Impetigo

Impetigo is a superficial skin disease that is usually found in children between 2 and 6 years old as well as older people who play close contact sports such as American football, rugby, and wrestling. The name impetigo derives from the Latin impetere (“assail”) because it often results from these contact sports. It is sometimes commonly known as “school sores.”

The most common form of impetigo starts as an inflamed region of skin about half an inch in diameter. The incubation period of the infection is between one and three days and is indicated by the appearance of pimple-like lesions with the skin around these lesions turning red. The lesions then fill with pus that breaks down over the next four to six days and forms a thick crust.

The main cause of impetigo is from the streptoccocus strain known as Streptoccocus pyogenes, which also causes strep throat; impetigo can also be caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The infection is initially spread by lesions or with nasal carriers and cannot be carried by dead streptococci in the air.

Impetigo often occurs alongside other injuries to the skin such as insect bites and cuts, which can make it difficult to diagnose correctly. Aside from examination, the most common method of discovery of impetigo is in the form of itchy skin. Patients with a history of cold sores are statistically more likely to have infections of impetigo.

Treatment of impetigo depends on the type of skin lesion that appears and the age of the infected person. At its simplest, treatment can involve washing the affected areas with soap and water or using diluted tea tree oil with an inert carrier oil. Many general practitioners recommend the use of bactericidal ointment and, in more severe cases, the use of oral antibiotics. In all cases, it is important to dissolve the skin scabs with ointment, as the bacteria that causes impetigo lives underneath the scabs. The tea tree oil solution is an exception to this rule, as this solution is generally capable of penetrating the scab. Once treated, impetigo usually clears up in three to five days.