Nasal Impetigo
The Causes of Nasal Impetigo - How to Treat it and Prevent It
Nasal impetigo can be a horrible condition and once detected should be treated immediately. Impetigo itself is a bacterial infection related to staph and it affects the top layers of your skin. Because staph is a powerful bacteria, it requires powerful treatment.
Because staph is highly contagious it can spread rather quickly, and it usually spreads amongst young children the quickest. Nasal impetigo could easily be spread at a daycare, but those who are in close living quarters with each other in dorms or even contact sports are also at a risk for this infection.
The name for this infection simply refers to the impetigo spreading through the nasal passage, but is not specific to the nasal cavities itself. Those who get nasal impetigo are usually completely unaware at onset because it’s not something that actually occurs inside the nose, but on the surface of the nose. If someone has this infection and wipes their nose with their hand and then touches another part of their body, they can certainly spread the impetigo. Those who have it and are aware of it should not come into contact with others, or even touch others because it will spread very easily.
There are two types of impetigo that exist; bullous and non-bullous. The non-bullous is the most common form of impetigo because it appears to affect the upper body. It can appear on your face, and on your limbs and can look “crusty”. The bullous form of impetigo usually affects newborns and young children and can appear like blisters on the face, the hands and the buttocks. This impetigo in either form won’t scar the skin, but it certainly isn’t a pleasant experience.
The symptoms of nasal impetigo appear like red bumps or pimples, and the skin surrounding them is red. These bumps can mimic other skin conditions, so before touching it or assuming that it’s something else, it would be wise to consult with your doctor and have tests done to ensure that you know exactly what you have. The easiest way to get the testing done for the impetigo is to let the doctor swab the area around your nose and send it away for a gram stain to see as to whether or not it’s positive for this staph infection. Your doctor may also refer to this as a bacterial culture and may only take a few days to come back if it doesn’t turn positive on the spot. This is generally the same practice that is used when swabbing for strep throat.
When your infection is non- bullous, then a topical antibiotic is usually the best and easiest course of treatment since it’s not inside the nasal passage. This topical antibiotic produces best results when it is applied four times a day every day until it is gone, but generally this infection is only present for three days. Washing your hands with soap and water is still the best way to prevent this infection from occurring. It is also a great way to keep yourself from spreading the infection to other parts of your body. Anytime that you apply the topical antibiotic it would be wise for you to wash your hands immediately following the application to prevent the spread of infection to other parts of your face, your eyes and your limbs too.
Overall, the best way to impede the progress of impetigo, is to wash your hands often throughout the day and to steer clear of close living quarters with others. It is no wonder that in poor countries where so many people live in close quarters that illness is abundant.