Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria commonly found on the skin and inside the noses of healthy people. However, if the skin is broken, the bacteria can enter the body and cause an infection. These infections can be minor or life threatening, depending upon where the bacteria begin to grow and how long it is left without treatment. Tea tree oil can help prevent staph infections when applied topically.
Staph and MRSA
Staphylococcus aureus can create a life-threatening infection if the bacteria invade the bloodstream, joints, bones, lungs or heart. Some staph infections no longer respond to common antibiotics. Symptoms of skin infections caused by staph include boils, impetigo, cellulitis and scalded skin syndrome. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, is a strain of staph that does not respond methicillin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat an infection caused by bacteria. Treatment for MRSA is difficult and may involve stronger antibiotics that have significant negative side effects.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is derived from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree, indigenous to Australia. It was traditionally used by Australians to treat coughs, colds, wounds and skin conditions. Tea tree oil is available over the counter in different strengths. The terpene alcohols in the chemical composition of tea tree oil are thought to have germicidal properties. 1,8-cineole, part of the chemical mixture of tea tree oil, is a skin irritant and must be less than 15 percent of the mixture in preparations sold to the public.
Precautions
Tea tree oil has no well-documented interactions with other medications or food products. However, it is toxic when ingested orally -- if this occurs, you will need immediate treatment to prevent neurological symptoms. Drugs.com states that doses of up to 70 ml taken internally have resulted in decreased level of consciousness and loss of full control of body movement. 1,8-cineol, which gives tea tree oil the characteristic strong fragrance, may also result in contact dermatitis. Do a patch test on the skin before you use it over a larger area.
Treatments
Tea tree oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It may help treat athletes foot and keep minor cuts and scrapes from becoming infected. In a study released in 2004 in the "Journal of Hospital Infection," researchers found that tea tree oil was also able to eradicate MRSA in individuals who were carriers. The rate of elimination of the bacteria was at a statistically similar rate as standard medical treatment with mupirocin nasal ointment and chlorhexidine soap and silver sulfadiazine cream.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Staph Infections; June 9, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; MRSA Infection; May 29, 2010
- Drugs.com: Tea Tree Oil
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Tea Trees and Their Therapeutic Properties; Anitra C. Carr, Ph.D.
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cellulitis
- "Journal of Hospital Infection"; A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Tea Tree Topical Preparations versus a Standard Topical Regimen for the Clearance of MRSA Colonization; M.S. Dryden, et al.; 2004
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