Impetigo vs poison ivy: Do You Have Impetigo? 8 Facts to Know
Do You Have Impetigo? 8 Facts to Know
Could the sores, blisters, and crusty lesions on your skin be signs of the contagious skin condition impetigo? Perhaps. But there’s a chance the symptoms may signal another condition.
Either way, it’s important to get your skin checked out by a doctor if you suspect impetigo. (1) Although it isn’t usually harmful and often clears up on its own, impetigo (in both kids and adults) is easily spread not only through skin-to-skin contact but indirectly, too. (2,3)
Indirect transmission happens when you touch an item or surface contaminated with the infection. This is more likely to occur when you share personal items (towels, linens, or clothes) with an infected person. (3)
If you believe you have impetigo, you might want to seek out advice from a medical professional. The thing is, you still might have trouble getting a diagnosis of impetigo due to the fact that its symptoms overlap with those of other common skin conditions.
But still, it’s important to ask, says Rick Pescatore, DO, an emergency medicine doctor at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
To get a better idea of whether a rash is impetigo or something else, you must understand how impetigo differs from other skin problems.
Here are eight unique features to keep in mind:
1. Impetigo Causes Only Mild Itching, if Any Itching at All
Skin conditions that produce sores, blisters, and crusting may itch at times. Impetigo is no exception, and some children and adults have itching. But with impetigo, itching is generally mild, and some people don’t experience any itching whatsoever. (3)
On the other hand, skin rashes caused by an allergic reaction, like poison ivy, may itch relentlessly and don’t improve until you apply a topical anti-itch cream. (4)
Scabies — a highly contagious skin condition caused by mites burrowing under the skin — can cause a rash that’s similar to impetigo. But scabies causes a severe, intense total-body itch that often worsens at night and is more commonly seen on the hands and forearms and genitals.
(5)
Ringworm can also itch, but this rash takes a different appearance than impetigo. In addition to tiny bumps along the skin, ringworm has a raised border around scaly patches of skin. (6)
You may confuse chickenpox with impetigo. This infection has itchy and small, fluid-filled blisters too. But similar to scabies, chickenpox causes severe itching. The itch will also be accompanied by other symptoms. These include a fever, a headache, and loss of appetite. Fresh (or newer) blisters of chickenpox are often filled with a clear fluid on a red, round patch of inflamed skin and don’t often have the crust or ooze seen with impetigo. (7)
2. Impetigo Usually Lasts Only 1 Week When Treated With Antibiotics
Impetigo also differs from other skin rashes in terms of its duration. If treated with antibiotics, impetigo normally clears up in about a week, explains Dr. Pescatore. If left to heal on its own, the rash will usually heal without scarring in two to four weeks. (2)
Chickenpox has a shorter duration.
It also clears up on its own, but lasts only about 5 to 10 days. (7)
A scabies infection doesn’t clear up on its own. You will need to see your doctor and apply topical medicine to kill the mites. The good news is that this medicine works quickly, and one treatment applied from your neck down is usually enough to kill mites and their eggs. But while scabies treatment is fast, itching may continue for a few weeks. (5)
More on Signs of Scabies
How to Know if That Rash Is Scabies
A ringworm rash improves within two weeks with treatment. Over-the-counter medication is effective, but a prescription antifungal is often needed to treat stubborn ringworm. (6)
Molluscum contagiosum is a viral infection that’s more common in children. Like impetigo, this rash disappears on its own. Unfortunately, it can take months and even years for these skin bumps to clear. (8)
3. The Underlying Cause of Impetigo Differs From Other Skin Rashes
Another factor that sets impetigo apart from other skin rashes is the underlying cause.
Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection caused by either the staphylococcal (staph) bacterium or the streptococcal (strep) bacterium. (9)
If you or your child has a cut, scrape, or insect bite, the staph or strep bacteria can invade the body and cause a superficial infection on the top layer of skin. (3)
This cause differs from other skin rashes. Scabies is caused by a mite, whereas ringworm is a fungal infection. (5,6) Other rashes, such as poison ivy, are due to an allergic reaction. (4) And some sores and rashes result from a viral infection, such as cold sores and chickenpox. (7,10)
4. Impetigo Is More Common in Children Than in Adults
Impetigo is also unique because while this infection can develop in anyone, it is more common in children and infants. (1)
This contagious skin infection can spread quickly in schools and daycare centers. (3) Adults who care for blisters and sores on their children are also at risk of infection. So it’s important to take precautions when caring for lesions.
Impetigo sores and blisters should be cleaned daily, treated with a topical antibiotic, and covered. After touching an impetigo lesion, wash your hands with warm, soapy water to help prevent the spread of the infection. (1,2)
5. Impetigo Is Highly Contagious, Which Isn’t Always the Case With Skin Rashes
Some skin rashes are just as contagious as impetigo. These include cold sores, ringworm, scabies, and chickenpox.
Impetigo is different from rashes that are caused by an allergic reaction. The latter aren’t contagious, and these rashes don’t spread from person to person.
More on Skin Conditions and Contagion
No, Eczema Isn’t Contagious, but Here’s How Secondary Infections Can Be Spread
Take poison ivy, for example. A person must come in contact with a poison ivy plant to develop a skin reaction. A poison ivy rash also doesn’t spread over a person’s body. (4)
This rash occurs only on parts of the skin exposed to the plant. Impetigo, on the other hand, can develop anywhere on the body and spread.
Spreading happens when you scratch a lesion and then touch another part of your body. (11)
6. A Rash From Impetigo May Appear 4 to 10 Days After Bacteria Exposure
The time between exposure and the development of symptoms varies depending on the type of rash.
In the case of impetigo, a rash may appear 4 to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria or contact with lesions. (12)
Other rashes can have a longer incubation period. For example, a scabies rash can develop within days of skin-to-skin contact with a scabies mite. But sometimes, it can take up to six weeks for the first symptoms to appear. (5)
A chickenpox rash will usually develop 10 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. (7) A rash caused by poison ivy, on the other hand, can take up to two weeks to cause a rash if you’ve never been exposed before, or a matter of hours if you have. (4)
7. Impetigo Can Be a Complication of Another Skin Condition
What’s interesting about impetigo is that this skin infection is sometimes a complication of another skin condition.
If you have a dry or itchy rash from eczema, chickenpox, or another similar ailment, scratching the rash can break your skin. This can provide a point of entry for the staph or strep bacteria. (9)
Take steps to soothe itchy skin if you have any type of rash. This includes applying topical anti-itch cream or other soothing lotion. Keeping a rash covered with gauze can help prevent scratching and complications. (11) Keeping the skin covered can also prevent the spread of contagious rashes to other people.
8. Impetigo Can Cause Complications Itself, but You Can Prevent Them by Taking Simple Steps
The good news is that impetigo is generally harmless and doesn’t cause severe complications in most people. If you choose not to treat the rash with antibiotics, there’s the risk of developing ecthyma (when impetigo penetrates a deeper layer of the skin). (3)
This can lead to permanent skin scarring, but these deep infections are more likely to occur in those with a weakened immune system.
(3) Simple hygiene and topical antibiotics are all that are needed to speed resolution and prevent deeper infections, explains Pescatore.
Other complications of impetigo can include cellulitis, which is when the infection affects the tissue underlying the skin. The strep bacteria can also lead to poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. This is when an immune reaction results in kidney inflammation and renal damage. (3)
More Advice on Skincare
5 Smart Ways to Help Take Care of Your Skin
Once treatment begins with antibiotics, you’re no longer contagious after 24 to 48 hours. Even so, you must take steps to prevent recurrent impetigo infections. (2)
Avoid sharing personal items, and wash your bath towels, linens, and any clothes worn during the infection in hot water. You can also help avoid recurrent infections by avoiding close contact with anyone who has a skin rash or lesions. (3)
One Last Note on the Importance of Getting an Impetigo Diagnosis
If you suspect impetigo, make an appointment with your doctor or dermatologist as soon as possible to begin treatment and clear the infection.
Some skin rashes are minor and treatable with over-the-counter medication. But some highly contagious skin rashes and infections require prescription medication. So don’t ignore any unusual bumps, lesions, or blisters on the skin. A doctor can determine the exact cause (bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic) and recommend the most appropriate treatment.
Quick action lowers the risk of spreading the infection to other parts of your body and to other people.
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Five Common Summer Rashes – What’s What and Proper Treatment
Summertime is the season for a wide variety of activities that are a welcome change of pace for kids and parents alike.
With that change, however, come some hazards that parents need to be on the lookout for. Many of these involve the skin, one of the body’s most vulnerable organs.
One that most parents will have dealt with is HEAT RASH (“prickly heat” or “miliaria”), a red blotchy or bumpy rash that often appears in skin creases after the child perspires. It is often itchy and responds well to cool compresses and relocation into a cooler environment. No topical medication is needed.
Another summer skin condition, which we hope to see less and less of, is SUNBURN. This tends to occur when unprotected skin is exposed to the strong summer sun, most often between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. It tends to be most damaging in children with fair skin, fair hair, and light eyes but can lead to premature aging of the skin and skin cancers in anyone. Aggressive use of sunscreens with SPF values of at least 30 is recommended. Cool compresses, topical emollients, and oral and topical pain relievers can offer symptom relief.
IMPETIGO is one of the more common skin infections that peaks in the warm weather months. It is usually due to a superficial bacterial infection and shows up as crusty or scabbed sores that sometimes seem to “weep”. The crust sometimes has a honey-like color. It is contagious and is treated with topical antibiotic ointments and occasionally with oral antibiotics.
A very different sort of infection that we hear frequently about is HAND-FOOT-AND-MOUTH. This is caused by a virus in the Coxsackie family and is more prevalent in the warm weather months. It is also quite contagious and presents with fever, sore mouth/throat, sometimes vomiting or diarrhea, and scattered red spots or ulcers in the mouth and skin. The spots will sometimes blister and are most often seen on the hands, feet, and buttocks but can show up almost anywhere on a child’s skin. Treatment is supportive, with the main goal being to maintain hydration and provide comfort to the child.
Symptoms are usually gone in 5-7 days.
Finally, one of the most common summer rashes is one that has an allergic basis. It is called “RHUS DERMATITIS”, typically due to POISON IVY in this part of the country. It is due to a plant oil called “urushiol” that causes an intensely itchy, blistery reaction on the skin of vulnerable children and adults who touch it. If exposed, a child should wash quickly with soapy water over the suspected sites.
Should a rash develop, fingernails should be cut short to help prevent infection, and topical analgesics and steroids (such as hydrocortisone 1%) can be applied. If you are positive that your child has poison ivy, buy Zanfel cream and follow the directions. It washes away the urushiol and stops the allergic reaction. If facial or genital breakouts are noted, medical care is advised.
Enjoy the summertime, stay safe, and don’t forget to take precautions to reduce the risk of skin problems for your kids!
If your child is suspect to a summertime rash and you are not sure which one it is or how to treat it, give us a call to set up a virtual sick visit.
410-263-6363.
What does impetigo look like?
Impetigo is a type of bacterial skin infection characterized by red, oozing sores that open and form a yellow-brown crust, according to WebMD. Although these sores can appear anywhere on the body, they are most common around the mouth and nose. Impetigo is one of the most common infections in children, but it can also affect adults.
Impetigo, which starts as small red spots that turn into blisters, is usually not painful but may be itchy. Impetigo ulcers range in size from the size of a pimple to the size of a coin. Impetigo is diagnosed by visual examination and treated with antibiotic cream or tablets. Most impetigo infections go away within three days of starting treatment.
Impetigo is highly contagious and is spread through the sharing of personal items such as towels, clothes, sheets and toys, according to WebMD.
Ulcers also spread to other parts of the body and other people through scratches. Impetigo caused by streptococcal or staphylococcal bacteria can appear on healthy skin, but most often occurs when there is a problem with the skin and bacteria enter the skin, such as in people who suffer from eczema, contact dermatitis from poison ivy, insect bites, burns, etc. cuts.
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Infectious ailments shkiri, dermatologist’s consultation, disease prevention
Infectious ailments shkiri – the most common reason for referral of patients to a dermatologist (both adults and children).
Shkira is the first and main barrier, which guards the body against infections, protea deyakі іnfektsіynі zavoryuvannya shkіri vymagayut special approach and consultation fahivtsya, especially shkіrnі іnfektsії in newborns or children of a young age. We can look at the widest range of infections that cause these symptoms.
Infectious infection of the skin in adults
Qi contagious shkirnі zahvoryuvannya more often zustrichayutsya in adults, lower in children.
Herpes
Herpes is a virus that is transmitted by the state way. It is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or virus type 2 (HSV-2). If you get infected with herpes, the main symptoms will be in the area around the mouth, genitals or rectum. Herpes in appearance or in the mouth is called oral herpes. Infection of either the genitals or the rectum is called genital herpes. In many patients with herpes, the symptoms are mild or common. Oral herpes is transmitted through kissing, genital herpes – through article contact.
Illness transmits the virus to other people, instills in that person, as if someone else had visible symptoms of the disease.
Operative lichen
Operative lichen in older adults is caused by the chicken pox virus, while it causes chicken pox in children. As you have already been ill on a wind-swept flu, the virus is produced before the appearance of a sore whisker in those who look like puffers, covered by the motherland in disguise or til. Most often, lichen is manifested in a kind of fuse (smouga), which stings across or one half of the coat. Operative lichen is less contagious, lower varicella vispa. The virus is small in width, like a region, stricken with ills, covered with a gauze bandage, moreover, as only fluffs are covered with a pick, the stench ceases to be contagious.
Fungal infections
Genital yeast infections are as wide as the middle women, as well as the middle people. The stench of the call to the overworld growths of the Candida fungus, which sounds present in the body of the “sleeping” camp.
Fungal infections are transmitted like a statue, and by a path (through heated towels, for example, or children’s toys).
Infectious skin infections in children
Thrush
The thrush vibrates with the overworld growths of the Candida fungus. Calling the appearance of white flames on the tongue and the inner surface of the cheek of a child. Quite often empty mouth candidiasis develops in people of a frail age with a weakened immune system, as well as in people who take medical drugs.
Other
Visip in diapers does not sound contagious, but rather wide. If you suffer from a fungal or bacterial infection, then you can expand to other parts of the body of a child or other people. Take care of the rules of hygiene, so that the spread of infection is increased. Trim the baby in clean and dry diapers. Wash your hands after changing the diaper and, if possible, take yoga at that hour, if the little ones are not on the street or at the doctor’s.
Infectious disease of the skin, which is blamed on both children and adults
Visip ivy
After the dotik to the brittle ivy, a sickly visip appears at the looking pukhirtsiv.
Tsey vysip vyklikaniya allergic reaction to the ethereal oil of the rose. Similar reactions also call bruised oak and bruised sumac (growth grows in the USA and Asia). Even if a small amount of essential oil is lost on clothes, skins or nails, you can expressly pass it on to other people. As if you have stumbled into the brittle dew, wiper your clothes and remember your sweetheart.
Staphylococcal infection
Methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the same type of bacteria, resistant to rich antibiotics. CA-MRSA infection develops as a result of a sickly furuncle on the skin. It is accompanied by temperature fluctuations, rotten visions. It is transmitted through skin to skin contact, as well as through contact with contaminated objects, such as a razor or towel.
Scab
The scab weeds the scab mites. Illness is accompanied by sverbіny, visip, with an hour visip pass. The scab is transmitted with trivial skin contact, so whether a patient is contagious with it.
For treatment of the skin, you need prescription drugs and constant control from the side of a dermatologist.
Molluscum contagiosum
Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin infection, which often affects children, but can also affect adults. Vin manifests itself as a visip in looking at small erysipelas or white bumps, similar to warts. Molluscum contagiosum is especially widening among gymnasts, swimmers (often wines are transmitted through the muddy water in the pools).
Ringworm
Ringworm is caused by a fungus. Appears at the sight of the patches on the hairy part of the head, calls out the fall of the hair, is transmitted through the skin contact. You can become infected by touching contaminated objects, for example, combs, robes, towels. Wine can also be transmitted from creatures to people, so that on a creature’s presence with fleece without wool, make contact with him.
Impetigo
Looks like a red visor in the area near the nose and company.