Bacterial skin infections are one of the major causes of hospitalization worldwide and are often a starting point for more complex and life-threatening decisions. Skin infections take many forms and ways how they can affect one’s body. Fortunately, they are treatable when identified early.
In this article, we will cover several bacterial skin infections that anyone can get, how to identify them, and how to deal with them. Read more below, as the first infection may involve young children.
Impetigo
Impetigo is a common skin infection for children around five years old. It is a non-bullous infection typically characterized by a small cluster of erosions or pustules with oozing light-yellow fluid or bacterial pus. Impetigo usually appears in areas with skin breaks like open wounds, sores, or other areas that are wounded and moist. Left untreated, it can be contagious in the long run and may run deeper into a child’s skin.
Fortunately, impetigo is easy to detect and not severe. An early treatment plan involves general hygiene and either oral or skin-applied antibiotics. Should a prescriber order you to take Bactroban for Impetigo, you can search for a Mupirocin Discount Coupon to cut costs back.
Erysipelas
Caused by beta-hemolytic streptococci, erysipelas is a skin infection that targets one’s legs or face, sometimes both. In uncommon cases, it grows to areas recently injured or skin breaks. Symptoms for erysipelas include a shiny, raised rash on the affected part, small blisters and sore lymph nodes.
While it causes general discomfort, treatment is simple, and you can treat it with antibiotics within a few days or a week. Just follow its treatment plan because it has a slight chance to grow back. If you have severe erysipelas and are suffering from symptoms not mentioned above, like fever, take it to the nearest hospital for a more potent treatment and help alleviate your symptoms faster.
Erythrasma
Caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum, Erythrasma grows in areas with frequent skin-to-skin contact and teeming with moisture under the breasts. Because of its nature of growth, it typically affects overweight to obese adults and diabetic patients. When infected with one, it causes irregular pink areas within the area that could turn scaly and cause general discomfort.
It usually goes away with antibiotic creams or pills, but sometimes the treatment plan may take longer as it has a good chance of recurring over specific periods. When that happens, treatments may change depending on the severity and how your body responds to it.
Paronychia
Paronychia is a skin infection found within someone’s fingernails or toenails. This infection is caused by skin breaks from biting nails, unhygienic manicure and pedicure tools or cases of chronic irritation and associated fungal infections.
General symptoms may include chronic pain and wet abscess growth that can be filled with bacterial pus. General treatment plans include hot compresses and warm water baths to reduce inflammation and kill surface bacteria, taking antibiotics, and sometimes piercing the abscess to relieve pressure and extract the pus.
Don’t try to pierce your abscess and self-medicate. Unsterile instruments commonly used at home, can cause additional severe infections. Avoid any complications and see your doctor for proper treatment.
Folliculitis
Folliculitis is a hair infection characterized by pimple-like infections around hair follicles. Folliculitis comes from damaged hair follicles or dirty water baths that may have encouraged germs to enter the follicles and grow.
Symptoms can be annoying when dealing with folliculitis; aside from consistent pain in the affected area, general itchiness and redness from pimple-like growth can be felt. Treatments include warm compresses, general antibiotics and practicing good hygiene.
Cellulitis
Unlike other skin infections, cellulitis is a deep skin infection that causes many symptoms and requires quick treatment. Those dealing with cellulitis experience general swelling of the affected area, tenderness, bruising, blisters, chills and fevers.
Additionally, they are generally weak to function and may lead to more severe diseases. Treatments include cleaning the affected area regularly, IV antibiotics and long rest periods with over-the-counter pain pills. In case of chronic levels of cellulitis, it may require extensive surgery to treat the affected part.
Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome
Conveniently coined as SSSS, this condition causes painful peeling of the top layer of the skin over wider parts of your body. Symptoms include high fever and painful blisters that pop infectious fluid and are contagious.
Treatment for SSSS involves extensive IV antibiotics and nutrition to prevent dehydration and a treatment plan of pain medicines and regular bandaging to enhance skin recovery over days to months, depending on the severity.
Final Thoughts
Bacterial skin infections are typically a nuisance to everyone’s well-being, especially if they could come up on unnoticed parts of your body or generally lousy hygiene practices. The good thing about these, though, is they can be treated when you recognize the signs early, whether for children or adults.
With the most common conditions explained, you can be more prepared against these infections and remove any chances of rapidly developing into something more dangerous.