Symptoms and prevention of erysipelas
What is erysipelas?
Erysipelas is a disease that can be transmitted from person to person, that is, it belongs to infectious diseases, caused by streptococci. The infection can be brought to the skin by contact - through any dirty objects or hands. Streptococcus erysipelas is the causative agent of the disease in the human body. Streptococcus can die only at a very high temperature - about fifty-six degrees, and then only after 30 minutes. Moreover, streptococcus tolerates drying well. Erysipelas symptomsSymptoms of erysipelas in the first stage are sharp headaches, fever up to forty degrees, weakness of the body, chills, nausea. Then, after about eight hours, a raised, noticeable area appears on the skin, which hurts, burns, swelling and redness occurs in this place. In some types of erysipelas, blisters filled with clear liquid may form on the skin. After some time, they will come off, and in their place will remain reddish crusts, which will also go away after three weeks. At the site of the erysipelas, ulcers and erosion can form. With this disease, the lymphatic system is damaged. Erysipelas occurs on the face and lower extremities. The duration of the disease can be about six months or more. Erysipelas on the extremities can occur in diseases such as thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma, peripheral ulcers. And an erysipelas on the face can be the result of poor professional conditions. There is another type of erysipelas - erythematous. It passes approximately on the eighth day of illness, sometimes on the tenth or fourteenth. After the disease, traces, spots, flaky skin may remain, sometimes an elephant limb is formed due to the development of lymphostasis. |
Causes of erysipelas
The cause of erysipelas is the causative agent - streptococcus erysipelas, which has a similar nature with other pathogens, for example, with angina. The infection passes through the damaged areas of the skin after touching it with dirty hands or tools.
Prevention of erysipelas
Prevention of erysipelas comes down to the fact that you should constantly monitor your body, maintain personal hygiene and all small wounds, treat bruises immediately after injuries - lubricate damaged areas of the skin with iodine, a solution of brilliant green.
If you touch the affected skin of a patient with erysipelas, you must then thoroughly wash your hands and wipe them with alcohol or cologne.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".