Impetigo

Impetigo is a skin infection that spreads very easily from person to person. The good news is that it's not usually serious and gets better quickly with the right treatment. While anyone can get impetigo, it's much more common in young children.

What Does Impetigo Look Like?

Impetigo starts as red sores or blisters on your skin. If you have brown or black skin, the redness might be harder to spot. These sores and blisters burst quite quickly, leaving behind crusty patches that look golden-brown in colour.

These crusty patches often look like cornflakes stuck to your skin. They can:

• Get bigger and spread to other areas of your body
• Feel itchy and sometimes painful
• Most commonly appear on your face (especially around your nose and mouth) and hands

Sometimes you might see yellow liquid coming out of the blisters. When this dries, it can leave a scaly edge around a scab. This type is called bullous impetigo.

When to Get Help

See a pharmacist if:

• You or your child (aged 12 months or over) have signs of impetigo

Pharmacists can give you the same medicines that GPs use to treat impetigo. They can also give you advice or send you for other help if needed.

Speak to your GP if:

• Your child is 11 months old or younger
• You're breastfeeding and have impetigo sores on your breasts
• You have a weakened immune system (for example, if you're having chemotherapy)
• You've had treatment but your symptoms have got worse or changed
• You've had impetigo before in the past year and it's come back

Remember that impetigo spreads very easily. Check with your GP surgery before visiting - they might suggest a phone appointment instead.

Treatment Options

A pharmacist or GP will check that your symptoms are caused by impetigo and not a more serious skin infection. If it is impetigo, they might give you:

• Hydrogen peroxide cream
• Antibiotic cream or tablets

Babies and people with weak immune systems often need antibiotic tablets to stop the infection causing bigger problems.

Important: Always finish your full course of treatment, even if your skin starts looking better. Don't stop using creams or taking tablets early.

Stopping the Spread

Impetigo spreads easily through skin-to-skin contact or by touching infected items like towels and bedding.

You're no longer contagious:

• 48 hours after starting treatment from a pharmacist or GP
• When the patches dry out and crust over (if you don't get treatment)

While it's still contagious:

• Stay away from work, school or nursery
• Wash affected areas with soap and water, then dry thoroughly
• Wash your hands often, especially before and after using creams
• Wash towels, sheets and pillowcases at high temperature
• Don't touch or scratch the sores (this also helps prevent scarring)
• Avoid close contact with young children, people with diabetes, or those with weak immune systems

Prevention

Impetigo usually affects skin that's already damaged. Keep cuts, scratches and insect bites clean by washing them with warm water and soap. Get treatment for skin conditions like eczema, as these can make you more likely to get impetigo.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.