Erysipelas - causes and methods of treatment

The disease with a cacophonous name "erysipelas" in medicine is called erysipelas. The causative agent of the inflammatory process is the bacterium - hemolytic streptococcus. Externally erysipelatous inflammation is manifested by the appearance of edema, redness of the skin, a feeling of pain and burning. Most often, the localization of inflammation is observed on the skin of the extremities, rarely - on the trunk or face. Even after the cure, this disease can give a relapse, since it is not possible to completely get rid of the presence of streptococci in the body.

You can get infected with erysipelas from a sick person or from a carrier who himself remains externally healthy. Infection penetrates through any damage to the skin - scratches, cuts, scrapes. Sometimes infection is possible through the mucous membranes. Of course, far from all those who have contact with the carrier there is erysipelas, the causes of the disease lie in the reduction of immunity or in the presence of other unfavorable factors inside the body.

It must be said that erysipelas is a disease not only of the skin surface, but of the whole organism, as well as symptoms of general intoxication. Patients complain of fever, nausea, weakness. Sometimes there is a violation of the outflow of lymph, which can lead to elephantiasis.

The incubation period after infection lasts about three days. Then the acute development of the disease begins - there is redness of the skin, puffiness, hemorrhages in the form of dots. The focus of inflammation has clear edges, as the disease develops, it can grow rapidly, increasing by 10 cm per day.

It should be noted that the erysipelatous skin inflammation differs in the nature of the lesion. With erythematous form, the skin reddens and swells. Hemorrhagic form is characterized by a change in the permeability of blood vessels, the appearance of bleeding. With the bullous form of inflammation on the skin, there are blisters filled with serous exudative fluid.

In addition, erysipelas may occur with varying degrees of symptom severity. With a slight injury, the patient's temperature does not rise above 39 degrees, and the febrile state persists for 1-2 days. Inflammatory process is covered by the local area of the skin. With a lesion of moderate severity, fever lasts about 4-5 days, the temperature rises to 40 degrees, sometimes a disturbance of consciousness occurs, and the inflammation seizes larger areas of the body. In severe cases, the symptoms of intoxication are more pronounced, the patients often lose consciousness, begin to rave, the temperature lasts more than 5 days, and the inflammatory process seizes vast areas of the skin.

By the nature of the localization, erysipelas may be located in one anatomical area, and can capture several. There were cases of metastatic form of erysipelas, when the affected were different parts of the body, not connected with each other.

The choice of the regimen for treatment of erysipelas depends on the form and severity of the disease. Effective treatment is prescribed in the complex, but the leading place is given to the use of antibiotics from the penicillin group. In addition, they carry out treatment aimed at detoxifying the body and strengthening immunity. An obligatory point in the complex of therapeutic measures is the use of local therapy.

The prognosis for treatment of erysipelas is favorable. However, the elderly sometimes have serious complications that cause serious health problems or even death. Among such complications include the occurrence of trophic ulcers, necrosis, abscesses. In the most severe cases, the development of sepsis is possible.

From folk remedies, the lubrication of the affected areas with sterilized sunflower oil and the subsequent streaking of the inflamed area with streptocid powder is often used . Compresses are used from the leaves of burdock or mother-and-stepmother. However, the use of folk remedies is only in addition to drug therapy.