Impetigo more often than not affects chlidren more than adults but, due to its contagious nature, the disease can affect anyone. Impetigo is a bacterial infection that again, affects children usually between the ages of 3 and 6 years old. Symptoms of Impetigo are usually seen as smallish red blisters located around the mouth and nose. While Impetigo can occur elsehwere on the body, blisters around the mouth and nose are very common.

Eventually, these blisters pop and ooze a liquidy solution. Once the blisters begin to dry out, they are covered by a yellow, crusty layer. There are 3 types of Impetigo: bullous, non-bullous, and ecthyma.

Impetigo is generally the result of a bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, after it penetrates into the system by way of a break in the skin such as a wound, insect bite, etc. Once the infection enters deep into the skin, it tries to damage the protein of the skin cells thus spreading to other parts of the body or to someone else.

Treating Impetigo usually involves antibiotics that can be taken orally or as a topically applied ointment. It really depends on the type of Impetigo and the severity.

Due to its contagious nature, it’s always best to be careful to treat open wounds right away as well as the obvious which is separating clothing and linens of infected persons separate from e.g. the rest of the family until the infected is cured. Using common sense and treating Impetigo as quickly as possible will help prevent the spread of the disease on the body as well as to other people.