1. Early Signs of Skin Infection
If you get an MRSA infection, the first warning signs you'll develop will be confined to your skin. You'll notice relatively small, reddish spots on your skin that have an appearance similar to pimples. However, you'll quickly find that these spots grow and spread--a sure sign that the problem is not a pimple, insect bite or boil, but infectious skin bacteria.
2. Symptoms of a Worsening Condition
Should you contract an MRSA infection and fail to treat it promptly, while it's still in its early stages, the reddish spots will continue to grow larger and larger, becoming abscessed. Your abscesses will run deep into your skin and be tender or painful to the touch. In order to treat these abscesses, your doctor will have to drain them surgically. This treatment technique is often used instead of antibiotics, since many strains of Staphylococcus bacteria are resistant to all but the most powerful antibiotic drugs.
3. Seek Medical Attention Before the Infection Spreads Internally
It's vital to see a doctor as soon as possible once you've identified the warning signs and symptoms of an early or worsening staph infection. The last thing you want is for the Staphylococcus bacteria to penetrate beneath your skin and into your body. If the bacteria reach your bones, blood, heart or lungs, you're at severely increased risk of developing serious complications. Death can result from an untreated staph infection that manages to gain an internal foothold.
You should note that the majority of MRSA and staph infections occur in clinical or hospital environments. Groups considered to be at elevated risk for contracting an MRSA infection are the elderly and individuals with weakened immune systems. Doctors have identified a subtype of the illness, known as community-associated MRSA, which affects the general population--people of any age and relative health level as well as of either gender. Pneumonia is a common complication of community-associated MRSA, in addition to the skin symptoms.
