As a parent, you've probably encountered an assortment of rashes and skin irritations over the years. One of the most common skin rashes is impetigo - a skin infection that typically appears on the face, most commonly around the nose and mouth. Although anyone can develop the infection, it is most common in infants and young children. When it comes to your children you will search endlessly for the best impetigo remedy available. Hopefully, by getting a clearer picture of what impetigo is, you will be able to select the best impetigo remedy that suits your own needs.
Impetigo generally occurs when bacteria enter the skin through cuts, scrapes or insect bites, but can affect perfectly healthy skin. It starts as a red sore that quickly ruptures, oozes for a few days and then forms a yellowish-brown crust that looks like honey or brown sugar. Impetigo is highly contagious, and scratching or touching the sores is likely to spread the infection to other parts of the body as well as to other people.
Impetigo is seldom serious, and minor infections may clear spontaneously in 2 to 3 weeks. However, because impetigo can sometimes lead to complications, your physician may choose to treat it with an antibiotic ointment or oral antibiotics or you can choose an over-the-counter impetigo remedy in an all-natural form. When taking an aggressive consistent approach with an impetigo remedy, healing should begin in about 3 days.
Most often, your child can return to school or child-care as soon as they have surpassed the contagious stage; usually within 24 hours after starting the use of your selected impetigo remedy.
You can help prevent impetigo by taking good care of your child's skin. When bathing, use an antibacterial soap and water. Give special attention to cuts, rashes, insect bites and allergic reactions. If anyone in your family does develop impetigo, a few simple measures can help keep the infection from spreading.
Impetigo occurs in several types, each with their own distinctive characteristics:
Impetigo contagiosa
The most common is impetigo contagiosa, which usually starts as a red sore on the face, most often times around the nose and mouth. The sore ruptures quickly, oozing fluid or pus that will form a honey-colored crust. Eventually the crust disappears, leaving a red mark that will heal without scarring. The sores may be itchy and uncomfortable, but they are not painful.
Fever is not associated with this type of impetigo, but they may experience swollen lymph nodes in the affected area. Because the infection is extremely contagious, just touching or scratching the sores can cause it to spread to other parts of your child's body. Applying a carefully selected impetigo remedy will help ease the discomfort and minimize the risk of spreading the impetigo infection to other parts of the body.
Bullous impetigo
Bullous impetigo most commonly affects children 2 years or younger. It causes painless blisters - usually on the trunk, arms and legs. The blisters may be large or small and generally last longer than sores from other types which can also be treated with your chosen impetigo remedy. Bullous impetigo may cause other signs and symptoms, including fever, diarrhea and general weakness.
Ecthyma
Ecthyma is a more serious form of impetigo in which the infection penetrates deep into the skin's second layer (dermis). Signs and symptoms include painful fluid-filled sores that turn into deep ulcers, usually on the legs and feet, a hard, thick, gray-yellow crust covering the sores, swollen lymph glands near the affected area, scarring after the ulcers have healed. Using your impetigo remedy will minimize the urge to scratch the sores and help reduce the scarring affects during healing.
Impetigo is usually caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, although another bacterium, Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus), may also contribute to the condition. Both types of bacteria can live harmlessly on your skin until they enter through a cut or other wound and cause an infection.
Impetigo found in adults is usually the result of injury to the skin, often by another dermatological condition such as dermatitis. Children are commonly infected through a cut, scrape or insect bite, but they can also develop impetigo without having any damage to the skin. Impetigo that strikes healthy skin is called primary impetigo. Secondary impetigo occurs following an injury to your skin's protective barrier.
Exposure to the bacteria that causes impetigo most commonly occurs when you have come into contact with the sores of someone who is infected or with items they have touched, such as clothing, bed linen, towels and even toys. Once you're infected, you can easily spread the infection yourself. It is important to recognize this infection and begin use of an impetigo remedy promptly.
Staph bacteria produce a toxin that makes impetigo especially infectious. The toxin attacks a protein that helps bind skin cells together. Once this protein is damaged, germs are able to spread more quickly.
Although anyone of any age can develop impetigo, children ages 2 to 6 years and infants are most likely to become infected. Children are especially susceptible to infections because their immune systems are not completely developed. Because staph and strep bacteria flourish wherever groups of people are in close contact, impetigo spreads easily in schools and child-care settings. Using an affective impetigo remedy will promote healing and allow your child to return to normal activity after they have healed beyond the infectious stage
Older adults and people with diabetes or a compromised immune system are especially likely to develop the most serious form of impetigo.
See your doctor if your child develops any unusual sores, especially if they contain fluid or pus to get a proper diagnosis. Although impetigo is not dangerous, it can lead to serious complications when it goes untreated with a proper impetigo remedy.
Your pediatrician will usually diagnose the infection with a simple visual examination of lesions on your child's skin. It is routine to sometimes use a cotton swab to gently remove a small sampling of fluid from one of the sores. The sample is then sent to a lab where it's grown on a special medium (culture) and checked for the presence of bacteria.
If you have a newborn with bullous impetigo, your baby is likely to be referred to a neonatologist for care.
Impetigo is not dangerous, but sometimes it may lead to serious complications, including:
Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN). This kidney inflammation may develop after a streptococcal infection such as strep throat or impetigo. It occurs when dead bacteria and antibodies become trapped in the small tubes that filter waste in your kidneys (glomeruli). Although most people recover without any lasting damage, PSGN can sometimes lead to kidney failure. Signs and symptoms of PSGN commonly appear about 2 weeks after an infection. They include facial swelling - especially around the eyes, decreased urination, blood in the urine, high blood pressure and stiff or painful joints. Most often, PSGN affects boys between the ages of 3 and 7. Adults who develop PSGN tend to have more serious symptoms and are less likely to make a full recovery.
Meningitis.
This is a serious infection and inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord. Newborns with bullous impetigo are especially at risk. Meningitis usually starts suddenly with a high fever, severe headache and vomiting. As the disease progresses, the brain begins to swell and eventually to bleed. Without immediate treatment, children with meningitis may develop hearing loss, brain damage, blindness, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. The disease is fatal in about 10 percent of cases.
Cellulitis. This potentially serious infection affects the tissues underlying your skin and eventually may spread to your lymph nodes and bloodstream. Left untreated, cellulitis can quickly become life-threatening.The treatments for impetigo may vary depending on your child's age, the type of impetigo and the severity of the infection. Treatments include:
Hygienic measures. Sometimes your pediatrician may choose to treat minor cases of impetigo with hygienic measures. Keeping your child's skin clean and bacteria-free can help mild infections heal on their own.
Topical antibiotics. In some cases, your pediatrician may prescribe an impetigo remedy that you apply to your child's skin (topical antibiotic), such as mupirocin ointment (Bactroban). Topical antibiotics avoid some of the side effects of oral antibiotics such as diarrhea. The downside is that bacteria may become resistant to them over time.
Oral antibiotics. Your doctor is likely to prescribe an impetigo remedy for ecthyma and severe cases of impetigo contagiosa. The type of antibiotic will depend on the severity of the infection and any other allergies or conditions your child might have. Be sure to finish the entire course of medication even if your child seems better. This helps prevent the infection from recurring and makes it less likely that bacteria will become resistant to the antibiotics.
For minor infections that haven't spread to other areas, try the following home impetigo treatment until you can secure a proper impetigo remedy:
Soak the affected areas of skin with a vinegar solution - one tablespoon of white vinegar to one pint of water- for 20 minutes. This makes it easier to gently remove the scabs.
After washing, apply an over-the-counter impetigo remedy three or four times daily. Wash your skin before each application, and pat it dry.
Avoid scratching or touching the sores as much as possible until they heal. Applying a non-stick dressing to the infected area can help keep impetigo from spreading.
