5 Things You Need to Know About Staph Infection

1. It's Pretty Common

About 20 to 30 percent of healthy American adults carry the bacteria called Staphylococci, or staph, in different places on their bodies. Staph is commonly found in the mouth, anal or genital area and in the nose. Staph infections usually start with a break in the skin that allows the staph bacteria to enter. Staph infections of the skin, called cellulitis, occur deep in the skin and are commonly treatable.

2. Keep it to Yourself

Staph spreads easily from an infected person to someone else. When blisters are present at the site of infection, drainage from them can pass from person to person through casual contact, shared clothing or shared towels. Washing the infected area well with soap and water can cut down on the risk of infecting others, as well as applying an antibiotic ointment and covering the infection. You can avoid contracting a staph infection in public places, such as the locker room at the gym or the floor of a hotel room, by keeping your feet covered.

3. Stronger Measures

Most staph infections are treatable with antibiotics. Recently, a type of this infection, MSRA, started resisting the standard antibiotic treatments, causing physicians to prescribe tougher medications. Unfortunately, they often prescribe these stronger antibiotics only after treatment with drugs such as penicillin fails to fight the infection. If these infections go untreated long enough, they can spread throughout the body and cause infections in the blood, bones or lead to pneumonia. Antibiotics aren't always necessary, though, as once a doctor drains the blisters that present in a staph infection, many patients experience a full recovery.

4. It Can Cause TSS

Staph infections can lead to the release of proteins in the body that act like poisons. This condition is known as Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). TSS, which was originally linked to the use of tampons, affects the entire body with its sudden onset. TSS is rare and can affect both men and women, who may experience a fever higher than 102 degrees F, achy muscles, redness in the throat, eyes and vagina, a rash resembling sunburn over the whole body, headache, seizures and even organ failure. Recognizing and properly caring for a skin infection greatly reduces the risk of TSS. Women can use sanitary napkins during their cycle or tampons with the lowest effective absorbency, changing them as recommended by the manufacturer. Avoiding methods of birth control linked to TSS, like the sponge or a diaphragm, can also lower the chances of developing this condition.

5. When to get Help

Families who notice skin infections passing from one member to another or who see infections in more than one family member at a time should call their doctor. If an infection becomes painful, red, filled with pus and you just feel bad or have a fever, call your physician.