Remedies & Causes of Skin Staph Infections

A staph infection, or staphylococcus, is an infection caused by any one of 30 species of staph bacteria that gets under your skin and can show up in the form of swelling redness, and boils. Between 25 and 30 percent of healthy adults have staph bacteria living in their anus and genitals, as well as around their nose and mouth, but never contract an infection. It is important that you seek medical attention if you think you have a staph infection, as some forms of staph can be life-threatening.

Causes

• Covering cuts and scrapes with a bandage can help prevent the spread of staph infection.

  Staph infection is contracted when the bacteria of the infection come into contact with a break in the skin. Bug bites, minor cuts, lesions, and burns are all areas that are susceptible to staph. Hot and humid weather, crowds, and sweat breed the bacteria that become staph. Staph infections can spread from person to person, through the handling of inanimate objects that carry the bacteria, and during surgical procedures if equipment and open wounds are not properly cared for. Because the staph bacteria can survive on the skin for a full 24 hours, it is highly possible for someone to contract staph without being able to pinpoint the source.

Treatments

• Topical cream is the most common treatment for minor cases of staph infection.

  Most commonly, staph infections can be treated with an over-the-counter topical antibiotic, or a prescription oral antibiotic. When large abscesses are present, the best way to treat them is by having them surgically drained. This removes the puss, which assists in ridding the body of the source of the infection. If abscesses are especially deep, they will also require surgical cleaning. If the staph infection becomes life threatening, antibiotics will be administered intravenously. The type of antibiotic will depend upon the strain of staph.

Home Remedies

• Heat is a great source of pain relief for staph infection sufferers.

  In conjunction with the treatment your doctor has prescribed you for your staph infection, the use of heat is a tremendous aid when it comes to minimizing the pain of a staph infection. Simply hold a washcloth under hot, running water until it is soaked, and place it in the area surrounding the infection. Do not place the washcloth directly on the infection, because it may cause sores to burst. Instead, apply the cloth to the surrounding areas. It is important that you note that this is only meant to help in dealing with the pain, and will not actually treat the infection.

MRSA

• MRSA is a disease often associated with hospital stays.

  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA, is a strain of staph that is resistant to antibiotics in the methicillin class that are typically used to treat staph infection. Amoxicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin, among others, are rendered useless against MRSA. Luckily, this form of staph infection can generally be healed with proper skin health and the use of antibiotics that are known for work, such as Bactrim, Clindamycin, Doxycycline, Vancocin, and Zyvox.