The bacteria can spread through skin-to-skin contact while playing or through touching equipment, towels, razors, or other items that are shared in the locker room. Recent research has shown household environments play an important role in how staph infections, such as MRSA, are spread. One study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that staph is more likely spread from person to person in a residence that: 5.
Hygiene habits that reduced the risk of staph spread among household members include showering instead of taking baths, brushing teeth twice daily, and practicing frequent hand-washing. To diagnose a staph infection, your doctor will examine any skin lesions you have and possibly take a skin or tissue sample or throat or nasal swab for a lab test to identify the cause of the infection.
In some cases a doctor may order certain imaging tests if a deeper or internal infection is suspected. An echocardiogram , for example, can help your provider determine if the infection has affected your heart. Be sure to include the following items:. Any underlying medical conditions you have may also influence how quickly you heal and recover. Most superficial skin infections can be easily treated. But if you develop a serious infection that turns into sepsis, your prognosis is much worse.
Some studies, such as one published in in The American Journal of Medicine , show death rates from staph infection of the bloodstream range from 20 to 40 percent. The healing time for a staph infection depends on your age, your overall health, the type of infection you have, and what treatment you use.
For instance, a boil can take 10 to 20 days to heal without treatment, but certain medicines may speed up the process, notes Kids Health. Antibiotics are the main line of treatment for most staph infections. The choice of antibiotic depends in part on how serious your infection is and what type of staph you have.
Some minor skin infections will heal on their own with no drug treatment. Invasive staph infections usually require hospitalization for IV antibiotic treatment to fight the infection and other supportive treatment to help you heal.
Antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections include: 3. Some people are interested in alternative therapies to treat their staph infections.
Many internet claims tout applying natural substances, such as coconut oil , tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar , and essential oils, to the skin. One natural remedy that has shown promise is manuka honey. This type of honey has demonstrated antimicrobial activity and the ability to enhance the effects of some antibiotics.
Still, more research needs to be done before manuka honey can safely be used to treat staph, according to an article published in in Letters in Applied Microbiology. Staph bacteria are everywhere. Stay clean. Keeping your hands and body clean is the most important way to prevent a staph infection. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds at a time, and shower daily.
Clean any wounds. Clean cuts, scrapes, and other injuries thoroughly with soap and water to rinse out dirt and bacteria. Avoid sharing personal items. Change tampons frequently. If you use tampons, change them at least every four to eight hours to avoid developing toxic shock syndrome. Keeping tampons in for extended periods creates an environment that can cause bacteria to grow.
Wash clothing and linens in hot water. If you or someone in your household has a staph infection, wash your clothes, towels, and bedding in hot water, using bleach, if possible. Dry the laundry in the dryer, making sure it is completely dry before you remove it. Be careful about the food you eat. Wash your hands before preparing food or eating finger foods. Make sure that the hot foods you eat stay hot until you serve them, and the cold foods stay cold. The temperature of hot foods should be above degrees F, and the temperature of cold foods should be below 40 degrees F.
Use clean razors to shave. If you get a staph infection in an area you normally shave, avoid shaving until the infection clears. If you must shave, use a clean, disposable razor. Wash yourself and your clothing after playing sports. Athletes should shower right after a game, competition, or practice. Also, wash your workout clothes and uniforms regularly, and keep your equipment clean. One of the most serious complications of a staph infection happens when the bacteria invade the bloodstream and cause an inflammatory response known as sepsis.
Sepsis can turn into septic shock , a life-threatening condition that causes your blood pressure to drop dramatically and additionally causes organ damage.
More than 1. Tell your future healthcare providers if diagnosed with a resistant staph infection. Staph infections and deaths are preventable. Many hospitals have successfully prevented infections and spread. Ongoing assessment of facility data and implementation of prevention strategies are critical to this success. Issue Details. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address.
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The most common type of staph infection is the boil, a pocket of pus that develops in a hair follicle or oil gland.
The skin over the infected area usually becomes red and swollen. If a boil breaks open, it will probably drain pus. Boils occur most often under the arms or around the groin or buttocks. Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Symptoms come on quickly, usually within hours of eating a contaminated food.
Symptoms usually disappear quickly, too, often lasting just half a day. A staph infection in food usually doesn't cause a fever. Signs and symptoms you can expect with this type of staph infection include:.
Also known as a bloodstream infection, bacteremia occurs when staph bacteria enter a person's bloodstream. A fever and low blood pressure are signs of bacteremia. The bacteria can travel to locations deep within your body, to produce infections affecting:. This life-threatening condition results from toxins produced by some strains of staph bacteria and has been linked to certain types of tampons, skin wounds and surgery. It usually develops suddenly with:. Septic arthritis is often caused by a staph infection.
The bacteria often target the knees, shoulders, hips, and fingers or toes. Signs and symptoms may include:. Many people carry staph bacteria and never develop staph infections. However, if you develop a staph infection, there's a good chance that it's from bacteria you've been carrying around for some time. But MRSA can also lead to some of the more serious skin and blood infections mentioned above.
Goldenberg says, which could range anywhere from topical or oral antibiotics for superficial skin infections to IV antibiotics for more serious infections. While anyone can develop a staph infection, those with weakened immune systems and diabetes are at a higher risk, Dr. People with eczema also tend to get more superficial staph infections, he says. You should also try to keep broken skin such as itchy rashes, cuts, and sores away from gym equipment and other surfaces that may be harboring bacteria.
Zeichner says. Goldenberg adds. Unless you have an angry skin boil or blemish, spotting a staph infection is going to be difficult, since the symptoms can overlap with all sorts of health conditions, Dr. When in doubt, see your doctor, who can give you a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Stay updated on the latest science-backed health, fitness, and nutrition news by signing up for the Prevention. For added fun, follow us on Instagram. Weight Loss.
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