What Does MRSA Look Like?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureu is a serious strain of staph infection, which if left untreated, can be deadly. Many people fail to recognize this infection, often mistaking it for acne pimples, insect bites or rashes. The symptoms of MRSA are much like those found in other staph infections, the difference being in the treatment and not so much in the appearance or manifestation of initial symptoms.
The skin conditions that may indicate MRSA are small red bumps on the skin. They may occur on the face, the back or almost any other body part. Unlike acne, however, these “pimples” can turn into a severe infection if left untreated. Usually, from bumps, they progress to large red boils filled with pus. The pustules often sting and can be quite painful for the victim suffering the infection. It is often at this point when the victim may seek out the help of a dermatologist, who commonly tests for staph infections, and may refer them to another doctor. Unfortunately, however, due to an apparent lack of awareness even in the medical world, MRSA is often misdiagnosed, even by professionals.
The boils will continue to increase in size and number, until eventually the infection spreads into the blood stream. From there, the infection makes its way to internal organs, at which point the condition has become life-threatening. The patient will now begin to exhibit much more severe symptoms, such as fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle pain. As the MRSA bacteria kill off the body’s immune cells, the victim will contract very severe conditions such as pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome and even meningitis.
At this point, although doctors will step in with very strong antibiotic treatment, there is usually little that can be done to save the patient. This is why so many MRSA infections end in death-MRSA cannot be treated with usual antibiotics, and is extremely resistant to all treatments, even those that are extremely powerful.
Prevention is an important measure, because many people may be carriers of MRSA and never be aware of it. Even those who have contracted the infection will not show symptoms for over a week, during which time they are spreading the bacteria to other people, surfaces and objects. They may spread the disease in both hospitals and the rest of the community without knowing it. Only later will they find out that they may have doomed others to the same fate without knowing it.
