Impetigo - symptom, Treatment of Impetigo
Impetigo Information
Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection that is characterized by scabby, crusty sores. Impetigo is very contagious among infants and young children and may be associated with poor hygiene or predisposing skin eruptions such as chicken pox, scabies, and atopic and contact dermatitis. It is also known as bullous impetigo and epidemic impetigo. Impetigo tends to develop in areas of the skin that have already been damaged through some other mechanism.
Symptoms of Impetigo
The symptoms of impetigo include itchy, yellow-crusted sores that look like pimples, often on the hands or face. The first sign of bullous impetigo is a large bump on the skin with a clear, fluid-filled top (called a vesicle). Bullous impetigo starts as s small blister, called a vesicle, filled with yellow fluid. There is usually no redness or pain.
Causes of Impetigo
Impetigo is the name for a skin infection caused by a bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. The reason for this is that 40% of people can carry the bacteria harmlessly in their nose. Bullous impetigo is usually caused by the staph bacteria and can occur at any age, while impetigo caused by strep is more likely to appear between the ages of two and five.
Treatment of Impetigo
Treating impetigo involves the following:
- topical treatments (antibiotics, steroids if needed and moisturisers)
- Uncomplicated impetigo is usually treated with a topical antibiotic cream called mupirocin.
- physical treatments (removing crusts etc)
- systemic treatment if necessary - treatment taken by mouth in tablet or syrup form.
|
