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Have Sore Area On Finger. Turned Red And Have Pus. Have Swelling. Wrong With Skin Or Immune System?
Question: Hi. Over a week ago I noticed that I had a sore area on my finger, I can't remember doing it but assumed I must have cut my finger on some glad or something. The area turned red and started throbbing, it looked to have puss inside. This scabbed over and seemed to get better but it is still red and throbbing. Then, about a week later, I scratched my forearm on something (which I remember doing!), I got a scabby scratch up my forearm kind of like a dot to dot, however the same thing has happened here, one of the tiny scabby parts has gone red and swollen and it again looks like there is puss inside. Is there something wrong with me/my skin/my immune system?
Hi and thanks for the query,
It does not necessarily mean that you got an issue with your immune system. Redness, pain and the fluid/or pus like content certainly means this was a probably an infectious (bacterial infection).
The lesion spreading to a near by area of the body could simply imply a spread or contamination of the other area of the body the germ. I would suggest you get a proper evaluation by your family physician. This is so because, some infections, like fungal or even viral infectious process could initially present as such, and become infected in the long run by normal skin germs. Making this difference is usually very easy on clinical examination, and might be more important in your case, since multiple regions of the skin have started being affected.
It is only after a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment with no favorable results, or recurrent infections as such that you could think of a defective immune system. I think you need not develop any fear.
What is important now is an appropriate diagnosis and initiating the right treatment. I think you should NOT bother. I suggest you consult your family physician for a proper clinical evaluation and treatment.
Thanks and hope this helps. Do not hesitate asking any further questions if need be.
Thanks and best regards,
Luchuo, MD.
It does not necessarily mean that you got an issue with your immune system. Redness, pain and the fluid/or pus like content certainly means this was a probably an infectious (bacterial infection).
The lesion spreading to a near by area of the body could simply imply a spread or contamination of the other area of the body the germ. I would suggest you get a proper evaluation by your family physician. This is so because, some infections, like fungal or even viral infectious process could initially present as such, and become infected in the long run by normal skin germs. Making this difference is usually very easy on clinical examination, and might be more important in your case, since multiple regions of the skin have started being affected.
It is only after a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment with no favorable results, or recurrent infections as such that you could think of a defective immune system. I think you need not develop any fear.
What is important now is an appropriate diagnosis and initiating the right treatment. I think you should NOT bother. I suggest you consult your family physician for a proper clinical evaluation and treatment.
Thanks and hope this helps. Do not hesitate asking any further questions if need be.
Thanks and best regards,
Luchuo, MD.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi, I have started taking antibiotics today for septic tonsils, which became painful and I started feeling ill 3 days ago, could this be related? Thank you very much for your reply.
Hi and thanks for the query,
Acute tonsilitis (septic) deserves antibiotics. But linking this to the skin infection is really difficult to actually establish the direct link. It could be the chances are actually extremely rare. I suggest these are two different clinical conditions, but could require similar antibiotics in case the finger/skin infection is actually of bacterial origin.
I would suggest you follow the recommendations of your physician scrupulously with respect to the tonsilitis. Consulting a physician for a proper review still remains my advice. Thanks and hope this helps. Feel free asking further questions.
Thanks and best regards,
Luchuo, MD.
Acute tonsilitis (septic) deserves antibiotics. But linking this to the skin infection is really difficult to actually establish the direct link. It could be the chances are actually extremely rare. I suggest these are two different clinical conditions, but could require similar antibiotics in case the finger/skin infection is actually of bacterial origin.
I would suggest you follow the recommendations of your physician scrupulously with respect to the tonsilitis. Consulting a physician for a proper review still remains my advice. Thanks and hope this helps. Feel free asking further questions.
Thanks and best regards,
Luchuo, MD.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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