Treating Impetigo (staph infections of the skin)
Boy, my posting schedule has become a true binge-and-purge, hasn’t it? ;)
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: The time-tested advice passed down to me from my nurse mother on how to treat a staph / impetigo infection. Laugh all you want, but this is a fairly common disease, especially in kids, and treating it is tricky. This falls under the category of "health advice I’ve officially been asked about enough to warrant making a permanent place for it here".
This assumes that you know what impetigo is (if you don’t, Google does), and that you or your little one has it. Sometimes you can be pretty sure just from the symptoms (painful open sores that crust over with yellow stuff, and that keep growing and spreading, or simply won’t go away), but it’s usually best to see a doctor for a swab-test to be sure. The doctor will also probably give you a pretty powerful antibiotic cream or ointment, which you’ll need, though I have it on authority that good old triple-antibiotic from the drug store works just fine too, as long as you follow Mom’s excellent advice below. (That’s what I used when my kid had it.)
Impetigo’s not that dangerous, though you don’t want to just let it go, or it will scar you and possibly, after a long time, do some real damage. Plus it’s really icky! The main problem with it is that it’s SUPER CONTAGIOUS, so even as you’re trying to treat it, you’re reinfecting yourself. (For grammatical reasons, we’ll be assuming that "you" are the one with the problem from here on out. ;) It’s about as easy to get rid of as fleas! But it is possible, and mostly what it requires is being super anal-retentive.
Here’s what you do:
1. Completely change and wash in HOT water ALL sheets, towels, clothes, etc. that come in even slight contact with the infected areas. Get ready to do a fantasic amount of wash: Your sheets, pillows and blankets, clothes and towels, every single day. (Hopefully it’s summer where you are, so you don’t have to wash all your coats/hats/gloves etc. too…but if so, yes you do). Use HOT HOT water. Also use hot water and something antiseptic on everything you touch, at least twice daily. Yes it’s a pain, but it’s the only way to kick this, trust me.
2. Every morning, wake up, and carefully wash every single infected spot on you with mild soap and water. (If you have a lot, in the shower will be easiest.) Don’t pick at scabs, but do pull off any crusty yellow bits that have formed overnight. Then slather on the antibiotic. Always use the hottest water you can stand.
[Wash all sheets & clothes during the day, so you go to sleep on clean ones & put clean ones on every morning. Also, if you have it, liberally spray your mattress / room / couch / bathroom / everything you touch with tea tree oil diluted in water. It's possibly the strongest antiseptic out there, and it's not poisonous to pets or kids.]
3. DO NOT TOUCH the sores, and don’t let anybody else touch them, unless it involves the immediate and thorough-to-the-point-of-pain scrubbing of hands / wrists / elbows in hot water and soap. (Antibacterial soap is not necessary; it doesn’t do anything except build tolerance to antibiotics in the germs.) If you touch anyone in more than a very limited way, make them wash their clothes in hot water immediately.
4. Before bed, wash all the spots again and re-apply the antibiotic. If you can, cover them with gauze overnight.
Rinse, lather, repeat, to make a bad pun…It should stop spreading in a few days, start looking better in a week, and be gone in 4-6 weeks. As long as you have ANY open sores, you have to take all the washing measures above! If you slack off, it’ll start spreading again.
And some random advice…
Avoid tight clothing that rubs against sores, baths (which will only spread the bacteria around your body), and scratching or picking.
For children, you may want to keep the sores covered during the day instead of at night, since they’re more likely to pick at them during the day, BUT don’t keep them covered all the time; air and light are helpful.
Plenty of water and rest and a good diet will help a lot, since the only thing that can kick the infection for good is your own immune system (which is true more often than not).
Stay away from too much sugar, since it will cause yeast to proliferate in your system, and the yeast bacteria can be a carrier for staph and other nasties.
Herbal preparations made with camphor and/or tea tree oil (also eucalyptus, comfrey, angelica, lavender) should reduce the pain and swelling and can be applied as needed. Make them if you know how, but if you don’t, any good health store should carry a topical remedy containing those herbs — something that can be sprayed / misted on works well, since you don’t have to touch the sores to apply it.
Other things that have been reported to speed recovery are neem seed oil and probiotic powders that can be applied to the sores.
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I have had a breakout of Impetigo for over 6 years . for the past 4 yrs. I have been treating it with 2 % oint. Muprocin Tid . The sores clear up but alwAYS COME BACK. My doctor says I’m alergic to the type of antibiotics that he could perscribe
that would help clear up the infection. What do you suggest?
All of the things above, with even MORE emphasis on being super anal-retentive about washing and changing sheets and clothes, since for you, that’s the only thing that’ll get rid of the bacteria. I would prepare yourself, mentally and supply-wise, and institute an all-out war on it for, say, a month. Be super-strict during that time and see if that helps. You really should do everything you can to get rid of it; not only does it suck (as I’m sure you know!) but it can be dangerous to have long-term.
(Also, maybe see an herbalist or naturopath, who might be able to give you a natural antibiotic to use.)
Luck!