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Actinomycosis

Actinomycosis is a rare type of bacterial infection. It can be very serious but can usually be cured with antibiotics.

Treatment for actinomycosis

Actinomycosis is treated with antibiotics. Treatment starts off in hospital with antibiotics given directly into a vein (intravenously).

When you're well enough to go home, you'll be given tablets to take for a few months.

It's important to keep taking antibiotics until they're finished, even when you feel better.

You might also need surgery to drain areas of pus (abscesses) and cut out the surrounding area if it's infected.

How you get actinomycosis

The bacteria that cause actinomycosis normally live harmlessly in the body. They only cause an infection if they get into the lining of areas such as the mouth or gut.

You cannot spread the infection to other people.

Any part of the body can be infected, but the head and neck, chest, tummy and pelvis are most commonly affected.

Possible causesSymptoms
Jaw or mouth: tooth decay, an injury, dental surgerylumps on your cheek or neck, difficulty chewing, pus leaking from small holes in your skin
Lungs: inhaling liquid or food contaminated with the bacteriashortness of breath, chest pain, a cough, pus leaking from small holes in your skin
Tummy: burst appendix, surgerydiarrhoea or constipation, pain, a lump or swelling in your tummy, pus leaking from small holes in your skin
Pelvis: leaving an IUD contraceptive coil in for too longpain low down in your tummy, vaginal bleeding or unusual discharge, a lump or swelling in your lower tummy

You cannot always prevent actinomycosis

Actinomycosis is very rare, so the chances of getting it are extremely small.

You can help reduce your risk by:

  • looking after your teeth and gums
  • not leaving an IUD in for longer than recommended – they usually last 5 to 10 years, depending on the type you have

HealthUnlocked contains information from NHS Digital, licensed under the current version of the Open Government Licence

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Endo??

The pain continued after the surgery and I was also experiencing pain during sex and bleeding so I was sent for a colposcopy which came back with cervical ectropion and abnormal cells so they did a smear which showed CIN1 cells, HPV negative but positive for actinomycosis infection due to the coil (which
The pain continued after the surgery and I was also experiencing pain during sex and bleeding so I was sent for a colposcopy which came back with cervical ectropion and abnormal cells so they did a smear which showed CIN1 cells, HPV negative but positive for actinomycosis infection due to the coil (which
Milliejs
in Endometriosis UK
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