Information on How to Prevent Staph Infection
Whether you like it or not, you have bacteria living on your skin. However you scrub and wash your body, bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus lives on it, usually doing no harm until it becomes an infection. When it does, emergence of blisters, boils, and rashes can be noticed. But that is not the worst that staph infection can make as it can develop into a life-threatening infection when it finally finds a way inside the human body through an incision or a wound. This can eventually spread to the body organs, the bones, and the blood. But this can easily be treated with Methicillin, or an antibiotic that comes from the penicillin family.
Perhaps, the biggest scare of staph infection is the MRSA or the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This infection cannot be treated with Methicillin as it has developed a defense mechanism against the antibiotic. When infected, the carrier needs to be treated in a hospital facility where he cannot bring harm to others as this condition is highly contagious. As simple as a skin to skin contact or use of anything that an infected person uses become a threat to the infection. A serious stage of Staph infection can even cause chest pains, chills, cough, fatigue and weakness, fever, headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath.
Prevention of staph infection
1. Good hygiene. Prevention of staph infection can be made easy with good hygiene. Every time a skin injury happens, it is a must to wash the wound with an antibacterial soap. This will clean the wound and avoid the immediate access of bacteria into the body. Then, applying an antibiotic ointment should be done. Covering the wounded skin with something clean like a bandage or gauge is also important. Pain relievers that can be bought over the counters can also help ease any pain associated with skin injuries like acetaminophen the likes of Tylenol, aspirin, or ibuprofen in the form of Advil or Motrin.
2. Wash hands often. You don’t have to wait for any skin injury to happen to practice good hygiene. You can do it every now and then by thoroughly washing your hands with water and soap or you can opt for hand sanitizers that are alcohol-based.
3. Bathe everyday. This is the ultimate prevention to staph infection: bathing everyday. And if you are an athlete or an exercise buff, you need to take a shower or bath immediately after each game, practice, or exercise run.
4. Cover skin wounds and injuries all the time. Because wounds and skin injuries are the only way of Staphylococcus aureus into the body, it is a must that every wound and skin injury should be cleaned, applied with antibiotic ointment, and covered all the time.
5. Use your own set of sports equipment and things. Staphylococcus aureus infection can be very contagious so keep your own things and avoid the use of others things. Doing so will help big time in prevention of staph infection in the long run.