Symptoms of MRSA Infection
MRSA infection has symptoms almost identical to those found in regular staph infections. The main difference between MRSA infections and other staph infections is that the MRSA infections are resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin. Symptoms of any staph infection will originally appear as acne pimples-small red bumps on the outer layer of skin. Most people mistake these bumps as blemishes or insect bites. A normal, healthy immune system will almost always be able to combat the staph bacteria and eventually get rid of the bumps.
This is why most people fail to contract severe staff infections despite the fact that at least 25 percent of adults are carriers of some type of staph bacteria. Those with weaker immune systems (typically children, elderly adults and the very ill) and even healthy adults plagued by more severe strains of staph bacteria will see their symptoms progress beyond mere skin blemishes. First, the bumps transform into painful abscesses that are much larger than the initial tiny bumps.
These boils are filled with pus. As the infection worsens, the victim may exhibit flulike symptoms such as fever, nausea , headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. They may feel constantly tired and drained. These symptoms and their severity depend largely on the strain of staph bacteria and how the bacteria were spread to the victim. Because of these symptoms, doctors often misdiagnose staph infections, especially if the original skin blemishes have not yet reached a point where they are severe enough to be labeled as pustules.
Also, because these symptoms are fairly mild, those infected with the bacteria rarely seek diagnosis early enough to halt the further spread of bacteria. Fortunately, many who are infected are able to fight off the bacteria with their own immune systems, but others are less fortunate.
The severe MRSA symptoms begin as soon as the bacteria enter the bloodstream. Once these bacteria reach the internal organs, the infection usually grows life-threatening. Victims will show a huge variety of symptoms, including severe diarrhea, meningitis, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections.
Some may have difficulty breathing, or be susceptible to food poisoning. This susceptibility is caused by the staph bacteria’s destruction of immune cells. Bacteria may also localize in the limbs, which is why many people with severe staph infections have to have their legs or arms surgically amputated.
In Mersa infections, these symptoms will continue to manifest, and will not be halted by the use of standard antibiotics. Those infected are hospitalized for lengthy amounts of time, and subjugated to riskier treatments, that while more powerful, can be dangerous to the individual.
