Contagious impetigo – causes, symptoms, treatment. Impetigo in children and adults

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Contagious impetigo is an itchy, and sometimes painful, infection of the outer layers of the skin, especially common in young children. The infection is caused by bacteria and is highly contagious. A characteristic symptom of contagious impetigo is a honey-yellow scab on the skin. The disease is usually mild, lasting several days. Unfortunately, untreated contagious impetigo can last for many weeks.

Contagious impetigo – causes

Contagious impetigo is an infection caused by strains of staphylococci (staphylococcus aureus) or streptococci (group B streptococcus). These bacteria can enter the body through broken skin caused by a cut, scratch, insect bite, or rash.

The condition can be contagious. You can catch these bacteria if you touch the wounds of a person with impetigo or touch objects such as towels, clothes, or sheets that the person has used. However, the bacteria responsible for the development of contagious impetigo are also common in our environment, and most people who come into contact with them will not necessarily develop the disease. Some people usually have staph bacteria inside their nose. They can become infected if the bacteria spreads to their skin.

Adults and children are more likely to get lichen if they:

1. live in a warm, humid climate;
2. have diabetes;
3. are undergoing dialysis;
4. have a weakened immune system due to, for example, HIV;
5. have skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis;
6. have sunburn or other burns;
7. suffer from itchy infections (lice, scabies, herpes simplex or chicken pox);
8. have been bitten by insects or burned by poison ivy;
9. do contact sports.

See also: Common skin diseases

Contagious impetigo – symptoms

The first signs of contagious impetigo are reddish sores on the skin, often clustered around the nose and mouth. These wounds rapidly blister, ooze and rupture, and then form honey yellow scabs. The clusters of blisters can expand to cover most of the skin. Sometimes the red patches just form yellowish scabs with no obvious blisters. The wounds can be itchy and sometimes painful. After the scab phase, red marks are formed which fade without leaving scars.

Since the incubation period after infection with contagious impetigo is about 10 days, it is after this time that changes begin to appear on the skin.

Babies sometimes have a less common type of impetigo, with larger blisters around the diaper area or in the skin folds.

Contagious impetigo can be troublesome for a sick person. Occasionally this can include swollen lymph nodes around the focus or a fever.

See also: Skin lesions in internal diseases

Contagious impetigo – types

In the case of contagious lichen we can talk about two types:

1. bullous impetigo – a characteristic feature are blisters a few centimeters in size. When they burst, honey-yellow scabs appear, which fall off relatively quickly and leave no scars.
2. follicular impetigo – this variety is characterized by the formation of thin-walled bubbles that burst quickly. A yellow, drying liquid emerges from the blisters, which later forms erosions, and the pustules become crusted. Another equally characteristic feature is the joining of skin lesions, thanks to which large foci of the disease appear.

See also: Pimples on the face – causes, treatment

Lichen contagious in adults

Although lichen contagious is more common in young children, adults can get it too. Because it’s so contagious, lichen can be spread through any close contact. Adults who play sports often get it in contact with the skin.

Symptoms of impetigo in adults are sores around the nose and mouth or other exposed areas of the body that burst, ooze, and then scab. Overall, impetigo is a benign skin disease, but adults have a greater risk of complications than children. They include:

1. glomerulonephritis;
2. cellulitis;
3. lymphangitis;
4. sepsis.

Lichen is contagious in young children

Young children are the most likely age group for developing impetigo. The infection looks different in young children than in adults. Parents can see wounds around the baby’s nose and mouth, as well as on the torso, hands, feet and diaper area.

In young children, often the cause of the appearance of the disease is scratching an insect bite or simply scratching the skin. Scratching allows bacteria to penetrate deep into the skin, and further scratching can unfortunately cause a more serious infection or lead to scarring.

Parents can help prevent complications by covering the wounds and clipping their baby’s nails.

Impetigo infectious in newborns

Contagious impetigo is dangerous for newborns. Keep the infected person away from young children. Contagious impetigo is a serious condition for newborns because a newborn’s inexperienced immune system may not be able to cope with the infection. Without prompt treatment, a severe case of impetigo can be life-threatening.

See also: Is pneumonia in a newborn dangerous?

Impetigo contagious – diagnosis

If you suspect you have contagious impetigo, it’s best to see a doctor who can usually diagnose the infection based on how it looks.

If the wounds do not go away with treatment, your doctor may want to culture the bacteria. This involves taking a small amount of fluid that comes out of the blisters and testing it to see what type of bacteria was causing it. This way you can determine which antibiotics will work best.

Contagious impetigo – treatment

Antibiotics are effective against contagious impetigo. The type of antibiotic you get depends on how widespread or problematic your blisters are.

If a person has impetigo that is contagious only in a small area of ​​their skin, topical antibiotics are the treatment of choice. Options include mupirocin cream or ointment (Bactroban) and retapamulin ointment (Altabax).

If impetigo is severe or widespread, your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin / clavulanate (Augmentin), certain cephalosporins, or clindamycin (Cleocin). These drugs may work faster than topical antibiotics, but are not necessarily better at clearing up the infection.

Oral antibiotics can also cause more side effects than topical antibiotics, such as nausea.

When treated with impetigo, it usually takes 7 to 10 days to heal.

See also: A sponge is a bag of bacteria. Do not use it for washing – recommends a dermatologist

Impetigo contagious – home remedies

Antibiotics are the main treatment for contagious impetigo, but you can help your infection heal faster by having home treatments in addition to the treatments your doctor recommends.

It is recommended to clean and soak wounds three to four times a day until they heal. You can gently clean the wounds with warm soapy water and then remove the crusts. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your wounds to avoid spreading the infection. Dry the affected area and apply a prescription antibiotic ointment as directed by your doctor. Then gently cover the wounds with gauze, if any, where this can be done.

For a minor outbreak, you can use an over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotic ointment. It is good to apply it three times a day after cleaning the diseased area. Then cover the wound with a bandage or gauze. After a few days, if we do not notice any improvement, we should see a doctor. Another home treatment is taking a bath with a little potassium permanganate.

For the daily care of skin with impetigo, it is worth using Bioherba Tar Soap for atopic skin, which is great for all kinds of skin problems.

See also: Why are soap and warm water effective against the coronavirus?

Contagious impetigo – complications

Contagious impetigo is usually not dangerous. And wounds in mild forms of infection usually heal without scarring.

Rare complications of contagious impetigo include:

1. Cellulitis – This potentially life-threatening infection attacks the underlying tissues of the skin and can eventually spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream;
2. Kidney problems – one of the types of bacteria that causes impetigo can also damage the kidneys;
3. Scars – Wounds associated with impetigo can leave scars.
4. Sepsis (bacterial infection of the blood);
5. Scarlet fever (a disease characterized by a pink rash, pain, vomiting).

In infants, it can sometimes lead to:

1. cellulitis; 
2. purulent arthritis;
3. osteomyelitis.

When the skin is broken, sores will form through which bacteria can penetrate and reach the bloodstream. Although it happens very rarely, it can result in ulceration, enlargement of the lymph nodes, and even extremely dangerous sepsis.

Contagious impetigo – prevention

General hygiene measures can prevent many types of infections, including contagious lichen. These mainly include washing your hands with soap and water before eating, after using the toilet, and after spending time outdoors. Plus, you don’t have to do too much to prevent lichen contagious in us or our children.

However, special precautions need to be taken if our child has impetigo or has a rash that could be impetigo: then it is important to prevent others from becoming infected. For example, your child should not go to nurseries, schools, or other places where he or she is in groups with other children.

The child can come back only when the doctor decides that our child is no longer contagious. This is usually 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment or after impetigo has cleared up spontaneously (no treatment).

To prevent the spread of infection in the family it is important to:

1. often wash your hands with soap and water (even at home);
2. avoid touching the rash (if you want to rub or wash your skin, it is good to wear nitrile or latex gloves).
3. use separate items (cups, cutlery, towels, or bedding);
4. wash underwear (and if possible all other clothes), used towels and sheets at a temperature of at least 60 ° C.

In addition, you should maintain a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients and, if possible, eliminate drugs that affect the effectiveness of the immune system. Of course, we should not forget about the treatment of other accompanying skin infections and diseases that affect the appearance of contagious impetigo. When we struggle with chronic diseases such as diabetes, digestive system disorders or kidney and thyroid disorders, we must regularly check the test results and follow the doctor’s recommendations.

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