Impetigo : Symptoms, Causes and Home Remedies

Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection most common among pre-school children. People who play close contact sports such as rugby, American football and wrestling are also susceptible, regardless of age. It spreads when we scratch the infected area and then touch the other parts of our body. Impetigo is not as common in adults.

The following are signs and symptoms of impetigo:

.Red sores that quickly rupture, ooze for a few days and then form a yellowish-brown crust
.Itching
.Painless, fluid-filled blisters
.In the more serious form, painful fluid- or pus-filled sores that turn into deep ulcers


Two types of bacteria cause impetigo — Staphylococcus aureus (staph), which is most common, and Streptococcus pyogenes (strep). Both types of bacteria can live harmlessly on your skin until they enter through a cut or other wound and cause an infection.

The most important thing to remember when treating this infection is that cleanliness is very important. There are also some home remedies to treat impetigo.

. Apply tea tree oil on the affected part after taking a bath.

. Eat a lot of turnip, preferably raw to cure impetigo. One may dip a slice in vinegar or mayonnaise to improve the taste.

. Apply cornstarch on the affected area. This is a home remedy that one can easily use with beneficial results.

. Bathing in soapy water every 4 hours during the day is helpful.

. Tea tree oil in the bath once a day, and then made a rub out of calamine lotion with tea tree oil.

. Make a paste of Vaseline and cornstarch to apply to the diaper area. Vaseline helps to heal sore irritated skin and cornstarch helps to dry up the rash.

. Put 1/4 cup of rosemary leaves and 1/4 cup of thyme in 2 cups of water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Strain cool and use to clean the area several times daily.

. Crush garlic and spread over irritated areas.

. Rub aloe vera gel directly on the impetigo affected area, not less than four times a day.

. Try 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar mixed in 1 cup water for cleaning the lesions.



~source:ehow.com~