A new school year often brings with it a range of highly contagious conditions to manage, but your local pharmacy can help provide treatments for conditions such as impetigo, as well as give advice on how to avoid it and stop it from spreading.
Following a big summer holiday, heading back to school brings with it a lot of stress for children and parents alike, but one of the biggest concerns is the spread of coughs, colds and other contagions that coincide with the change of seasons.
One of these conditions is impetigo, a contagious skin condition which causes crusty, itchy sores that particularly affect younger children around their first day of school, to the point that they are sometimes nicknamed “school sores”.
What causes impetigo? How can your local pharmacy help treat it? And what can you do to prevent it from spreading around your school and local area?
What Is Impetigo?
A very common and highly contagious skin condition, impetigo infects a break in your skin and creates a discoloured sore which quickly breaks and crusts over, often expanding in the process.
The sores are typically very itchy and can be painful, although both elements will go away fairly quickly and typically do not leave scars.
There are three main types of impetigo:
- Nonbullous – The most common form of impetigo, this causes discolouration, sores and scabs which crust over.
- Bullous – A less common variation, this causes blisters, which expand and burst open, creating crusts around the open sores that result.
- Ecthyma – A more severe variation, this affects deeper layers of the skin and creates much larger and more painful blisters, which can crust over and even leave scars once they burst.
Why Is Impetigo Called School Sores?
Nonbullous impetigo is sometimes known as ‘school sores’ because whilst the infection can affect anyone, they most commonly infect schoolchildren because of just how infectious they are within school classes and families.
They can spread through the crust or fluid either directly or by touching anything that comes into contact with a sore, particularly towels, clothes and bedding.
Because they are itchy, a big concern is scratching sores, which breaks the crust, causes bleeding and can potentially spread the infection.
Outbreaks can spread so fast that some school bulletins post warnings about them, and in some cases children will be advised to stay at home until the blistering stops to stop it from spreading throughout a school.
How Can A Pharmacy Help Treat Impetigo?
Pharmacies can help to treat impetigo, as well as distinguish it from other, similar-looking skin conditions such as ringworm, cold sores or eczema.
Impetigo usually clears up on its own, but there are ways to stop it from being infectious faster, soothe itchy and sore skin, and help treat illnesses relating to impetigo.
It is typically treated using antibiotic creams, although more serious or larger infections can be treated with a short course of antibiotics such as amoxicillin.
Whilst a common infection, it is important to see a pharmacist or your GP, partly because other, potentially more serious skin conditions can be mistaken for impetigo, but also because there are potential risks of complications.
If you have a weakened immune system, a very young child under the age of 11 months has signs of it, the symptoms have gotten worse, or it keeps coming back, you should get in touch with your GP to see what treatments are available.
How Can You Prevent Impetigo From Spreading?
The best way to stop impetigo from spreading is to err on the side of caution. If you notice the sores, particularly once they start crusting or blistering, stay away from school, nursery or workplaces until you are no longer contagious, and call ahead before visiting a GP or pharmacy.
Wash any affected areas, clothing, towels and bedding thoroughly, as well as ensuring you wash your hands frequently before and after applying any topical solutions to impetigo sores.
If you have impetigo, avoid close contact with other people, such as going to the gym or playing contact sports where contact with other players is unavoidable.
As well as this, do not prepare food for other people, as it is possible to spread impetigo through contact between sores, your hands and the food.
How Can You Avoid Getting Impetigo?
Prevention is better than cure, and the best way to avoid impetigo is to protect any damaged skin. Keep scratches, bites and cuts clean, washing them regularly and drying them thoroughly. Use bandages or dressings for larger wounds.