Impetigo - Symptoms and Treatment

Impetigo is a contagious skin infection that usually produces blisters or sores on the face and hands, this is one of the most common disease found among kids.Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection characterized by small pus-filled blisters that form honey-yellow crusts. Impetigo 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. The disease 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.

This disease develops due to bacterial infection. Impetigo is seldom serious and small infection may clear within 2 - 3 weeks.

Causes of Impetigo

The usual or main cause of this disease is bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, although another bacterium, Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus), may also cause or contribute to the condition. These bacteria are unharmful until they enter inside your body through a cut or wound causing an infection. It is caused due to infection which occurs when we come in contact with sores of a infected person. Staph bacteria produces a toxin which makes impetigo more infectious.

Symptoms of Impetigo

Impetigo may affect skin anywhere on the body but commonly occurs around the nose and mouth, hands, and forearms. As already discussed it is caused to two type of bacteria Impetigo that is caused by staphylococcus aureus triggers larger fluid-containing blisters that appear clear, then cloudy. These blisters are more likely to stay intact longer on the skin without bursting. When impetigo is caused by (group A) streptococcus , it begins as tiny blisters. These blisters eventually burst and leave small wet patches of red skin that may weep fluid

However Impetigo is in various types with differing in symptoms like Impetigo contagiosa, Bullous impetigo, Ecthyma

Treatment of Impetigo

1) Oral antibiotics:, an oral antibiotic for ecthyma and severe cases of impetigo contagiosa. this oral antibiotic depending on the severity of the infection

2) Topical antibiotic:as mupirocin ointment (Bactroban). Topical antibiotics avoid side effects such as diarrhea that can result from oral medications, but as with oral antibiotics, bacteria can become resistant to them over time.

3) Hygienic measures. Sometimes your doctor 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.