What is it?Staph, or staphylococcus aureus, is a bacteria found on the skin's surface. Everyone has staph on their skin at any given time. However, when it penetrates through open wounds, cuts, or even ingrown hairs, it can become infectious. One of the aspects that makes it so dangerous compared to some other bacterial infections is its ability to grow inwards instead of out. Therefore often times a person does not truly know how severe the subcutaneous infection may be, as is appears fairly small. As it continues to grow it can get into the bloodstream, bones, and joints causing severe and even life threatening problems.
MRSA, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, is a type of bacterial infection that is resistant to drugs in the penicillin family, which are most commonly used to treat bacterial infections.
Symptoms- Start as small bumps that resemble an ingrown hair, spider bite, or boil
- Reddish
- Swollen
- Tender
- Quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses
- May drain pus or develop a crusty covering
Prevention- Hand washing, thoroughly and properly
- Clean and bandage open wounds
- Avoid contact with other people's open wounds
- Do not share razors, towels, stick deodorant, or other personal hygiene items
Treatment- Several antibiotics can be used to treat staph, including MRSA
- Bactrim and Rifampin are two common ones
- Always take medication properly and until it is complete
- Sometimes draining the area may be required, which will be done by a physician
- Extreme cases will involve surgical removal