Skin Staph Infection- What Are Symptoms, Causes and Treatment for Skin Staph Infection

This is a kind of a bacterial infection caused by Staphylococcus aurous. Those who are more susceptible to contracting this infection include:

  • Diabetics,
  • Hospital staff,
  • Those on dialysis,
  • Obese people,
  • People who have their bodies pierced,
  • Lactating women
  • People who have a weak immunity level.
  • Those who receive chemotherapy.

There is a colonization of these bacteria in the nasal passage and on the skin of such vulnerable people.

These bacterial colonies are harmless. The infection begins only when these bacteria get a chance to sneak into the skin through some cut or wound on the skin.

The skin staph infection manifests itself on the skin in the form of different skin conditions such as:

  • Cellulitis,
  • Impetigo,
  • Boils,
  • Folliculits,
  • Skin-scalding
  • Infected cystic acne.

These infections require a lot of caution as they tend to spread from person to person. The ways in which the skin staph infection spreads are as follows:

  • Sharing of personal towels, bed sheets etc
  • Nose picking.
  • Through infected pets.
  • Sneezing of the infected person without covering the mouth. This may result in the droplets of the infected person to fall on the injured skin of others around him.

The skin staph infection may either be limited to the dermis or may be deep seated and reaches the subcutaneous tissues as well.

Cellulitis is a deep seated infection in which the bacteria enters the skin through a cut and spread beneath the skin. They are red patches of various sizes which seem to be tender, warm and swollen. They are accompanied by fever and swelling in the lymph nodes. This is a severe infection and requires an immediate medical intervention and a course of antibiotics to curb the infection from spreading.

Impetigo is another kind of staph infection which affects children mostly. There is a swelling in the lymph nodes but no fever. Skin scarring may take place in case of severe infection only. Impetigo mostly affects during autumn and summer. In this type of infection a crust gets formed on the skin.

The impetigo infection results in bumps around the nose and mouth area in kids. When these bumps burst, pus trickles out of them and they form a honey colored crust. Ecthyma is a severe type of impetigo in which the crust is quite thick and it affects the skin deeply. It may also cause scars.

Impetigo develops into cellulitis on getting complicated.

Boils are pus filled pockets in the skin. They appear as red, itchy nodules which gradually grow and form a pustule. They consist of white blood cells, dead skin and bacteria. They form a head and after some time may discharge the pus. The furuncles are single hair follicle infections. They are usually mild boils and wither away after some time. Carbuncles, on the other hand, comprise of a group of interlinked furuncles. They are more complex boils and need to be lanced and controlled with antibiotics.

They grow on thick skinned areas like the nape of the neck. Due to an excessive oil production in the skin of teenagers, they face a problem of cystic acne. This staph skin infection is caused by the hair follicles getting choked with dead skin and sebum. An infection gets triggered which then causes boils.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a boil infection which is caused due to excessive friction and sweating. It is mostly found in areas such as armpits, groin etc. These parts have developed sweat glands and a lot of friction in the skin.

Emollients are used to cure itching caused by boils. Staph carriage in the nose is cured by nasal ointments. Folliculitis is curbed by laser hair removal.

These staph infections can be avoided by avoiding bad habits such as nose picking and nails biting. The skin gets irritated due to constant scratching. Hence unnecessary scratching should be avoided and the hands should be kept clean. Tight clothing should be avoided. Personal items should not be shared with others. These precautions may help one get rid of this problem permanently.

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One Response to “Skin Staph Infection”

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