- Remedies for Impetigo
- Signs of improvement and worsening
- Possible complications
- What to do to not have impetigo again
- Care not to pass the disease to others
The treatment for impetigo is done as directed by the doctor and it is usually indicated to apply an antibiotic ointment 3 to 4 times a day, for 5 to 7 days, directly on the wound until there are no more symptoms. It is important that treatment is started as soon as possible to prevent the bacteria from reaching deeper regions of the skin, causing complications and making treatment more difficult.
Impetigo is more common in children and is contagious, so it is recommended that the infected person not go to school or work until the disease has been controlled. During treatment it is also important to separate all clothing, towels, sheets and personal items to prevent the disease from spreading to others.
When the person has small crusted wounds on the skin, these can be removed with soap and water, which is usually sufficient. However, when the wounds are large, being more than 5 mm in diameter, the crust should not be removed, but rather the ointment or lotion recommended by the doctor.
Remedies for Impetigo
To treat impetigo, the doctor usually recommends the use of antibiotic ointments, such as Bacitracin, Fusidic Acid or Mupirocin, for example. However, the constant or frequent use of these ointments can lead to bacterial resistance, and it is not indicated that they are used for more than 8 days or frequently.
Some other remedies for Impetigo that may be indicated by the doctor are:
- Antiseptic lotion, such as Merthiolate, for example, to eliminate other microorganisms that may be present and cause complications; Antibiotic ointments such as Neomycin, Mupirocin, Gentamicin, Retapamulin, Cicatrene, or Nebacetin for example - Learn how to use Nebacetin; Amoxicillin + Clavulanate, which can be used in babies and children, when there are many injuries or signs of complications; Long antibiotics, such as Erythromycin or Cephalexin, when there are many skin lesions.
In addition, the doctor may recommend passing saline to soften the wounds, increasing the effectiveness of the ointment. The treatment lasts between 7 and 10 days, and even if the skin wounds disappear beforehand, it is necessary to maintain the treatment for all the days indicated by the doctor.
Signs of improvement and worsening
The signs of improvement begin to appear between 3 and 4 days after the start of treatment, with a decrease in the size of the wounds. 2 or 3 days after the start of treatment, the person can return to school or work because the disease is no longer transmissible.
Signs of worsening usually appear when treatment is not performed, the first sign of which may be the appearance of new skin wounds. In this case, the doctor may order an antibiogram to identify the bacteria causing the infection and thus be able to indicate the most suitable antibiotic.
Possible complications
Complications due to impetigo are rare and affect more people with compromised immune systems, such as people on treatment for AIDS or cancer, or people with autoimmune disease, for example. In these situations, there may be an increase in skin wounds, cellulite, osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, pneumonia, glomerulonephritis or septicemia, for example.
Some signs that there may be complications are dark urine, absence of urine, fever and chills, for example.
What to do to not have impetigo again
To avoid having impetigo again, the treatment indicated by the doctor must be followed until the wounds are completely healed. Sometimes the bacteria are stored inside the nose for long periods and therefore, if the child puts his finger inside the nose to remove dirt or out of habit, his nails can cut the skin and the proliferation of these bacteria can happen again.
Thus, it is very important to use antibiotic ointment for up to 8 consecutive days and teach the child that he cannot put his finger on his nose, to prevent minor injuries from happening. Keeping the child's nails always short and cleaning his nose daily with saline are also great strategies to prevent impetigo from arising again. Learn more about transmitting impetigo.
Care not to pass the disease to others
To avoid transmitting impetigo to other people, it is recommended that the person wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water several times a day, in addition to avoid touching other people and sharing plates, glasses and cutlery, for example. It is also important to avoid covering the wounds on the skin with too much clothing, letting the skin breathe and keeping the nails cut and filed to avoid possible infections that can be caused by scratching the wounds with dirty nails. After treating the child's wounds, parents need to wash their hands and keep their nails short and filed to avoid contamination.
The diet does not have to be special, but it is recommended to drink more water or liquids such as natural fruit juice or teas to speed recovery and prevent dry skin, which could worsen the lesions.
The bath should be taken at least once a day, and the remedies should be applied to all wounds immediately after the bath. Face towels, bath towels, hand towels and clothes should be separated daily to wash with hot water and soap, separately from other family clothes, so as not to spread the disease.
