Symptoms of Impetigo

The symptoms of impetigo are easy to spot. Once you've identified these symptoms, you'll be able to recognize impetigo in the future quite easily. Impetigo is most common in children, but it can also occur in adults, especially in cases where the skin was broken and the adult's immunity was low. Look for the following symptoms of impetigo if you are concerned about a skin irritation:

Red Sores
Impetigo usually starts with red, painless sores around your mouth, nose or in close proximity to a scrape or a scratch.

Itching
These sores usually itch more than they hurt.

Blisters with Low-grade Pain
Sometimes impetigo starts with relatively painless blisters instead of sores. This is especially common with impetigo that is on the trunk, legs or feet.

Bursting Blisters
Whether impetigo starts with blisters or sores, eventually blisters that will burst will form. These blisters are filled with bacteria-laden fluid that is very contagious.

Honey-Colored Crust
After the blisters burst, the sores will crust over with a crust that looks like brown sugar. It is a very distinctive type of blister crust that is uniquely honey-colored and crystallized in appearance. It may be quite itchy, but usually is not very painful, unless the infection has progressed to affecting the lower layers of the skin.

Swollen Lymph Nodes
If impetigo gets serious, you will notice swelling of the lymph nodes closest to the site of infection.

Fever
If impetigo becomes serious, you may also experience a low-grade fever.

Deep Lesions
If impetigo goes untreated, it may develop into large blisters that leave deep sores and lesions that become painful and ooze a great deal of liquid.  It is very important to treat impetigo long before it becomes serious, especially since some forms of impetigo are resistant to most antibiotics and can become serious infections.

If you notice these symptoms of impetigo, see your doctor immediately. Request aggressive treatment of impetigo involving topical or oral antibiotics.