What treatment to use for impetigo?

Answer 1

Wash with soap and water (Especially after cuts and scrapes)

Oatmeal Bath (put oatmeal in cheesecloth and seal then put in water)

Aveno Moisturizer 2-4x daily

When it just affects a small area of the skin, impetigo can usually be treated with antibiotic ointment.

But if the infection has spread to other areas of the body, or the ointment isn't working, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic pill or liquid.

Prevention: Good hygiene practices, such as regular hand washing, can help prevent impetigo. Have kids use soap and water to clean their skin and be sure they take baths or showers regularly. Pay special attention to areas of the skin that have been injured, such as cuts, scrapes, bug bites, areas of eczema, and rashes such as poison ivy. Keep these areas clean and covered.

Answer 2

I assume you are actually referring to: impetigo. If so, this is a bacterial skin infection caused by either the Staph or Strept germ. If you only have a few localized lesions, you may try an OTC (over-the-counter) antibiotic cream and wash the lesions several times a day with an anti-bacterial soap (cetaphil). If there are numerous leions or these infected sores are on your face, a more aggressive approach will be needed - one must seek the counsel from a MD. RBB, MD

Answer 3

You need a heavy duty antibiotic and very good hygiene to get rid of impetigo. See your doctor for the antibiotic. Then wash your towels, sheets, pertinent clothing, etc. in hot water. Bleach it if you can. If you do not have health insurance, buy a bottle of betadine at the pharmacy (store brand is fine). This is a super germ killer. Keep using it until totally healed (new skin grows and is healthy). Impetigo is very contagious, especially to broken/irritated skin.

Answer 4

Some homeopathic remedies for impetigo include rubbing olive oil on the infected area, taking a zinc supplement, and applying a cream of goldenseal on the affected area, or taking a goldenseal supplement.

Answer 5

Impetigo is a skin infection caused by a bacterium; the staphylococcus as in your son's case or the streptococcus are the main culprits. It usually starts as small blisters, anywhere on the body but often on the face, which join up forming bigger areas of pus under the skin. The skin often peels off leaving sore, red, raw patches which dry with bright yellow crusts. These heal from the centre and may leave red rings of skin around the edge as they do so.Impetigo is very itchy and highly contagious. This is why it can whip through nurseries, playgroups and families; anywhere that individuals are in close contact hence young children are more at risk. To reduce the spread the affected child has to stay at home but as with your son this can be prolonged.Treatment nearly always requires antibiotic cream (eg fucidin) or in established or recurrent cases such as your son's, antibiotics by mouth for up to ten days. You do not say if he has had antibiotics but I presume that if he has grown staphylococcus from swabs your GP will have prescribed these.Sometimes impetigo can be recurrent ¿ there are several reasons. The commonest is that the infection has not completely cleared and a longer course of antibiotics by mouth will be needed, usually a swab is sent first to make sure that the antibiotic will be effective against the particular bacterium involved.Sometimes the child himself or another member of his family may continue to carry the bacterium in his nose but if he scratches his nose and rubs his sores he will keep re-infecting healing patches of skin. The nose is usually unaffected and the only way to detect the bacterium is to take swabs from the whole families' noses (including your son) and send them to the lab for analysis. If anyone is carrying the bug your son and all immediate family should apply to their inner nostrils a cream specifically aimed at eradicating it such as Naseptin (which your GP can prescribe). After treatment for a week or more the carrier's nose needs to be re-swabbed to make sure the infection has gone.In your son's case part of the problem may be the betnovate ointment you are using to 'control' the outbreaks. This ointment is a powerful steroid; it calms down the redness in the skin patches so the impetigo will appear to be improving, but it suppresses his own immunity in fighting off the skin infection making it more likely that he will continue to carry the bacterium and so re-infect himself.I would suggest you throw the betnovate away and, if your son has already had a course of antibiotics by mouth, ask your GP to consider taking swabs from his and all the family's noses.

Answer 6

Echinacea tincture can be applied directly to the skin. The homeopathic remedy Antimonium tartaricum can be used when impetigo affects the face.

Answer 7

A paste made from two herbs, neem (Azadirachta indica ) and turmeric (Curcuma longa,) applied to the affected area daily for 15 days has been found to be effective in treating scabies.