Impetigo: causes, symptoms, to treatment

Definition

What is impetigo?

Impetigo is an infection of the upper skin that is highly contagious and causes pain. As a result, a red, fluid-filled skin rash will form. The rash can break out at any time.

A red rash can appear anywhere on the body. However, it often occurs around the nose, mouth and around the hands and feet. After breaking, the rash will leave a crusted yellow and brown skin.

How common is this condition?

Quoted from the American Academy of Dermatology Association, impetigo is a condition that most commonly occurs in children, especially children aged 2 to 5 years. Even so, it is still possible for adults to get this infection.

Usually adults who get impetigo are those who also have other skin problems.

Compared to women, impetigo is a disease that is more common in men.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of impetigo?

Impetigo is of two types: non-bullous and bullous. The non-bullous type is more common than the bullous type. There are several differences in symptoms between the two.

The signs and symptoms of non-bullous impetigo include the following.

One red spot appears which then multiplies and spreads.
The rash feels very itchy.
The rash is fluid-filled and very fragile.
When it breaks, the surrounding skin turns red as well.
Lymph nodes near the injured skin can sometimes feel swollen to the touch.
After breaking, the skin will crust with a yellow-brown color.
The wound can heal without scarring, unless it gets deeper into the skin.

Meanwhile, below are the signs and symptoms of bullous impetigo.

Spots appear on the skin filled with a yellowish, cloudy liquid.
When touched, the bouncy skin feels soft and breaks easily.
After breaking, the skin will crust up but there will be no redness on the surrounding skin.
The skin tends to heal without scarring.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, immediately consult a dermatologist.

When should I see a doctor?

Immediately see a doctor if you experience some symptoms such as:

fever,
the part of the rash is painful and swollen,
the rash looks reddish than usual, as well
rash feels warm to the touch.

Also keep in mind, everyone's body is different so that it can cause different symptoms. If you are worried about your condition or if you still have other questions, please consult your doctor.

Cause

What causes this condition?

Bacteria are one of the main causes of impetigo. The type of bacteria that can cause this condition is the strep bacteria (Streptococcus) and staph (Staphylococcus). Both of these bacteria enter the body through follicles (narrow glandular pockets) in the skin that are damaged by wounds.

Not only open sores, impetigo can occur in invisible skin wounds such as atopic dermatitis (eczema), poison ivy, insect bites, burns, or abrasions. In some cases, impetigo can also be experienced by people whose skin is really healthy.

Sometimes, impetigo occurs when children have the flu or fever. This condition causes the skin under the nose to peel, which in turn opens the way for bacteria to enter the body.

You can catch the disease when you are exposed to wounds or contaminated fluid from the wounds of an infected person.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for impetigo?

Everyone has a risk of certain diseases, one of which is impetigo. Some of the risk factors for impetigo are as follows.

Age. Children 2 to 5 years of age are those who have the highest risk of developing impetigo.
Crowded place. This condition is what makes impetigo easier to catch from person to person, such as in schools and child care centers.
Warm temperature, humid weather. This type of weather is the best conditions for bacteria to thrive and spread. People who live in tropical countries like Indonesia are at a higher risk of developing impetigo.
Broken skin. Bacteria can invade the body through small skin wounds or open skin. These are the things that increase your risk of getting impetigo.
Activity.Children and adults who become athletes, such as wrestling and soccer. This activity causes bacteria to thrive on the skin, it is easy to have open wounds, and there is contact between the skin so that they are easily infected.

Complications

What are the complications of impetigo?

Impetigo is a disease that is usually harmless. With mild infections, the wound from the rupture of the watery rash will heal without scarring. However, that does not mean you can take this condition for granted.

Although rare, below include the complications that can occur when you have impetigo.

Scar tissue

The rash with impetigo is the type that breaks easily, either from scratching or accidental scratching.

Unlike smallpox boils, the rash from this skin disease usually leaves no scars. Unless, if the wound is severe and improper treatment, scar tissue (keloid) can occur.

Ektima

If left untreated, complications such as ectomy are conditions that can strike people with impetigo. This is a more severe type of infection. The reason is, impetigo is a condition that only occurs in the top layer of the skin, while ectima occurs in the deeper part of the skin.

When exposed to this infection, the symptoms that will appear include bouncy skin filled with sore pus. When it is broken, the yellow-brown crust that is formed will be thicker and make the surrounding skin reddish.

Cellulitis

Apart from ectima, bacterial infections of the upper skin layer can also cause cellulitis. This infection can affect the tissue under the skin.

The infection will spread more easily eventually to the lymph nodes and bloodstream. When it occurs, the infection can cause fever and body aches.

Kidney problems

Kidney problems as a complication of impetigo are a fairly rare condition, but they can happen to anyone, especially children. Usually the type that can lead to kidney failure and kidney damage is impetigo which is caused by an infection Streptococcus.

This occurs because bacteria that cause inflammation enter the bloodstream and reach the glomeruli. Glomeruli are the filtering units of the kidneys. When this area becomes infected, the kidneys lose the ability to filter urine.

Medicine and medication

What are my treatment options for impetigo?

This skin disease is simply treated with an antibiotic ointment or cream that is applied directly to the infected area. To use it, soak the wound in warm water or compress it first.

After the scab or dry skin comes off, apply the medicine. That way, the effect of the drug can penetrate the skin better.

If the impetigo wound is more severe or does not heal after being given external medication, you may need oral antibiotics.

Remember, drugs must be dispensed as prescribed. Even if the wound has started to heal, do not stop treatment as this can make it easier for you to relapse and make the disease resistant to antibiotics.

Some of the drugs that are usually used to treat impetigo are as follows.

Antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin.
Oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cephalosporins.
Clindamycin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, if previous treatment has not worked.

Always consult a doctor before you use any of these drugs. Talk to your doctor if on the third day some of the rash scars that broke did not dry up and got better.

Your doctor will likely recommend another antibiotic or replace one with a stronger one. If a medication has unpleasant side effects, feel free to ask your doctor to prescribe another medication with a milder side effect.

Home care

What are the home treatments for this condition?

For people who are infected, there are a number of things you should pay attention to. Apart from preventing transmission, actions that can also accelerate the healing of impetigo are as follows.

Don't touch and scratch

Any skin disease, including impetigo, shouldn't be scratched. This action can make the resilient break out and make the condition worse.

What's more, touching an infected area of skin can also spread bacteria to other areas of the skin.

Don't lend out personal items

This skin infection spreads very easily. If you don't want other family members to catch the same disease and cause recurrent infections, it's best not to borrow personal items such as towels, razors, clothes, and other items until you are free of infection.

Keep the wound clean

In order not to cause recurrent infections, keep the wound scars from the rash clean. Clean the wound with soapy water and water recommended by your doctor.

After that, cover the wound with a bandage and put a bandage on it so it doesn't come off. Don't forget to change the bandages regularly.

Clean your hands after treating skin

To avoid infection in other parts of your body, wash your hands after cleaning your skin, after using the toilet, when you want to eat, and when your hands are dirty.

Wash your hands with soap and then dry with a clean towel or tissue.

Wash what you use

Keep your or the infected patient's belongings separate from other people's items that are healthy, such as sheets, towels, or clothing.

If you want to wash it, wash it in a different place with crochet, in hot water first. When finished, dry in an area exposed to the sun to kill the bacteria.

Cut nails

To prevent the resilience from being accidentally touched by your hands, cut your nails short. Long nails can easily tear infected skin. Use a topical anti-itch medication to reduce itching.

Prevention

Tips to prevent impetigo

Impetigo is a contagious skin disease, whether it is from one area to another or from one person to another.

In order not to transmit impetigo to other people, steps you can take are to avoid using the same objects in turn, such as towels, clothes, sheets, and other objects that they touch.

In addition, you should also avoid skin-to-skin contact with infected people until the open sores have dried and those who are infected have been treated with antibiotics for 24 to 48 hours.

Apart from avoiding direct contact with patients, several ways to prevent impetigo are:

Maintain cleanliness of the body. Get used to bathing properly regularly. Immediately clean the body after doing activities that make the body sweat, such as after exercising.
Immediately treat the wound. Even if the wound is just a scratch or insect bite, it's best to treat the wound immediately. Clean the wound with clean running water before giving the medicine.
Wash your hands diligently. Washing your hands after using the toilet or when your hands are dirty are steps that can prevent impetigo.
Not borrowing other people's personal items. For example, such as sports equipment, towels, or clothes with other people. Make sure you always bring extra clothes or towels with you when traveling so you don't have to borrow these things.