Bacterial Skin Infections : Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Diagnosis

Bacterial Skin Infections

Bacterial Skin Infections

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Skin is the largest organ of your body. Its function is to protect your body from infection. Sometimes the skin itself becomes infected.

Skin infections are caused by a wide variety of germs, and symptoms can vary from mild to serious.

Mild infections may be treatable with over-the-counter medications and home remedies, whereas other infections may require medical attention.

Bacterial skin infections often begin as small, red bumps that slowly increase in size. Some bacterial infections are mild and easily treated with topical antibiotics, but other infections require an oral antibiotic.

Symptoms Symptoms of bacterial infections: A. Leprosy- The main symptoms of leprosy include:  Muscle weakness  Numbness in the hands, arms, feet, and legs  Skin lesions  Skin lesions decrease sensation to touch, temperature, or pain.  They don’t heal after several weeks and are lighter than the normal skin tone.

B. Impetigo- The symptoms of impetigo may include:  Red sores that pop easily and leave a yellow crust  Fluid-filled blisters  Itchy rash

Symptoms  

Skin lesions Swollen lymph nodes

C. Cellulites- The symptoms of cellulites may include:  Pain and tenderness in the affected area  Redness or inflammation of your skin  A skin sore or rash that appears and grows quickly  A tight, glossy, swollen appearance of the skin  A feeling of warmth in the affected area  A central area that has an abscess with pus formation  A fever

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Symptoms

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D. Furuncle- Certain symptoms may include:  Benign-looking bump on the skin, similar to a pimple.  The boil can become hard and painful with increasing infection  Bacteria and dead skin cells may build up under the skin, forming pus  Pressure builds, which may cause the furuncle to burst and release its fluids

Diagnosis of bacterial infections:

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Leprosy- A physical exam is done to look for the signs and symptoms of the disease.

A skin biopsy or scraping is done, e a small piece of skin is removed and tested to see the bacteria.

A lepromin skin test to determine the form of leprosy Cellulites- A physical exam must be known to know the extents of spread of symptoms. In some cases blood test is also done to confirm the diagnosis.

Impetigo: Most diagnosis is done by physical test. In some cases culture may be done, to know the bacteria causing the infection.

Furuncle: It is also diagnosed by a physical test.

Types of bacterial infections:

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Leprosy- Leprosy is a chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.

It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract.

Leprosy produces skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness.

If it isn’t treated, it can cause severe disfigurement and significant disability.

Cellulitis- Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection.

Cellulitis may first appear as a red, swollen area that feels hot and tender to the touch.

The redness and swelling often spread rapidly. Cellulitis is usually painful.

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Types of bacterial infections: 

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In most cases, the skin on the lower legs is affected, although the infection can occur anywhere on your body or face.

Cellulitis usually affects the surface of your skin, but it may also affect the underlying tissues of your skin.

Cellulitis can also spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream Impetigo- Impetigo is caused by skin infection with one of two types of bacteria, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.

It is very contagious and can spread from one person to another.

It usually occurs on the face, neck, and hands of young children and infants.

Furuncle- Furuncle or boils are bacterial or fungal infections of hair follicles.

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Types of bacterial infections: 

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The infected hair follicle can be on any part of your body, not only in scalp.

When the hair follicle becomes infected, the skin around it becomes inflamed.

The furuncle looks like a red, raised bump on the skin and will rupture and weep fluid.

Causes of bacterial infections:  

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Impetigo- AN impetigo can occur in different ways, which are: Skin-to-skin contact with a person who has impetigo Touching things a person with impetigo has had contact with, such as towels, bedding, or toy Injury to the skin Insect bites Animal bites Cellulitis: Cellulitis occurs when certain types of bacteria enter through a cut or crack in the skin.

Cellulitis is commonly caused by Staphylococcus and Streptococcus bacteria.

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Causes of bacterial infections: 

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Skin injuries such as cuts, insect bites, or surgical incisions are commonly the sites of the infection.

A weakened immune system Skin conditions that cause breaks in the skin, such as eczema and athlete’s foot Intravenous (IV) drug use Diabetes A history of cellulitis Furuncle: The most common bacterium is Staphylococcus aureus, hence why furuncles can also be called staph infections.

Everyone has S. aureus on their skin as a normal occurrence.

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Causes of bacterial infections:

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The bacterium causes an infection only if it enters your bloodstream through an open wound, such as a cut or a scratch.

Once the bacterium is in your blood, your immune system tries to fight it and the boil is actually the result of your white blood cells working to eliminate it.

Treatment 

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Treatments of bacterial infections: Leprosy-Certain antibodies are used to treat leprosy, which include: Dapson Rifampin Clofazamine Minocycline Ofloxacin Cellulites- Oral antibodies are used to treat cellulites.

Impetigo- For impetigo tropical antibiotic to apply directly to the skin may be used, or oral antibiotic is used.

Furuncle- For boils (furuncle) tropical antibiotic to apply directly to the skin may be used, or oral antibiotic is used

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