How Do I Treat Impetigo?
Impetigo is an infection of the skin caused by streptococcus or staphylococcus aureus. It can be very contagious, especially among children, and it needs proper treatment right away. There are many improper suggestions on the Internet for how to treat impetigo, some of which even suggest leaving it alone or simply soaking the infection regularly in various substances. Due to its potential for complication, it is not recommended that people attempt methods that don’t involve some form of antibiotic treatment. Under some circumstances, especially in kids, development of a rare complication that can harm the kidneys may occur when people fail to treat.
At first, the best advice to treat impetigo is to get a doctor’s advice and clear diagnosis of the illness. People might suspect the condition if a rash appears on the face or on the hands, where it can create blister/s that eventually ooze and then crust over. The rash can show up elsewhere, but any blistery rash could indicate other illnesses too like chicken pox. The scab or crust part will look different than chicken pox scabs, but in the blister stage, one might be mistaken for another. Be sure to warn doctors when heading to the doctor’s office of presence of blisters, as they may have different protocol if they suspect chicken pox.
Doctors usually take one of two approaches to treat impetigo. They may recommend an oral (taken by mouth) antibiotic to kill the infection, or they could recommend a topical antibiotic, with instructions to return if the topical antibiotic isn’t clearing. If the rash is on the hands, it’s usually advised people cover it with loose bandages (gauze and tape works well) to minimize chances of passing the condition to others. It may be harder to cover rash on the face and it’s strongly advised people don’t touch, scratch or itch exposed rash. Keep the hands in pockets, wear mittens, tape gauze on the affect part of the face, but try to avoid touching the rash, and especially scratching it since this may make it worse or spread the rash elsewhere.
Since impetigo does itch there are some helpful hints for reducing itching. Oatmeal baths or soaks may reduce some itch, as can using vinegar. Some anti-itch creams with diphenhydramine may be useful or oral diphenhydramine can help too, though it will make people very sleepy.
Given the contagious nature of impetigo, another part of its treatment is isolation from large groups of peers, like at school. It usually clears up in a few days, but doctors tend to advise that children not attend school while a case is still infectious. Even a covered rash may weep and create problems for others students. School populations often include medically vulnerable students with impaired immune systems. While impetigo for many is a transient and annoying illness, for the medically vulnerable it may be very severe.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
