What Does Staph Infection Look Like Anyway?
Staph infections are caused by Staphyloccus Aureus bacteria gone bad. These bacteria hang out on our skin and normally do so without any harm. However, when the skin's defenses are low, these bacteria invade the skin and cause a whole lot of infections. Often times, our immune system immediately do damage control, but when they can't handle them either, it's time to call for outside help - although before any treatment, answering this question comes first: what does staph infection look like anyway?
The staph bacteria can invade just about anywhere on our skin, even on the areas you never thought possible. Depending on the location, staph infections come in different forms and sizes. And with their different looks, it is not impossible to mistake these infections for something else, like a spider bite perhaps. Let's get the lowdown on these bacteria and know: what does staph infection look like...
...under a microscope? Under the thick lenses of the microscope, these bacteria look like golden bunches of grapes or berries. These characteristics gained them the name “staphylococcus aureus” - “staphylo”, meaning a bunch of grapes and “kokkos” which refers to berries in Latin. While “aureus” refers to their golden color which is very much like the sun.
...on the hair follicles? The symptoms of staph skin infection that appear on hair follicles indicate folliculitis, a staph infection that is caused by improper shaving or rubbing against clothes. It can grow from your head down to the area around your genital. Staph infection of this type looks like little pimples with tiny white-heads.
...on young kids? Even kids are not spared from staph infections. Their young skin can be exposed to the complications of these bacteria, like Impetigo and Scalded Skin Syndrome for examples. Impetigo starts as tender and itchy bumps on skin which turn to blisters and later develop honey-colored crusts. This infection has all the symptoms of staph skin infection in check, except probably for fever and some pains.
The Scalded Skin Syndrome usually affects children under 5, especially newborns. What does staph infection look like on a patient with this infection? Well, it usually starts off as a staph infection rash around the mouth that spreads to the legs, arms and sometimes to the genital. Staph infection over these parts causes the skin to flake off and become red and raw, as if burnt. If your child is infected with SSS, hospital treatment is best since this infection is almost as serious as a burn, so extra care should be applied to them.
...when bundled together? Sometimes, red, swollen bumps also known as boils bundle together looking like a bad case of acne. But unlike acne, carbuncles – as they are known – cause a person to feel ill. Without treatment – it is possible to dismiss these as acne – they can get worse and turn into abscesses which can poison the blood.
...while healing? You would know that your staph infection is gradually healing when all the pus drains out and the sores developed golden-colored crusts. At this point, always make sure to disinfect the wound – wash it with antibacterial soap and keep it clean by covering it with gauze. This is to prevent the infection from recurring or spreading into other parts of the body or passing it on to another person.
Staph infections are rarely life-threatening, but still, one should always look out for their symptoms. This “what-does-staph-infection-look-like” guide may just help you in spotting the symptoms, which makes it possible to promptly apply the right cure.