Infantigo Definition: It is a bacterial skin infection that causes red sores that can break open, ooze fluid, and develop a yellow-brown coating. These sores can arise anywhere on the body.
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Impetigo or Infantigo is a bacterial skin infection that can affect people of all age groups. It is mostly found to affect young children between the age group of two to six years. It is extremely contagious and occurs as red sores on the face, especially around the nose and mouth. The sores can burst and become brown coloured crusts.
The main culprit of this contagious skin infection is staphylococcus aureus or staphylococcus pyogenes (very rarely). It is the most common bacterial skin infection is major parts of North America, Europe and Canada and in places which are warm. It is hardly ever deadly and vanishes in a couple of weeks if proper treatment is administered on time.
It can be divided into three types:
1) Non Bullous Infantigo :- This is the most common type of Infantigo and is also known as Infantigo Contagiosa. In the initial stage, it comes across as a red sore near the mouth or nose which soon ruptures and oozes liquid. The sores later form brown-honey coloured crusts which leave permanent scars on the skin. They caused lot of itching and irritation but are less painful. Scratching the affected area and touching the other parts of the body with the same hands can cause contamination and spreading of infection.
2) Bullous Infantigo :- This type of Infantigo is more prevalent in young children. It starts as small, liquid filled boils generally on the arms, legs and trunk which are surrounded by patches of red rashes or red skin. After they rupture, they leave yellow marks or scars on the skin.
3) Echthyma :- This type of Infantigo is more painful than the other two. The fluid filled sores or boils that normally appear on the legs and arms turn into ulcers and penetrate further into the dermis. After they rupture, they turn into thick, yellow scabs and leave behind scars on the affected area. It can also affect lymph nodes in the nearby area which can lead to lymph node swelling and fever.
There are quite a few signs and symptoms that typically appear with the onset of infection. While Infantigo can affect any part of your body, it is common to have Infantigo on the face, especially around the nose and mouth.
There are common symptoms that are seen in case of non-bullous and bullous Infantigo:
It is caused by bacteria that enter your bloodstream and create havoc by multiplying once they encounter favourable conditions for their growth. The two bacteria strains that can cause Infantigo are: Streptococcus pyogenes (strep) and Staphylococcus aureus (staph). Both bullous and non-bullous can occur due to Staphylococcus aureus and in very rare cases, Streptococcus pyogenes can cause non-bullous Infantigo. These bacteria enter our skin through cuts, wounds or open sores and bruises.
Supporting Factors
Some factors that support the growth of bacteria and spreading of the disease are:
Transmission :- In case of Infantigo, contamination can happen through direct contact with sores or nasal discharge. The gestation period is 1–3 days after contact with Streptococcus and 4–10 days for Staphylococcus. Scratching may further spread the disease.
It is not very difficult to diagnose Infantigo and can be diagnosed by just examining the affected area. The doctor can inquire the patient about recent sores, bruises, rashes or blisters.
The doctor may also recommend further tests if:
To check with bacteria is causing trouble; the doctor will gently wipe a crusted area with a swab and examine it. The doctor can also take a sample of your mucous to see if the same if the source of infection.
Is Infantigo Treatable?
Yes, it is treatable and is like any other bacterial infection that can be treated with the help of antibiotics, both oral and topical.
Anti-microbial medicines or antibiotics form the base of Infantigo treatment. These drugs can be used in the form of oral tablets or in topical form like creams and lotions. The very first thing that you must do before applying a cream is bathe the affected area in warm water to remove germs and covering coatings.
If your infection is severe, then your doctor may prescribe anti-microbial medicines in oral form.
Topical Antibiotics :- They are applied on the affected area of the skin. Before applying it, the coated sore must be cleaned thoroughly so that the cream can penetrate deep inside the skin and attack the bacteria. It is greatly recommended that you use latex gloves while applying this cream to avoid further spreading of the infection to other parts of the body. After application wash your hands with medicated hand wash to get rid of any bacteria that you may have encountered while applying the anti-microbial cream on your wound.
Oral Antibiotics :- These are usually prescribed when the infection is severe and refusing to go even after applying anti-microbial creams. The choice of drug depends on the type of bacteria causing the infection and other factors like patient’s general health, age, gender and response to certain drugs.
The course of anti-biotic may range from 5-10 days depending upon the severity of the infection. Remember to take a probiotic drink or tablet along with antibiotics to save your body from killing good bacteria. The infection will only get over once the antibiotic course is completed. Leaving the course in between will be of no help.
Well, definitely yes! There are several home remedies and treatments that can help you prevent and cure Infantigo.
Also it is very important to wash the patient’s bed sheets, blankets, towels and clothes daily.
Check out these images below and this will help you identifying Infantigo sores and scabs.
Hopefully, by now you must have an idea of what Infantigo looks like.
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