Impetigo can occur with anybody, both children and adults. The bacteria which cause impetigo can show up everywhere, especially in humid and polluted condition. Therefore, you should be aware of this disease even when medical treatment for impetigo in children and adults are always available. For the very first sign of impetigo, home remedies are considered as the most effective way to treat this disease!
What is impetigo?
Normally, Impetigo is caused by a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus which affects the outer layers of skin. The face, arms, and legs skin areas are most often got infection.
Anyone can be suffered from impetigo because it’s easy to spread the virus. However, the most common age of this infection is children, mostly 2- to 5-year old kids.
Causes of Impetigo
These bacteria often enter one’s body while skin has already been injured because of other differrent skin problems, for example burns, insect bites, blisters or cuts…. Children can be easily affected by impetigo after they got a health problems like catching a common cold, a high fever or flu. But impetigo, in some specific cases, can also develop in the completely healthy skin if it’s weak and sensitive.
Signs of impetigo
You can be alert for some of the warning signs of impetigo so that you do not mistake the disease for other skin diseases. Some signs include:
- Skin irritation is the primary characteristic of the disease.
- The buccal nodule, which can break down causing ulceration and skin damage.
- The sores may be filled with pus then become deep ulcers.
- When the wound is dry, it becomes red.
Home Remedies for impetigo
Treatment for impetigo at home is only for newborns, emerging blisters, other cases must strictly follow the guidance of the doctor, should not buy medicine on your own. There are 2 choices you can consider to treat this disease at home: folk remedies and basic medical treatments. For any circumstance, please remember to make some further research or ask for the guidance of doctor carefully.
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Use of folk remedies
Treatment of impetigo in children needs to be paid more attention because the skin is very sensitive. When the method is used incorrectly, it can cause skin irritation and is more dangerous to children’s health. Therefore, for young children, we often apply herbal remedies to impair the bacteria on the skin. Additionally, herbal/ folk remedies are less likely to cause adverse effects as medications. Generally, folk methods usually do not harm the wound, but you must also consult a doctor, because each body should be treated differently, depending on each body’s characteristics. So, to ensure absolute safety, you must follow the instructions carefully before implementation.
Some effective folk treatments for impetigo that both adults and children can use are as follows:
- Spring onions and honey mixture
Apply 30g spring onions mixed with 2 teaspoons of honey into a thick paste to cover the impetigo skin, let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then rinse off with warm and clean water. Please be noticed to use a cotton pad to rinse the mixture lightly. Repeat it 2 to 3 times per day. It is also recommended to use betel leaf juice (mash betel leaf and squeeze) for daily cleaning, which will bring better results. The reason why to use it everyday will be mentioned in the next separated part.
- Betel leaf
Betel leaves are full of curative ingredients and healing vitamins. For example: vitamin C, D and A, niacin, and a huge source of calcium. We can easily grow it in our homes and take the maximum benefits from this magic leaves. Especially when we apply it on the wound, it not only can kill the virus, but also accelerate the healing process. Thus, it can be the strongest enemy of impetigo to defeat the so-called bacteria and heal the sores.
- Peach leaf
First, use peach leaves boiling water, add cold water to create a warm, comfortable water for skin. Then, wash the wounds daily, repeat it about 5-7 consecutive days. This method will quickly recover from the disease. Taking this folk treatment for impetigo in children or adults is extremely safe.
- Wedilia plant and bitter gourd
Use 100g of Wedilia plant, put into the boiling pot, daily use that water to wash the hair, and take a bath for your child. Continuously applying this method for 5 days will relieve the infection skin. After bathing, a slice of the bitter gourd can be put on the affected area. It will cool down and heal the surface.
- Perilla
Use 100g perilla leaves crushed for the baby’s bath water. In addition, add 50g of Wedilia plant, boil them to make bathing water every day. Also bath for 5 consecutive days.
- Green tea
Green tea leaves contain antiseptic and antioxidant ingredients that can be grateful to treat skin infections. They help heal wounds, get rid of harmful bacteria. You can simply mash 10 leaves and then apply on the wound. Washing and be patient for a week, the ulcer will quickly disappear! Peroxide included in these herbal leaves is a powerful disinfectant that helps kill bacteria and reduces inflammation quickly.
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Use basic medical treatment at home to get rid of bacteria and reduce scale of skin infection
Use 0.9% NaCL which is available in any drug store. When the new acne breaks down, wash the wound with NaCl, then rinse it off with clean water, using a bandage. Or making NaCL by your own with 1 liter of water, adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, then have your skin soaked gently 20 minutes to reduce scales of impetigo infection.
Those methods mentioned above, especially some herbal leaves such as Perilla, Green tea, Betel leaf … can easily help to reduce the suffer from Impetigo. For some simple cases, it can be completely healed. However, for complicated cases, remember to ask for doctor’s guidance carefully before using any home remedies to avoid adverse effect.
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