How to Recover From Skin Infections
The skin is the largest organ of the human body. Its surface is not sterile; it is colonized by numerous microorganisms that do not cause infections under normal conditions. Skin epithelial cells closely adjacent to each other, acidic pH, relatively dry environment, and natural antibacterial substances in the skin prevent the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria responsible for infections. Therefore, different types of skin infections in the skin are relatively rare.
However, certain conditions related to the loss of the epidermis (injury to the skin), impairment of its protective function (skin inflammation), or a general decline in immunity (cancer, diabetes, or AIDS) facilitate the penetration of the skin by bacteria.
source-Pixabay.comSkin diseases often cause itching and burning, which is not pleasant. They can also be a common source of embarrassment, so it is worth starting the treatment as soon as possible if you notice symptoms. In the following article, we describe the possible types of skin infections and what medicines effectively treat them.
Types of Skin Infections and Treatment Methods
First of all, we have to determine what different types of skin infections there are. Bacteria, viruses, and fungus cause most skin diseases. Each condition will require different treatment, depending on what caused it.
Fungal skin infections
Athlete’s foot
This is one of the common types of fungus-induced infections. The medical name is tinea pedis. The infection with this type of mycosis most often occurs in public baths, bathing places, and wearing someone else’s footwear.
Treatment:
Thoroughly washing and drying the feet, especially between the toes. You can find Clotrimazole Cream in MedicineDirect; it is the ointment most commonly used topically for fungal skin infections.
Skin infections caused by bacteria:
Erysipelas
An infectious skin disease caused by streptococci. It is an acute inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue characterized by high body temperature, sudden onset, and rapid progression. It often affects people with a weak immune system. The affected area is red.
Treatment:
Most patients respond right away to antibiotics (penicillin) treatment. Patient care may also include giving Amoxicillin. The doctor may prescribe the drug to be administered every 12 hours, and if this does not work, then every 8 hours, as it is important to stop the swelling from advancing rapidly and make it regress. In addition, ichthyol compresses are recommended topically.
Viral skin infections:
Shingles
Varicella-zoster virus causes an infectious disease known as chickenpox on first exposure; then, the virus remains latent. After a few years, usually in the presence of immune deficiency, the virus becomes active, causing shingles. It then spreads to the skin along the sensory nerves so that the skin lesions assume a typical arrangement on one side of the body, in an area innervated by one or two nerves.
Treatment:
Treatment covers the period until the skin lesions heal. The nuisance of skin lesions can be alleviated by using local astringents, soothing and cooling agents. It is helpful to wear a soft dressing to protect the affected area from irritation and rubbing against clothes. Medicines in aerosols and liquids with disinfecting, local anesthetic, and astringent properties are also used. Pain can be relieved by taking painkillers.
Herpes simplex
It is an infectious disease caused by HSV1 and HSV2 (Herpes simplex virus). Symptoms include superficial inflammatory vesicles formed in clusters at the oral mucosa and lips (herpes labialis). Initially, the vesicles are filled with serum, then purulent, and within a few days, they become crusted.
Treatment:
In mild lesions, local treatment in the form of drying and disinfecting ointments is sufficient. General treatment is used in recurrent, persistent lesions, regardless of their location, mainly in genital herpes. In this case, drugs that affect the RNA of the virus are used.
Prevention
Of course, prevention is the most important. So washing hands with soap and water is the greatest remedy, as skin diseases, in many cases, begin with neglecting proper skin hygiene. Secondly, it should be remembered that you have to be thorough when wiping the body with a towel to not leave wet spots on the skin. Especially remember the skin between your fingers. Drying the body after washing is important because the water drops left on your skin can effectively dry our epidermis, making you more exposed to a skin infection.
When it comes to preventing skin diseases in children, the doctor may recommend feeding the baby with mother’s milk for as long as possible because it contains substances that strengthen the baby’s immunity, whose skin is very delicate and susceptible to infections.
Conclusion
It is worth adding that systematic control of the skin condition is also important. So it is worth going to a doctor who can recommend an appropriate treatment when it is not too late. In most skin infections, treatment with antibiotics, ointments, and listening to the doctor’s instructions leads to complete recovery.
However, in patients with impaired immunity, e.g., in the course of diabetes, malignant tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV infection, skin infections may be chronic or recurrent and constitute a significant health problem and cause serious complications. Then it is worth staying under the constant care of a doctor.
