What is staph and how to treat it

This harmful bacteria causes a lot of diseases, which in medicine is called a staph infection. Such diseases have a high resistance to antibiotics, so in the first place when determining a diagnosis is an inflammatory process.

Description

What is Staphylococcus aureus? Why the diseases caused by these microorganisms are so serious? These bacteria have sedentary life and can stay in the body on the skin and the mucosa of any organ.

Normally staph does not provoke any disease. But if for some reason begins to diminish protective functions of the body, may cause staph infection.

At risk is newborn and pregnant women. Inflammation can occur in lactating women. In addition, depending on the individual condition of the person, a staph infection in the blood may appear in patients suffering from chronic diseases with weakened immune systems.

What is Staphylococcus aureus? Doctors call it "hospital infection". This is due to the fact that people are often infected with a staph infection in the hospital.

Varieties

The types of this bacteria have long been studied. The most dangerous are:

• Saprophytic,
• Golden,
• Epidermal.

Staphylococcus saprophytic detected on the surface of the mucous membrane of the urethra. It becomes the cause of cystitis in the weaker sex.

Epidermal Staphylococcus is mainly in the mucosa of any organ and the skin.

How Staphylococcus aureus affects the body

Of course, every doctor is very important to know how does staph. It depends on the exact diagnosis and the appropriate treatment.

If the person is perfectly healthy, its protective system easily kills epidermal Staphylococcus. But if, the person's immune system is greatly weakened, or he is in the intensive care unit, Staphylococcus aureus, once inside the body, can cause very severe illness treated in the future will not be easy.

For example, its activity may cause sepsis. Sometimes you have to treat endocarditis. The presence of a staph infection can be expressed and a number of other severe pathologies.

Most of the inflammation and various diseases causing Staphylococcus aureus. He is capable of hitting the entire body, as this bacterium can settle down anywhere. Such a microorganism is to blame for the emergence of hundreds of different diseases, some of which can be incurable and result in death.

Staphylococcus aureus, getting into the human body, using the original "fit", able to withstand its protective system. As a result, there is an inflammatory process.

I must say that there are also some subtypes (strains) of this bacteria. Each of them has its own characteristics.

Therefore, causing the same disease, the strains become decisive in determining the clinical picture and diagnosis. An important feature of viability of S. aureus is its ability to be more than 6 months in dried form. Even a microbe frozen, after thawing can cause inflammation in the body.

For staph does not have any exposure to the sunlight, he is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation. A serious danger for the organism is the fact that Staphylococcus aureus is able to reproduce the harmful toxins.

One of the representatives of such toxins is exfoliation. It damages the skin. Symptoms of this disease are very similar to food poisoning. Staphylococcus aureus contributes to the onset of leukocidin. This poisonous substance destroys the white blood cells.

Staphylococci are also made of different enzymes that, as described above, allow you to create a powerful protection from the impact of the human immune system. In addition, they simultaneously with the manufacture of enzymes provide the possibility of living staphylococci in different tissues of the body, allowing them to begin rapid development.

If a more detailed study of all that is known about Staphylococcus, you can find an interesting fact. The infection can spread to the sick man with typical symptoms. You can become infected from a perfectly healthy person who carries such an asymptomatic infection.

I must say that according to statistics, these carriers, is considered to be about 40% of the brandhealthy person. They can be the source of any strain.

The infection enters the body through the skin micro-damage or gets inside, moving through the respiratory tract. The main factor for the emergence of staphylococcal infection is considered to be a weak immune system after taking antibiotics or other medical drugs.

The inflammation may also begin due to the presence of various chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Staphylococcus aureus and its impact on the body and is also associated with the environment. Poor environmental conditions can cause infection.

The hardest staph infection tolerate the elderly and young children.

Characteristic of the disease

The peculiarity of ingress of bacteria in the human body and the beginning of staph infection, identifies specific clinical symptoms. Of course, an important role plays the level of aggressiveness that matches a particular type of Staphylococcus.

The most common purulent skin disease caused by Staphylococcus is the pyoderma. The person affected skin, in the mouth of hair. Such superficial lesions are the cause of folliculitis. A small abscess formed at the center of the hair.

With deeper lesions began to develop a boil. Appears purulent hair pouch, connecting with other nearby tissues.

In addition, the appearance of the carbuncle. This type of lesion is the deepest. Its action irritates the skin together with subcutaneous cells located around the follicles.

Such education is mainly appear on the thighs, neck and buttocks of the person.

The most dangerous is the appearance of a carbuncle in the center of the face. This is due to the peculiarity of its circulation. The appearance of staph infection threatens its penetration into the brain. As a result the person may become ill with meningitis or brain abscess.

Another manifestation of the emergence of staphylococcal infections, the disease is considered to be Ritter. It is called "scalded skin". Usually a syndrome found in newborn babies. Sometimes disease Ritter sick little children. The symptoms of this disease is very similar to scarlet fever, as the body is covered by a rash. Sometimes the illness is confused with the beginning of erysipelas.

The appearance of staph infection can look like an epidemic of pemphigus. It is caused by harmful substance exfoliation that produces the infection.

When the disease starts peeling off the top layers of the skin, and are quite large. At this place begin to form large bubbles.

Staphylococcus aureus can cause a variety of abscesses. In this case, affects the subcutaneous tissue located in the deepest layers of the skin. They begin to melt, releasing a lot of pus.

Unlike cellulitis, abscess causes inflammation limited to just one capsule. It does not allow the inflammation to spread throughout the body. Cellulitis has no such capsule, inflammation is quickly moving to the other tissues.

Of course, phlegmon, having a strong purulent inflammation, is considered the most dangerous of staphylococcal infection.

Sometimes the bacteria can manifest itself as staphylococcal pneumonia. This disease is not diagnosed very often, but it should not be forgotten. Since, this infection is resistant to antibiotics, and characteristics of the flow.

When there is staphylococcal pneumonia, the patient is experiencing severe pain, the disease is progressing. The disease has a pronounced intoxication. Ill shortness of breath, severe chest pain associated with pleural.

During this period, the lung tissue revealed a large number of foci, which then melt and begin to form abscesses. These tumors can rupture and go directly to the area of the pleura. The result is empyema of.

If a staph infection gets to the brain, it may cause purulent meningitis or the development of abscess.

Usually resulting abscesses are distinguished by their small size, however, their localization is characterized by the dispersed character.

Appeared meningitis, usually has a secondary form. It occurs independently of blood flow, which includes a large number of staphylococci.

When there is a malfunction of the brain, the person feels severe headaches, there are nervous breakdowns and severe neurological disorders. In these patients there is a violation of consciousness, possible seizures.

The appearance of staph infection is getting the cause of the thrombosis in the region of the superficial vessels of the brain. In the result, you may experience a very severe neurological diseases.

According to statistics, about 95% of cases of osteomyelitis due to staphylococcal infection. This disease leads to inflammation of the bone marrow.

As a result of inflammation that affects the bone layers, gradually they are destroyed. Very often appeared purulent lesions break and go outside.

The basic symptomosteomyelitis is a severe pain in the area affected area. A few days after the onset of the disease becomes clearly visible swelling located just above the inflammation. This place is beginning to form a purulent fistula.

With the defeat of staphylococcal infection of the joints, appear purulent arthritis. In most cases, the disease affects the hip joints and knees.

One of the possible inflammation caused by staphylococcal infection, may be the damage to the heart muscle. A person has endocarditis. The disease is treated very seriously and does not always lead to positive results. If you look at the statistics, they are high enough. Approximately 60% of all patients died.

When a large amount of staph is in the blood, and into the heart muscle, heart valve begins to rapidly deteriorate. Appear severe complications, which closes the peripheral artery. Begins to develop heart failure, there is an abscess of the myocardium

Poisonous substances secreted by staphylococci, causing several types of diseases that are in the group of intoxication. Outstanding representatives of such diseases are considered:

• Toxic shock,
• Food toxicosis.

When a person suffers toxic shock, because of the aggressive toxins trapped in the blood, his pressure is falling, there is a fever. The person feels nausea, is really starting to hurt the stomach. The disease is accompanied by diarrhea and severe headache. Completely disturbed coordination, loss of consciousness. After a few days, the body is covered with spotty rash.

The beginning of food toxicity is detected very quickly. Within two hours after a meal, an infected staph infection begins to experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe pain in the abdominal area.

In severe forms of this staph infection, symptoms very similar to cholera.

The most severe form of infection a staph infections sepsis is considered. The blood stream a huge amount of bacteria spreads throughout the body. At this time, the formation of all the internal organs lesions caused by secondary infection.

How is diagnosis of Staphylococcus

The main method used in the detection of staphylococcal infection remains bacterial culture. Used for the analysis:

• Blood,
• Urine,
• Sputum,
• The contents of the boils,
• Breast milk.

If you have suspected dysbiosis, when the infection propagates in the intestine, it seems to Kal. The results of the analysis to determine the amount taken into the body staph infection, determined by the presence of other microflora. If a woman is pregnant for bacterial seeding smear is taken from the sinuses and throat.

Conducting such analyses allows us to understand how the strong sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics. What drug can be to deal with it and what kind of medication will give a positive result.

I must say that all the results of bacterial studies may not be used as a direct indication for the determination of diagnosis and prescription follow-up treatment.

The reason is very simple, because it may asymptomatic infection, which shows the normal condition of the patient.

How to treat staph

To combat a staph infection, you should primarily focus on removing from the body the main causative agent of infection. Need to consider comorbidities and assign complex treatment, in order to achieve the reduction of total reactivity.

Back in the old days, when the body was covered with boils and there was a large number of purulent abscesses, used surgical techniques. Was no exception and today's time. Boils and abscesses are removed surgically, usually with local anesthesia. In fact it is the best solution when dealing with staph infection this type.

Antibiotics in the treatment of staph that does not always help. Some types of disease just neutral to such drugs. They will not give the expected result, and sometimes can even lead to the deterioration of the disease.

Conclusion

Mostly a doctor prescribes a treatment discovered staph infection, a special semi-synthetic penicillins. Sometimes used in conjunction with a special penicillin clavulanic acid or other antibiotics.

Struck a person a staph infection is not cured its own way. After all, in everyday conditions it is impossible to determine the nature of the pathogen. This requires conducting special tests. Therefore, at the first appearance of this disease should immediately contact your doctor to avoid severe complications.