Wednesday, September 8, 2010

fml FOR real

So i started work on Tuesday of last week. I had some spots on my face but i just figured they were zits or something. Now since we all know i have some OCD issues, so i am a picker of scabs by nature. I never realized what this shit was until yesterday when i saw my psychiatrist and he said that it looked like i had impetigo. At first i thought, yeah whatever but then someone else told me that's what it looked like so i went to the walk-in clinic to get it checked out and sure enough...it's impetigo. I thought originally that impetigo was like herpes and so i was puzzled how i got it. I don't have rando sex partners or anything and i don't have a boyfriend so how could i get this 'herpes' like virus. I prescribed some pills which i have to take 4 times a day and cream to apply 3 times a day. The pharmacist that i had i gone to today said that he sees it all the time and people are very self-conscious about it. I feel like i have been shot in the face with buckshot. I never had complexion problems growing up as a kid so when i have something as horrible as this on my face, i'm freakin' out a little bit to say the least! I might be able to go to work tomorrow but i will have to cover the sores on my face up, gee thats not going to be too noticeable. Fuck My Life. This really sucks.

ATTACHED PLEASE FIND SOME INFORMATION REGARDING IMPETIGO THAT I FOUND ON WIKIPEDIA, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL EDUCATE YOU AS MUCH AS IT DID ME. ITS A LITTLE AFTER THE FACT BUT SOME KNOWLEDGE IS BETTER THEN NONE.


Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection most common among pre-school children.[1] People who play close contact sports such as rugby, American football and wrestling are also susceptible, regardless of age. Impetigo is not as common in adults. The name derives from the Latin impetere ("assail"). It is also known as school sores. [2]


Classification
Impetigo contagiosa
Impetigo contagiosa is a cutaneous condition characterized by a staphylococcal, streptococcal, or combined infection that presents with discrete, thin-walled vesicles pustular and then rupture.[3]:255 Impetigo also causes flu-like symptoms which may cause fatigue, weakness of muscles, headaches and vomiting.[citation needed]
Bullous impetigo
Bullous impetigo primarily affects infants and children younger than 2 years. It causes painless, fluid-filled blisters — usually on the trunk, arms and legs. The skin around the blister is usually red and itchy but not sore. The blisters, which break and scab over with a yellow-colored crust, may be large or small, and may last longer than sores from other types of impetigo.
Ecthyma
Ecthyma is a more serious form of impetigo in which the infection penetrates deeper into the skin's second layer, the dermis. Signs and symptoms include:
Painful fluid- or pus-filled sores that turn into deep ulcers, usually on the legs and feet
A hard, thick, gray-yellow crust covering the sores
Swollen lymph glands in the affected area
Little holes the size of pinheads to the size of pennies appear after crust recedes
Scars that remain after the ulcers heal
Causes
It is primarily caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and sometimes by Streptococcus pyogenes.[4] According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, both bullous and nonbullous are primarily caused by Staphylococcus aureus, with Streptococcus also commonly being involved in the nonbullous form."[5]
Transmission
The infection is spread by direct contact with lesions or with nasal carriers. The incubation period is 1–3 days. Dried streptococci in the air are not infectious to intact skin. Scratching may spread the lesions.
Diagnosis
Impetigo generally appears as honey-colored scabs formed from dried serum, and is often found on the arms, legs, or face.[4]
Prevention

This section does not cite any references or sources.
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Good hygiene practices can help prevent impetigo from spreading. Those who are infected should use soap and water to clean their skin and take baths or showers regularly. Non-infected members of the household should pay special attention to areas of the skin that have been injured, such as cuts, scrapes, insect bites, areas of eczema, and rashes. These areas should be kept clean and covered to prevent infection. In addition, anyone with impetigo should cover the impetigo sores with gauze and tape. All members of the household should wash their hands thoroughly with soap on a regular basis. It is also a good idea for everyone to keep their fingernails cut short to make hand washing more effective. Contact with the infected person and his or her belongings should be avoided, and the infected person should use separate towels for bathing and hand washing. If necessary, paper towels can be used in place of cloth towels for hand drying. The infected person's bed linens, towels, and clothing should be separated from those of other family members, as well. Whilst suffering from impetigo, it is best to stay indoors for a few days to stop any bacteria from getting into the blisters and making the infections worse. When a person has impetigo, it is common for them to get it a second time in the space of 6–9 months. This usually occurs in people aged 12–16.
Treatment
For generations, the disease was treated with an application of the antiseptic gentian violet.[6] Today, topical or oral antibiotics are usually prescribed. Treatment may involve washing with soap and water and letting the impetigo dry in the air. Mild cases may be treated with bactericidal ointment, such as fusidic acid, mupirocin, chloramphenicol or neosporin, which in some countries may be available over-the-counter. More severe cases require oral antibiotics, such as dicloxacillin, flucloxacillin or erythromycin. Alternatively amoxicillin combined with clavulanate potassium, cephalosporins (1st generation) and many others may also be used as an antibiotic treatment.
Hydrogen peroxide is an alternative to topical antibiotics in the treatment of Impetigo. In a cream formulation hydrogen peroxide 1% is stabilized, thereby avoiding fast degradation with the result of prolonged antimicrobial effect and effective treatment. Hydrogen peroxide has been shown to be as effective as antibiotics in the treatment of Impetigo Contagiosa.

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