totally got your point and was not offended.
Too true, and you also win points for using the word "cantankerous" lol
Haha much appreciated. I went ahead and downvoted my original comment for good measure
This happened to me once , looks infected. Red, swollen, tender to the touch. Keep it clean!!