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Staph Infection Cures

The staph bacteria has adapted and changed over time to make it quite the resilient little bacteria. It lives on approximately 20 to 30 percent of healthy people and is found in nasal passages, on the skin and of course in the blood of those infected with it. Penicillin can not cure more than 10 percent of staph infection because staph has become resilient to it. Worse than this is the staph strain that becomes resistant to methicillin and is know as an MRSA (methicillin-resistance staphylococcus aureus infection).

  1. Staph Treatment

    • The choice of antibiotic will be determined by previous antibiotic prescriptions, age and severity of the staph infection. Your doctor may try penicillin as a first option to see if it will kill the bacteria. Tetracyline may be prescribed but will not be prescribed in young children because it causes permanent discoloration of teeth.
      For more severe cases of MRSA, finding an antibiotic that can fight it may be a challenge and take a few attempts. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole has great results but does pose a risk to people with allergies to sulfa. Clindamycin and Linezolid are used with people who are allergic to sulfa medications. Vancomycin may also be used. For some patients, an IV antibiotic may be the only way to eradicate the resilient bacteria from the bloodstream.

    Colonized

    • A person may not have a staph infection but may still be a carrier as a result of staph colonization. This means that a person may not show symptoms of being sick but may be prone to a staph infection because the staph bacteria is found on his skin or within the nasal passage. Your doctor can test you to determine if you are a carrier. This is important in fighting the infection, especially if someone in the household is afflicted with the infection. Something as minimal as dry skin that cracks can lead to a serious infection. It is important to use soap and cleansers that clean and moisturize. Doctors at Cedar Sinai Infectious Disease Services recommends adding a quarter cup of bleach to a hot bath to kill any colonization on the skin or in the anal cavity. Make sure young children do not drink any water from the bath.

    Prevention

    • Hospitals, schools and elderly care homes are notorious for having outbreaks of staph or MRSA staph infections. It isn't hard to understand why. To prevent getting a staph infection, make sure you wash your hands frequently, especially after blowing your nose or sneezing. Don't share razors, makeup or other items in gym class. Make sure all wounds are dressed properly until they are healed. Pus will spread the infection quickly.

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