Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most dangerous bacteria and prevention is the best way to stay away from them, as there is no vaccine available for its infection. Let's find out how we can fight against this bacteria.
Staphylococcus is one the bacteria present in 20 to 30 percent of the normal people. But they are not harmful as they are in their dormant state. They are present in the nose and skin. They become active and infect our body when there is any damage to the skin. The damage may be caused due to accident, fall or any such incident. These infections are also known as staph infection. There are more than 30 different types of Staphylococci but the most dangerous is the Staphylococcus aureus.
Staph Infection Symptoms
Although Staphylococcus aureus is found in many people, it affects only a certain group. This group includes breastfeeding women, newborn infants and people with low immunity, skin injuries, surgical incisions, intravenous catheters, etc. It can also become active in people who suffer from chronic conditions such as lung disease, vascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. There is also a possibility of acquiring staph infection after any surgery. Following are some of the symptoms that are generally observed.
- The infection may cause skin blister or scaled skin and can dry the affected area.
- Swelling, crusting and redness of the skin can be observed.
- Collection of pus in a particular area which may appear like a boil or abscess is seen.
- Pain can also be observed in the affected area.
- The person may develop fever, pneumonia or osteomyelitis.
How to Treat Staph Infection
Treatment for Staphylococcus aureus infection depends upon the seriousness of the infection. As there is no vaccine for this infection, doctors recommend antibiotics to cure it. Following are some of the treatments recommended.
- Previously penicillin was prescribed by the doctors to overcome staph infection but now doctors recommend stronger antibiotic as there is a group of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria which has become resistant to many antibiotics. This group is known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. Because of MRSA staph infection, doctors recommend the strongest antibiotic available in the market.
- The doctor takes the sample of the patient’s infection and prepares a culture of it. Then he tries different antibiotics on it to test which antibiotic works better on that bacteria.
- It is very important for a doctor to know about the patient’s medical background, as in some cases, if the infection is deep and antibiotic is not able to cure it, doctors go for surgeries. This is done to drain the pus from the wound. After that, the doctor cleans the wound properly. This process is painful but in some cases it becomes necessary. After the surgery the patient needs to take proper care of the wound. Surgery cannot be done on the patients who have chronic disorders like diabetes because the wound may take a lot of time to heal or it can also become worse.
Precaution for Staphylococcus Aureus Infection
Staph infection is highly contagious, it can spread from one person to another even through a small cut. Although there are treatments but it is recommended to take proper precautions when there is any wound.
- Try to clean the wound properly and apply antibiotic so as to avoid any further infection.
- Try to maintain cleanliness in the body as well as in the surroundings.
- As this infection is contagious, try to maintain distance from the infected person.
- If you notice any wound which is taking time to heal, contact a doctor immediately.
- Approach the doctor before the wound gets critical as this infection spreads from the blood vessels and it can harm other organs too.
So, next time when you get any wound or even a simple cut, you should take proper care of it, especially, if you come under the category of people who are prone to infections. Try to focus more on the precautions than treatment. Maintain cleanliness and try to stay away from staph infection.
