A staph infection is caused by the staphylococcus bacteria. According to the Mayo Clinic, the staph bacteria can cause skin infections such as impetigo, cellulitis, boils, and what is referred to as "boiled skin syndrome." If the staph bacteria gets into the bloodstream it can lead to blood poisoning, septic arthritis and toxic shock syndrome. Staph infections need to be treated as soon as they are diagnosed, but the treatments can be limited.
Draining
Often the first measure of treatment for a staph infection is draining it. The infection often manifests itself with boils or pus-filled abscesses, and draining these can relieve the infection. This should only be done by a health care professional. According to the Centers for Disease Control, once a staph infection is drained, it may not require further treatment. If it does, the next step is antibiotics.
Antibiotics
Some staph infections have become resistant to antibiotics. The Mayo Clinic reports that penicillin is effective against less than 10 percent of staph infections. Methicillin, which was used at one time against staph infections, can now treat less than 50 percent. In fact, most staph infections are now referred to as MRSA, which stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. One of the strongest antibiotics used to treat staph infections is vancomycin, although some strains of the bacteria are resistant to this treatment also.
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, other antibiotics a physician may try against staph are Clindamycin, Linezolid, Tetracycline and Septra. With so many antibiotic treatments being ineffective against staph infection, many are looking to alternative treatments.
Tea Tree Oil
One alternative treatment to MSRA is tea tree oil. This oil is steam-distilled from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia tree, most commonly found in Australia. The "Journal for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy" reports a study that found tea tree oil to be effective in eliminating MSRA. This study is backed up by numerous others. The appeal of tea tree oil in treating MSRA is that is has limited side effects, unlike high doses of antibiotics.
