What is impetigo? How should you treat impetigo? Is it serious? Impetigo is a skin infection. Your skin acts as a barrier, protecting you from bacteria; when your skin is broken, that barrier is compromised, leaving your vulnerable to bacteria, such as staph or strep bacteria. Impetigo is an infection of the skin caused by one of these two bacteria. Because it is a bacterial infection, it can be difficult for your body to fight off by itself.
Children are usually most susceptible to impetigo because they are more likely to have broken skin than adults. Many children develop impetigo after first developing a rash around the mouth or nose due to a runny nose or irritation of the skin around the mouth from a pacifier, bottle or simply touching the mouth too much. The irritated skin breaks and bacteria that normally occurs on the surface of the skin causes an infection. Adults usually develop impetigo as a secondary infection after skin irritation caused by an insect bite, a scratch or a scrape. It is possible for people to develop impetigo without having breakage of the skin beforehand, but it is usually related to a compromise of the skin.
Once you develop impetigo, you become a carrier of the bacteria. Staph bacteria in particular can be especially difficult to treat and can be especially contagious. You'll need to wash your clothes separately and be careful not to share clothing, washcloths, towels or eating utensils with others until your impetigo clears up. Wash your hands frequently and be careful not to touch your impetigo sores and then touch anything else.
Impetigo usually clears up in about two to three weeks if treated with a topical antibiotic ointment and/or an oral antibiotic. Impetigo can become very serious if you develop a MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection), a form of impetigo that is resistant to common antibiotics and can cause serious complications. See your doctor if you develop impetigo; if it does not clear up within a couple weeks, see your doctor again.
 | What does impetigo look like? Is it easy to spot? |
 | 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 |
Need to know if you have nasal impetigo? Check out this simpel guide to nasal impetigo treatment. |
Find articles about impetigo, including what is impetigo, symptoms of impetigo and nasal impetigo. |
