Bacterial Skin Infections and Treatment


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What are the symptoms of bacterial skin infections?

Skin infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungus. Bacterial infections causes the skin to become red and inflamed with clusters of spots sometimes filled with pus.

Impetigo is a type of bacterial skin infection that starts as a spot and develops into a blister spreading very quickly through the skin. The blisters become moist and weep, after sometime they form a scab with yellow crusts. Impetigo is more common in children, but it can happen in adults as well. It normally appears around the mouth and nose but it can affect other parts of the body too.

Folliculitis is also a type of skin infection that occurs when the hair follicle, around the hair root, becomes infected causing pus-filled spots on the base of the hair, which can be itchy, normally appearing in clusters. The most common areas in which folliculitis can occur are the chin and moustache area in men, the scalp in children, under the armpit and around pubic area. Folliculitis can turn into a larger spot, abscess or boil, this is more common in teenagers. If abscess or boil occur, they can build up into a large pus-filled swelling causing redness and inflammation of the skin, it may burst and leave a small scar on healing.

What causes bacterial skin infections?

Any injure on the skin surface, such as a small cut, graze or scratch, gives an opportunity for bacteria, viruses or fungus to enter the skin, allowing an infection to occur. Insect bites can also cause skin infection sometimes.


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Your overall health can affect the way your body deals with the infection and how well it fights it off. You can be more prone to develop skin infection if you feel tired and run down, under stress or if your immune system is weekend. So, a balanced healthy diet and a good night sleep can help to strengthen your body against skin infections. Having an underlying condition, such as diabetes can also make you more vulnerable to developing skin infection.

Treatments for bacterial skin infections

Many minor bacterial skin infections can be treated with antiseptic cleansers, lotions or creams available over the counter. Antiseptic products can kill bacteria or prevent them from growing and multiplying, inhibiting the infection from spreading. After washing the affected area with an antiseptic cleanser apply an antiseptic cream. You can cover the area with a sterile, non-stick dressing to help keep it clean. You will need to see your doctor in case of the infection has not cleared in a few days.

A more serious bacterial infection, like impetigo, needs treatment with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. Impetigo is very contagious and spreads very quickly, mainly between children.

In cases where the skin infection is caused by other conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis, you will need treatment for the underlying condition as well as the skin infection.


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