The skin is the largest organ that the body has, and it serves as the first line of defense against any type of bacterial infection. It’s also one of the most vulnerable organs on the body since it protects, covers the entire body.
Although most skin infections aren’t fatal or life threatening, they can become uncomfortable since it’s visible, which may cause psychological stress. Although beauty is skin deep, the continuous growth of the cosmetic industry proves that there’s interest in having pure healthy skin.
Those who are busy with their lives usually don’t have the time to indulge in intensive skin care. There are also infinite advertisements and choices available for individuals to get the specialized skin care they need, making selection overwhelming.
The Aging Skin
Those who don’t give attention to their skin are often surprised once they see blemishes and other imperfections appear. They find their skin is no longer as firm and supple as it once was, but instead thin and wrinkled as aging begins.
The texture of their skin becomes drier due to less oil production from the sebaceous glands, along with a decrease in the number of blood vessels, making the skin look lackluster without that youthful glow.
Bacterial Skin Infections
Skin care isn’t just about beauty. It’s more about hygiene, maintenance, and safety. Unknown to many, whether they have healthy skin or not, all have varying amounts of staphylococcus aureus bacteria on their skin.
This bacteria, simply called staph, is usually found around the nose and throat area. It usually doesn’t cause any issues except for minor skin irritation. The skin is the body’s first barrier against these types of bacterial infections.
This is why it’s vitally important to always have healthy clean skin in order to ward off these bacterial issues. Once the skin becomes broken, wounded, or cut, you’re exposed to a risk of infection.
Once the bacteria gets deeper into the skin and then penetrates the flesh, it can enter the bloodstream, then ultimately the lungs, urinary tract, and the heart. The seemingly harmless bacteria then can become life threatening.
The Risk Of Bacteria
History has shown that most fatal staph infections will occur to those who have recently been hospitalized, or those who are suffering from a poor immune system.
Recently, there’s also been an increasing number of otherwise healthy people, who are being diagnosed with potentially lethal staph infections.
The once powerful antibiotics are also no longer as highly effective as they once were, this when fighting off certain strains of these destructive bacteria. Most staph infections are manageable and can be treated successfully.
There will eventually be a time when a new and deadlier strain of bacterial infection will manifest, which will be resistant to the medication that’s currently available.
Signs And Symptoms
The symptoms of bacterial infections depends on the condition along with the nature of the illness, whether it’s a direct infection from staph bacteria, or if they are toxins produced by the bacteria.
They can range from a mild skin infection to food poisoning, deadly pneumonia, surgical wound infections, to endocarditis, which is a lethal inflammation of the heart valves. The majority of skin infections caused by staph infections include the following.
• Boils – Also known as abscess, usually begins as reddened painful blemishes which will harden over time. At the center of the abscess is a collection of white blood cells, protein, and bacteria, commonly known as “puss.”
Boils are usually hair follicles which becomes infected and are found in areas where the hair roots become irritated.
• Cellulitis – Is an infection that involves tissues below the surface of the skin, making it inflamed and tender, usually causing fever. It can affect any part of the body but most commonly on the face and the legs.
• Impetigo – Is a superficial skin infection or a rash which is common in infants and younger children. It can also affect teens and adults. Affected areas of the skin includes the face, hands, and feet.
These pimple like blisters usually won’t cause fever, but they can become extremely itchy and spread to other parts of the body by scratching.
• Scalded Skin Syndrome – Is a severe blistering condition which commonly affects newborn infants.
• Follicilitis – Is an infection of the hair follicles which appears as small white-headed blemishes near the base of the hair strands. They’ll usually occur from shaving or from rubbing against certain articles of clothing.
• Hordeolum – Also referred to as stye, is swelling near the eyelids, as the glands which are near the base of the eyelashes become obstructed. Stye can be uncomfortable and painful.
Cure For Skin Blemishes
Most of these skin issues require clinical care by medical professionals, while the following tips may help.
Make sure that you always clean and then cover the areas of the skin which has been injured.
Never share towels, clothing, or sheets until the infection has been completely healed. Never touch any areas of your body because of the risk of spreading.
Preventing Skin Infection
There are several practical ways of preventing infections from happening. Begin by regularly washing your hands with soap and water before meals, after sneezing or coughing, and always after using the bathroom to rid of most germs.
If in the absence of soap and water, there are now the alcohol based hand sanitizing gels which are available. Medication such as anti-parasitic drugs will protect you from malaria when traveling.
Over-the-counter drugs such as antibiotic creams will usually minimize the infection due to minor cuts and injuries.
Always keep in mind that cleanliness and good skin hygiene is not just necessary, but a way of keeping your skin healthy and strong, which effectively wards off bacterial infections while preventing the majority of skin issues.