FRESH BREEZE DISINFECTANT

Definition

Staph is short for Staphylococcus, a type of bacteria/germ commonly found on the skin or in the nose of even healthy individuals. Most of the time, these bacteria cause no problems or result in relatively minor skin infections. There are over 30 types, but Staphylococcus aureus causes most staph infections

(pronounced “staff infections”), including

• Skin infections
• Pneumonia
• Food poisoning
• Toxic shock syndrome
• Blood poisoning (bacteremia)

Skin infections are the most common. They can look like pimples or boils. They may be red, swollen and painful, and sometimes have pus or other drainage. They can turn into impetigo, which turns into a crust on the skin, or cellulitis, a swollen, red area of skin that feels hot.

Anyone can get a staph skin infection. You are more likely to get one if you have a cut or scratch, or have contact with a person or surface that has staph bacteria. The best way to prevent staph is to keep hands and wounds clean. Most staph skin infections are easily treated with antibiotics or by draining the infection. Some staph bacteria are resistant to certain antibiotics, making infections harder to treat.

But staph infections don’t always remain skin-deep. In some circumstances, they may invade your bloodstream, urinary tract, lungs or heart.

Severe staph infections usually occur in people who are already hospitalized or who have a chronic illness or weakened immune system. But it is possible for otherwise healthy people to develop life-threatening staph infections.

Symptoms

Staph infection

Staph infections can range from minor skin problems to endocarditis, a life- threatening inflammation of your heart valve lining. As a result, signs and symptoms of staph infections vary widely, depending on the location and severity of the infection.

Skin Infections

Skin infections caused by staph bacteria include:

• Boils. The most common type of staph infection is the boil, a pocket of pus that develops in a hair follicle or oil gland. The skin over the infected area usually becomes red and swollen. If a boil breaks open, it may drain pus, blood or an amber-colored liquid. Boils occur most often under the arms or around the groin or buttocks.
• Impetigo. This contagious, often painful rash can occur in all ages, but it is most common in young children and infants. The types of impetigo caused by staph bacteria usually feature large blisters that may ooze fluid and develop a honey-colored crust. These sores occur most commonly around the nose and mouth.
• Cellulitis. This type of infection causes the skin to look red and swollen, to the point that the hair follicles create dimples similar to the appearance of an orange peel. Cellulitis occurs most often in the lower legs and feet of older persons.
• Scalded skin syndrome. Affecting mostly newborns, this condition features fever, a rash and sometimes blisters. When the blisters break, the top layer of skin comes off — leaving a red, raw surface that looks like a burn.

Food poisoning

Signs and symptoms of staph-related food poisoning usually come on quickly — as soon as one to six hours after you’ve eaten contaminated food. The illness often leaves just as suddenly as it came, and most people recover in a day or two, though the effects can be more serious and longer lasting in children and older adults. Symptoms include:

• Abdominal cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Bacteremia

Also known as blood poisoning, bacteremia occurs when staph bacteria enter a person’s bloodstream. A persistent fever is one sign of bacteremia. The bacteria can travel to locations deep within your body, to produce infections affecting:

• Internal organs, such as your heart (endocarditis) or lungs (pneumonia)
• Surgically implanted devices, such as artificial joints or cardiac pacemakers

Toxic shock syndrome

This life-threatening condition has been linked to the use of certain types of tampons and, less often, to skin wounds and surgery. It usually develops suddenly, with:

High fever

Nausea and vomiting

A rash on your palms and soles that resembles sunburn

Confusion

Muscle aches

Seizures

Headache

Septic arthritis

because it is known to mutate and can become deadly quickly. This is especially true among the very old and very young in age. Historically the virus was not such a threat because it was easily dispersed of using common antibiotics like penicillin. However, recently the virus began to resist these antibiotics. The resistance has only increased through the years and now has mutated into this hybrid form you hear about constantly.

MRSA Virus Revealed

This type of mutation is not uncommon and the way it occurs is like this. As the colony is attacked repeatedly by antibiotics it gets better and better and defending the antibiotic. Sometimes the virus is not completely rid of and a new form of the virus with higher immunity to antibiotics spreads to a new host. There the colony grows and causes the new host to get sick. The new host seeks antibiotics and the process starts over again. This process continues as doctors prescribe new antibiotics and eventually doctors struggle to find drugs that will completely get rid of the colony.