Impetigo - Information on Impetigo

Impetigo Information

Impetigo is basically a skin disease typical to youth, but Impetigo may occur to the people at any age. Superficial honey-colored serous crusts are characteristic of this disorder. It is usually caused by a staphylococcus infection. Culture is rarely reliable.

In adults, impetigo is usually the result of injury to the skin — often by another dermatological condition such as dermatitis. generally children gets effected by it through a cut, scrape or even insect bite, but they can also develop impetigo without having any notable damage to the skin. Impetigo that strikes healthy skin is called primary impetigo. Secondary impetigo occurs following an injury to your skin's protective barrier.

We have provided you here all symptoms, causes and treatment methods of Impetigo.

Causes of Impetigo

The cause of the Impetigo is unknown.

Treatment of Impetigo

The treatments for impetigo may vary depending on age, the type of impetigo and the severity of the infection. Treatments include:

• 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.
• Topical antibiotics. In some cases, doctors may prescribe an antibiotic that you apply to your child's skin (topical antibiotic), such 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.
• Oral antibiotics. Your doctor is likely to prescribe an oral antibiotic for ecthyma and severe cases of impetigo contagiosa. The type of antibiotic will depend on the severity of the infection and any other allergies or conditions your child might have. Be sure to finish the entire course of medication even if your child seems better. This helps prevent the infection from recurring and makes antibiotic resistance less likely.