Symptoms of impetigo in children are often misunderstood by their parents

Impetigo is a type of contagious skin infection in children caused by Staphylococcus or Streptococcus bacteria. This disease is often confused with chickenpox or herpes, because the symptoms are so similar. In order not to get confused, consider the following symptoms of impetigo in children.

Signs and symptoms of impetigo in children

Symptoms of impetigo in children must be treated as soon as possible. If not, the symptoms of impetigo can get worse and spread quickly to other people.

The various symptoms of impetigo that appear on a child's skin include:

1. Red sores

The earliest symptoms of impetigo in children are the appearance of red sores on the skin of the face, lips, arms and legs. They can vary in severity, some have only one wound, but some have multiple sores and rashes that have spread across their bodies.

Charles I. Shubin, MD, a pediatrician from Mercy Family Care Physicians in Baltimore, recommends that you be diligent in washing your child's skin rashes with soap and water, so that they don't spread to other people quickly.

2. Fluid-filled blisters

The skin of children affected by impetigo usually develops yellow blisters filled with fluid. When these blisters burst, the fluid inside will come out in the form of pus and trigger an itchy sensation on the child's skin.

3. The skin hardens

The rupture of the blisters caused by impetigo can lead to thickening of the layer of skin above it. Over time, these areas of the skin will harden and become yellow or brown, similar to the color of honey.

4. Itching

Impetigo lesions can trigger an itchy skin sensation. However, no matter how itchy the skin is, teach your little one not to scratch it. The reason is, this can actually spread the bacteria that cause impetigo to other parts of the body and worsen the infection.

5. Pain in the skin

If the symptoms of impetigo are not treated promptly, the lesions can penetrate deeper into the skin. This can cause ecthyma, which is a blister that makes the skin very painful.

When should a child be brought to the doctor for impetigo?

Because the infection is very contagious, you should immediately take your little one to the nearest pediatrician. Especially if the child has a fever, body aches, and a rash that is getting darker, then this is a sign that the infection has penetrated deeper into the skin and needs to be treated immediately.

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