Er, my finger looks like it is going green. <pic!>

[RedLarvaYellowLarva]

Excuse brief typing - finger v sore!
My finger has been sore since Sunday. Swollen and red. Throbbing. I do not remember hurting it. Noticed yesterday a small green dot at the pain centre, and it is bigger and greener today. Photo not really doing it justice but gives some idea.
Should I bother the GP or ride it out a bit longer and see if it just goes away? Any idea what it is? Basic infection I can fight off myself or something to worry about?!
Aware picture looks a bit pathetic!

Well, sporners, I've punctured it from the side. Light yellow-green pus squeezed out - first tiny speck came out, had to squeeze hard to get the rest. Disappointing amount of pus. And my finger is still agony - swollen, very sore, red.

Pus gone.

Still agony and fat.

WELL DONE!!

How about soaking it in warm salty water for a bit. Splash of Dettol?

Thank you!
Will do the warm salty water thing. I don't have Dettol though.

Haha, well, it makes me feel a bit better knowing they made someone happy! :)
Thanks!

And don't be disappointed. That's a good amount of green pus for a wee finger. Do you have any antibacterial cream you could whack on after a soak? Cream and a plaster overnight should sort it out.

BTW, I get a lot of ingrowing toenails. Warm salty soak, then releasing the pus followed by antibacterial cream usually sorts it (till the next time, mwah ha ha).

That's a nice series of photos... I feel a teeny bit bad that I'm hoping that's not quite all the pus & it'll build up again.

Thanks all. We have TCP somewhere. I have tea tree oil though. Shall I start with that?

I've just had one of these!!
Used magnesium sulphate paste to draw the pus out, pricked it with a sterilised needle and squeezed the gunk out, a couple of days with Germolene and a plaster and now it's healing up.

I got exactly the same amount of pus out. It still felt uncomfortable afterwards, but nothing more came out when I tried lancing it again. The worst pain day was Sunday, and now it's fine.

Good to know, and glad yours is better, MLT.

I've had these before, used sterilised needle to get pus out.

Used to work in a lab, would take a little swab of the pus and grow up the bacteria to see what it was and do little antibiotic sensitivity tests on them, oh happy days.

Nice, kitty! So what is it, where fo they come from etc?

I make a wee poultice using bicarbonate of soda paste and cotton wool to leave on after soaking too. Draws out anything left after squeezing!

I think a break in the skin at the edge of the nail lets a little local infection build up. DS bites his nails and I have assumed that is what triggers his.

I wash my hands a LOT as I have a baby in nappies, hands are a bit dry, possibly doesn't help, but I didn't notice any skin breaks at all.

Anyway. So yesterday my finger felt a bit better - still swollen a bit, but only feeling a bit bruised. Late last night it started to throb again, and back to feeling very sore. More swollen again today. :( Owwww. No green stuff though.

Been to GP, it is what apatheticfallacy identified it as, so well done you!
Got ABs, but she said I could just ride it out and it will heal itself.
Thanks for all your help and advice everyone (even the ones who were wishing for more gunk!)!