Staphylococcus, a bacterium that usually causes food poisoning when ingested, is the main cause of staph infections. This bacterium usually lives on the surface of the skin and is mild or harmless. However, when the conditions are right, it can enter the body and cause severe infection that can sometimes prove fatal.
Staph infections usually spread from person to person contact. Since the bacteria is present on the surface of the skin of almost everybody, sharing intimate things like towels and clothes with a person who has been infected by staph infection can cause it to spread. Repeatedly scratching an area on the skin where the bacteria may be present allows it to gain entry into our body and cause infection. If you have had a recent surgery, the bacteria could in fact enter your body through surgical wounds too. Since the immunity after a surgery is already low, an infection at this stage could well be fatal.
Even if your skin has no wounds or breaks from where the bacteria can enter, you may still get the infection through natural openings like the eyelids. The bacteria may also be able to gain an entrance into your body through a freshly shaved face that has irritated or cut skin.
Usually, personal hygiene has a major role to play in containing the infection. The dirtier your skin, the more are the chances of the presence of staphylococcus bacteria on your skin. The bacteria can easily live in long and dirty finger nails or even your hands, if they remain dirty. Make sure you wash your hands frequently and that every time you get a scratch or wound yourself, you immediately clean it with an antiseptic and cover it.
The boils caused by a staph infection can be really painful and therefore immediate treatment is necessary. Here are some home remedies that you can try. However, if these don’t make any significant changes to your condition, it is best to consult your doctor and get proper guidance.
Aloe vera, with its many healing properties, has proved itself to be a great cure for skin conditions. You can apply natural aloe vera, taken from the leaf of the plant or simply consume aloe vera juice twice everyday. The juice helps you strengthen your immunity so that you can fight off the infections that the staphylococcus bacteria present.
Improve your diet. Immunity is the key word here. Take all the essential food groups in your diet, with a special stress on beta carotene and iron. Green leafy vegetables have plenty of both and therefore should be constant in your diet.