Impetigo is a skin infection caused by bacteria on the top layer of skin and is quite common. The root of the problem is staph infection and the bacteria that leads to strep throat. This infection is very contagious, but it is kids around the ages of two to six who contract impetigo the most often. Another common contractor of impetigo are athletes who play sports that require personal contact, such as rugby and football.

Those unlucky enough to get nasal impetigo won't really realize it, because no actual infection occurs. They find out when the nasal fluid carries the infection outward to other areas of the person's body. If anyone lives in an area that is both humid and warm, they can get nasal impetigo. Other causes can be overcrowding, poor hygiene, and both cuts and bites from insects that happen on the top layer of a person's skin.

Two kinds of impetigo exist. The most common variety is the non-bullous type, which is how one describes almost 70% of all cases. This is when a light brown crust shows up on either a person's face, arms or legs. Bullous impetigo refers to infections contracted by kids and babies, also appearing on the face, but also the hands and backside, in the form of blisters. The good news is that no scarring will happen once the infection has healed.

Look for lesions on reddened skin that resemble pimples. Don't go right into thinking that you have a impetigo infection if you see something like this developing on your skin, though, because there are several other skin problems that take on the very same characteristics. The best thing to do if you suspect such an infection is to seek a professional diagnosis, using a swab to get samples for either a bacterial culture study or a gram stain study.

Topical antibiotics are used in the treating of non-bullous impetigo, four times throughout the day, continuing the application until the lesion has faded completely away for at best three days. Oral antibiotics are used in the treatment of both types of impetigo, but the easiest and least expensive treatment is warm water and soap, and a little air to dry the infection. You don't want to use amoxicillin or penicillion because there have been too many reports of resistance to treatment using these antibiotics. Make a note to get rid of any crusts that have formed before you start to apply any creams or ointments, because the problem-causing bacteria have made their home under this layer of crust.

You'll avoid a possible impetigo contamination if you get into the habit of using water and soap on any surface of your body that has received any types of cuts. You'll also want to stay away from crowded situations, both at home and in public. Anyone who gets impetigo constantly should have their nose checked out by a doctor to see if there are any carriers of the condition, or to look for signs of the staph bacteria being present.

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