Impetigo treatment
Impetigo is an infection of the skin that is caused by the staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria. You will find that it occurs more often than not in children as opposed to adults. The symptoms of impetigo are blisters that are relatively small in size which will eventually form into yellowish crusts and are found on the face, in the nose area. It has also been found on the arms and legs in some cases and swollen glands usually accompany impetigo. Another type of impetigo will appear on the buttocks or backs of the legs and form blisters which break and leave the skin raw and irritated.
It is important to get started on an impetigo treatment as soon as possible because the infection is very contagious. Towels, clothing and other items can carry the infection from person to person. Adults can catch impetigo from infected children and it often enters the body through a break in the skin, but this is not always the case.
Impetigo is not a serious condition and can be treated very easily. Usually it just involves keeping the skin clean and treating the blisters and scabs with an antibiotic ointment. If the condition is severe, an oral antibiotic may be prescribed as well. Because the condition is caused by staph infection, it is necessary to test the impetigo to determine the correct antibiotic to use. There have been staph germs that have developed and are resistant to the usual antibiotics used. In some cases, impetigo may even go away on its own without treatment.
Impetigo spreads quickly through daycare centers and schools because of the contagious nature of it. It is important to begin treatment with antibiotics so that the outbreak can be contained. Parents who have children suffering from impetigo should keep them home until the infection has been cleared up. The good thing is that impetigo treatments do not take long and in some cases, as mentioned, will clear up on its own.
Those who suffer from eczema are also more susceptible to contracting impetigo. If you are around someone who has the infection and you have eczema, you should use care to not touch the same clothing, bedding, towels or anything that the infected person has touched.
Parents of children with impetigo should begin the impetigo treatment as soon as the blisters begin to form and avoid touching the infected area. Adults are likely to catch the contagious infection from their children where contact is unavoidable. Problems occur with impetigo when it is misdiagnosed and the patient is not provided with an impetigo treatment. This delays the elimination of the infection that is responsible for the condition.
MRSA is a form of staph infection that is very resistant to standard antibiotics and can produce impetigo. The doctor will have to perform a culture to determine if this is the type of staph infection that is causing your impetigo. The antibiotic that is used for the treatment will need to be one of the handful of antibiotics that can eliminate staph infection.
Even though impetigo is not usually a serious condition, the blisters and unsightly rash can leave many people feeling embarrassed and afraid to leave their home when they are infected. As soon as you suspect that you have impetigo, you should consult with your doctor to start a regimen of antibiotics. Make sure that you take all of the medication that is prescribed to you by the doctor. The super germs that we now see in people are the result of misuse of antibiotics. These germs have mutated to be able to resist most of the antibiotics that are on the market now. Your doctor will determine which antibiotic to prescribe for your impetigo treatment.
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