Have you had impetigo before? Do you not know how to cure impetigo? This kind of skin infection caused by staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria is common to children and they can spread from children to children due to close contacts. During warm and humid environments, they attack and when they do, patients feel a variety of symptoms like irritation, rashes, scrubbing on infected part. Washing your hands regularly several times a day, not using other items such as towels and soap, washing the clothes of the patients separately, avoid rubbing the infection with fingers, keeping your nails short, cleaning the infection using warm water and anti-biotic soap as well as washing your hands after every application of anti-biotic creams; are all natural treatments for impetigo that you can apply easily. You may be able to cure the disease during an outbreak with antibiotics but that doesn’t mean it cannot return when you come in contact with that bacteria again. This infection which is related to folliculitis, boils, carbuncles, and cellulitis and diseases that are also caused by the Staphylococcus, and to erysipelas, caused by Streptococcus, occur mainly to children with weak immune systems due to malnutrition and children who live in unclean environments. A type of impetigo caused by Staphylococcus aureus are often observed in breastfeeding mothers who have sore, cracked nipples and Staphylococcus is also said to cause acute dermatitis and chronic eczema.

The infection is spread by direct contact with lesions or with nasal carriers and the incubation period is 1–3 days but dried streptococci in the air are not infectious to intact skin. Lessions have the chance to spread through scratching. Impetigo generally appears as honey-colored scabs formed from dried serum, and is often found on the arms, legs, or face.

Impetigo is not serious and is easy to treat and mild cases can be handled by gentle cleansing, removing crusts and applying the prescription-strength antibiotic ointment mupirocin (Bactroban). Do not use nonprescription topical antibiotic ointments (such as Neosporin) because they are generally not effective especially in the most severe cases of impetigo called the bullous impetigo, which usually requires oral antibiotics. In recent years, more Staph germs have developed resistance to standard antibiotics but bacterial culture tests can help guide the use of proper oral therapy if needed. Some helpful antibiotics are penicillin derivatives (such as Augmentin) and cephalosporins such as cephalexin (Keflex), but you may also need other antibiotics like clindamycin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim or Septra) if there are other bacteria present like drug-resistant Staph (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA), and of course, laboratory results are needed to guide treatment.

Glomerulonephritis, a kind of kidney inflammation is one seriously rare complication of impetigo caused by the Strep bacteria and even though impetigo is treated, specialists are not so sure that the occurrence of glomerulonephritis can be prevented. Because the crusts and blisters of impetigo are superficial, impetigo does not leave scars but affected skin looks red for a while after the crusts go away, then the redness fades in a matter of days to weeks. It is up to you to let the blisters heal itself or drain them yourself but you can let them heal itself if they are not that obtrusive because if you do otherwise and puncture your skin, leaving an open wound susceptible to more infections, you’d likely make matters worse.

It is always safe and important to consult a physician before you plan on how to cure impetigo.