Sweet friends, it is with great honor that I write this post today, I have been reading about it for some time and I will gladly be sharing what I have learned about it with you today. I have been writing about staphylococcus aureus infection. Staph infections are caused by staphylococcus bacteria, the germs are usually found on the skin or in the nose of so many healthy individuals, in most cases, the bacteria would not cause any major problem or in a few cases, cause a relatively minor skin infection. Staphylococcus infection can, however, become deadly when the bacteria invade deeper into the body, getting into the bloodstream, bones, joints, heart, or lungs, on a constant basis healthy people are developing the life-threatening phase of staph infections.
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Staph infections are caused by different types of staph germs, they include;
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA): A type of staph bacteria that is resistant to some types of antibiotics called beta-lactams, examples of such antibiotics are; oxacillin, penicillin, methicillin, and amoxicillin. Most infections that are MRSA are skin infections that appear as a boil, bump, or an area that is tender and swollen, it can sometimes be confused with a spider bite.
Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA): This infection type is caused by a bacteria usually found on the skin, it is popularly called staph infection. The treatment for staph infection would normally require antibiotics and it is classified based on their response to treatment. MSSA usually shows signs of infections like; fever, pains and aches, gastrointestinal symptoms, and skin infections.
Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA): These are specific types of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, those who have this type of staphylococcus often have underlying health conditions like diabetes and kidney disease.
Anyone can develop staph infection irrespective of race or gender, but there are people who stand a higher chance of getting the virus, this includes those with chronic conditions such as; cancer, vascular diseases, eczema, lung disease, and diabetes, and those who have the habit of injecting drugs into their bodies.
There are two types of staph infections speaking generally, we have skin infections and invasive infections. Skin infections are much more common and less serious although they could be painful and very annoying, they could however also develop into an invasive infections if they are not treated on time, invasive staph infections could be life-treating especially when they are not treated appropriately.
Examples of skin infections caused by staph are;
Wound Infections, usually crop up two or more days after a skin injury has happened or surgery.
Folliculitis, in this case, the hair follicles become inflamed and often infected, men who have curly hair and shave their beard close to the skin usually get folliculitis on the face and neck.
Stye, is a small, red, and very painful bump that grows from the base of an eyelash or under the eyelid, often associated with visible pus in the center of the bump.
Boils are red, swollen, painful lumps that form under the skin, often starting as an infected hair follicle that gets enlarged and filled with pus. Boils are also called furnaces, usually happening on the neck, armpits, inner thighs, buttocks, and face, the cluster of boils that form a connected infection area is called a carbuncle.
**Cellulitis, is a deeper layer infection of the skin, including the dermis, or the second layer of the skin, and the subcutaneous tissue, or fat and connective tissue that forms the bottom layer of the skin. Cellulitis can happen anywhere on the body, especially around the lower legs.
Skin Abscess, is a pocket of pus surrounded by a thick membrane underneath the skin. Abscesses form when the body tries to protect itself from infection by wailing it off, they could be treated by cutting a hole in the wall of the abscess through a surgical knife and draining the pus, or through the application of warm compresses, smaller abscesses can, however, be treated with antibiotics.
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome: This condition is caused by toxins produced by a staph infection, it results in the peeling of the skin basically around large areas of the body, the skin may appear burned or scalded, often affecting babies and little children.
Impetigois a more common and more contagious staph infection that begins in form of small blisters, usually around the hands, feet, and face, it then develops into a honey-colored crust, and while it can affect young children, anyone could develop it.
Some cases of staph bacteria get into the bloodstream and become fatal and that is when we have invasive staph infections, some examples include;
Endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart valves and could result in heart failure.
Pneumonia, which predominantly affects those who have an underlying lung disease, including those who are on mechanical ventilators.
Septic Arthritis, this infection targets the joints, most especially the knees, hips, shoulders, toe joints, and finger joints.
Sepsisis a bloodstream infection that leads to a widespread inflammatory response, it is one of the most dangerous outcomes of staph that could spread all through the body, and affect the functions of internal organs.
Bacteria or sepsis, which happens usually when bacteria spread to the bloodstream usually as a result of using catheters or surgery.
Food poisoning, cases of food poisoning connected to staph are caused by eating foods contaminated by toxins that are produced by the bacteria, which is not a true bacterial infection and should not be treated with antibiotics. Food would typically get contaminated after being touched by those with staph on their hands.
Osteomyelitis, is a bone infection that could be caused by staph bacteria traveling through the bloodstream or placed there through direct contact following the trauma through the puncture wound of an IV drug.
Toxic shock syndrome is rare but a very serious condition that can happen when staph bacteria enter the bloodstream to produce toxins. Toxic shock syndrome has been linked to the use of high-absorbency tampons but anyone which includes children, men, and even those women who do not use tampons can develop it under some circumstances.
Pyomyositis is a rare bacterial infection of the skeletal muscles, which are the muscles used for movement.
Staph bacteria could spread from one person to another, it can also be spread through objects like cloths, door handles, towels, remote controls, and athletic equipment, For those with staph and does not handle the cooking process effectively, it could cause the spread of staph to others.
The symptoms of staph infections.
The symptoms of staph shown depend significantly on the type of infection.
Borne infections cause pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in the areas infected, they could as well be accompanied by fever and chills.
Skin infections that could look like a boil, the boil-like appearance could be swollen, painful, and red, and sometimes there is pus or drainage.
Endocarditis creates certain flu-like symptoms including fatigue, chills, and fever, symptoms including rapid heartbeat, breath shortage, and the buildup of fluid around the arms and the legs.
The symptoms of pneumonia include high fever, cough, and chills that take time to get better, chest pain and shortness of breath is also a factor.
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) causes serious consequences like; sudden low blood pressure, high fever, confusion, diarrhea, confusion, and vomiting.
The medical expert in charge will conduct a physical examination to check out symptoms, after this test the expert could tell if you have a staph skin infection by just looking at it, in order to check out for other types of staph infections, a culture would be done with a skin scraping, tissue sample, stool sample or throat or nasal swabs, there could be other tests like imaging tests but that is dependent on the type of infection.
The treatment for staph infections is antibiotics, but depending on the nature of the infection, you could be prescribed a tablet, cream, or ointment, in some cases intravenous (IV) may be the possible option, if you have an infected wound, the medical expert would help to drain it, in some cases surgery would be required when the bone is infected.
Of course, staph infections can be prevented by following some simple health routines;
Keep all wounds and cuts covered.
Try not to share towels, sheets, or clothing with someone who shows symptoms of the infection.
Practice food safety, do not prepare food for others when you have a staph infection.
Do not share athletic equipment, if there is no other option than to share, it is best to clean properly and dry it before use.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, it is safer and advisable to constantly practice safe hygiene and like I always say, whenever there is a sign of a strange illness or sign on the body, it is a smart choice to visit the hospital for a check-up, I will see you soon, I hope you drop comments in the comment section.
References.
medlineplus.gov/staphylococcalinfections