My Baby Has a Shiny Raw Red Spot on His Lip

Overview

Child with impetigo on his lower lip. — Impetigo on the lower lip.

What is impetigo?

Impetigo (im-pa-Tie-go) is an itchy, sometimes painful, skin infection.

Who gets impetigo?

Impetigo ordinarily happens to children between ages 2 and 6. Older children and adults tin can also get it.

Y'all may besides be at higher hazard if you:

Alive in a tropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild winters.
Have a scabies infection.
Do activities or sports where cuts and scrapes are mutual.
Live in close contact or crowded situations. Infections oft happen to people living in the same house or children in day care.

How does someone get impetigo?

When yous get a cutting, bite or scratch that opens the skin, bacteria can enter and cause an impetigo infection. But impetigo can infect the skin fifty-fifty if it's not broken or punctured.

Impetigo happens more than oft in warmer months when children are outside more.

Where does impetigo occur?

Typically, the first signs of impetigo are sores and blisters on the oral fissure and nose. Impetigo tin also appear on the legs and artillery.

What is bullous impetigo?

Bullous impetigo is a rare type of impetigo. It has larger blisters that don't break open up as easily. It often appears on the neck, trunk, armpits or groin.

How common is impetigo?

Impetigo is the nigh mutual peel infection in kids ages ii to v. It happens much less in adults. Every year, Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that causes impetigo, causes 11 million skin and soft tissue infections.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes impetigo?

The main cause of impetigo is a bacterial infection. The bacteria usually enters the skin through a cut, scrape, rash or insect seize with teeth.

Most of the time, the cause is the Staphylococcus aureus ("staph" bacteria). Sometimes, group A Streptococcus bacteria can crusade it. This blazon of bacteria also leads to strep throat and fever.

Certain strains of strep bacteria that cause impetigo tin also cause glomerulonephritis. This inflammatory kidney disease can produce loftier blood pressure and blood in the urine.

Is impetigo contagious?

Impetigo is mild but highly contagious. Yous can spread impetigo by coming into contact with the sores or mucus or nasal discharge from someone who has information technology. People can also spread impetigo by sharing items such every bit towels, wear or other personal items with someone who'southward infected.

When do impetigo symptoms outset?

Typically, once the infection happens, symptoms occur within 3 days. Scratching the sores tin can spread the infection. Symptoms first kickoff around the mouth and nose.

What are the symptoms of impetigo?

Symptoms of impetigo include:

One or more pus-filled blisters that burst hands, causing red, raw skin.
Itchy blisters containing fluid (yellow or tan) that seeps out and forms a chaff.
A rash that spreads.
Skin lesions (wounds) on the lips, olfactory organ, ears, arms and legs. The lesions tin can spread to other parts of the body.
Swollen lymph nodes near the infected area.

If y'all or your kid has impetigo caused by staph bacteria, you may discover:

Reddish skin surrounding crimson blisters, full of liquid or pus that somewhen looks cloudy.
Blisters that outburst easily and leak.
Raw, shiny areas that scab over with a yellow/dark-brown crust.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is impetigo diagnosed?

A healthcare provider can diagnose impetigo based on how the sores look. The provider may accept a pare sample to transport to a laboratory. Pathologists can figure out which leaner is causing the disease, which can help decide the right antibiotic to use.

If you notice or your child notices any blood or odd color in urine, tell your healthcare provider correct away.

Management and Handling

How is impetigo treated?

Antibiotics can treat impetigo. A provider may prescribe topical antibiotics to put on the pare. Your child may need to take oral antibiotics (a liquid or pill) if the status covers a large area of pare or multiple body parts.

Examples of antibiotic treatments include:

Topical mupirocin (Bactroban® or Centany®) ointment.
Oral antibiotics such every bit cephalosporins, clindamycin (Cleocin®) and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim™).

Will impetigo go away on its ain?

Impetigo frequently disappears within about three weeks, even without treatment. But information technology may accept longer. Until information technology goes away, your kid is contagious.

Are in that location complications of impetigo?

Complications are rare. They include:

Rash that spreads to deeper skin layers.
Kidney bug, chosen post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Prevention

Tin can I preclude impetigo?

The best ways to preclude infection are to stay clean and healthy. Other tips to avoid impetigo include:

Keep easily clean: Wash hands regularly. Utilise alcohol-based sanitizer if you don't accept soap and water.
Practice good hygiene: Clip your (and your kid'due south) fingernails regularly to avoid scratching. Sneeze into a tissue and then throw the tissue abroad. Bathe daily (or as often as possible), peculiarly for children with eczema or sensitive pare.
Avert scratching: Don't scratch cuts or wounds. If your child gets a cutting, scratch or wound, proceed them from scratching it.
Make clean wounds: Make clean cuts, scrapes and injuries with soap and water. Then put an antibiotic foam or ointment on the wound.
Continue linens clean: Launder underwear, towels and sheets in hot water.

Outlook / Prognosis

What's the outlook for someone who gets impetigo?

Antibiotics tin cure impetigo, only the condition can return, especially in small children. Getting it once doesn't protect someone from getting it again.

How long until the sores go abroad?

The sores may take some fourth dimension to heal completely. The good news: The infection rarely leaves scars.

How long is impetigo contagious?

Without treatment, impetigo can be contagious for weeks. After starting impetigo treatment, the status is contagious until:

The rash disappears.
Scabs fall off.
Y'all have finished at to the lowest degree two days of antibiotics.

Tin a person get re-infected?

Re-infection happens. Children are peculiarly prone to scratching and opening their scabs, putting them at a college hazard of re-infection.

Living With

How can I take care of myself if I accept impetigo?

If your healthcare provider diagnosed y'all or your child with impetigo, these handling tips tin help:

Go along sores covered: Bandage sores or wear long sleeves and pants.
Accept all medication: Use your antibiotics for the full length of me your provider prescribed them to prevent re-infection.
Stay clean: Wash the skin gently a few times a twenty-four hour period using antibacterial lather. Doing so will remove crusts and drainage.
Avoid touching the rash: If you lot exercise bear on it, launder your hands and the exposed area with lather and water.
Isolate children: If your child has impetigo, go along them away from other children until they end treatment. They shouldn't get to school or day care.
Avoid hot tubs and pond pools: The rash can spread if others come into contact with your child's skin, swimsuit or towel.

A notation from Cleveland Clinic Impetigo is a common skin condition that by and large affects young children. Impetigo symptoms include blisters and red sores that typically outset effectually the oral cavity and olfactory organ. If yous notice signs of impetigo, talk to your healthcare provider. Impetigo treatment is usually antibiotics, either oral or topical (a cream). Impetigo is very contagious, so go along children home until they've had at least two days of antibiotics. The medicine volition clear up the rash. To foreclose impetigo, practice practiced hygiene. Clean and cover any cuts or scratches to proceed them from getting infected.

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Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15134-impetigo