Acne bacteria, staphylococcus aureus and antibiotics

[Rooo 0]

Hello,

I suffer from constant pimples and zits and stuff in my face and chest since 2006. The acne in the chest is much worse than the face. I`m 24 years.

Derms tell me is acne. However the other day a doctor told me that could be a staph aureus.

My doubts:

1. how can I know what I have if the acne bacteria and staphs lives in everybody`s skin?

2. having a staph can produce acne?

3. if so, are antibiotics useful?

I really don`t know what to think and don`t know what to do. I`m pretty scared of taking antibiotics because I have read that acne returns. And that`s another doubt, if staph is causing the acne, taking antibiotics will kill definitively the staph or it will return.

thanks

Edited December 28, 2010 by Rooo

[BeadyB 0]

They have to culture it to make sure.

Staph can cause acne and vice versa.

Antibiotics are useful at clearing up the initial breakout, but some form of regular maintenance must be done to prevent it.

If its acne causing staph, you should use a regimen to keep it in control.

If its staph causing acne, you should clear up the staph first, and then do monthly antibiotic nasal sprays or something to keep that in check.

Most importantly, you need to get it cultured.

[Rooo 0]

They have to culture it to make sure.

Staph can cause acne and vice versa.

Antibiotics are useful at clearing up the initial breakout, but some form of regular maintenance must be done to prevent it.

If its acne causing staph, you should use a regimen to keep it in control.

If its staph causing acne, you should clear up the staph first, and then do monthly antibiotic nasal sprays or something to keep that in check.

Most importantly, you need to get it cultured.

thanks beady,

1. staphs should look red, swollen and be painful? or they can be similar to an ordinary zit? it`s possible that for 5 years the underlyng cause of my acne has been a staph infection?

2. if acne causes staph when you say "a regimen" you mean antibiotics or an acne regimen?

3. if it`s viceversa, the clearance of staph you say how long should it take? and the monthly antibiotic nasal spray monthly for how long I should do it? why nasal sprays?

4. how do you get clear of staph if staph is a bacteria that lives on our skin?

5. why usually people who takes antibiotics are fine while taking them but when they stop the acne returns?

6. the bacteria killed by antibiotics can be recovered after having a course of antibiotics (for example with probiotics or sthg)?

thanks, sorry for having so many doubts

[Rooo 0]

Hi,

I suffer from constant pimples and zits and stuff in my face and chest since 2006. The acne in the chest is much worse than the face. I`m 24 years.

Derms tell me is acne. However the other day a doctor told me that could be a staph aureus.

My doubts:

1. how can I know what I have if the acne bacteria and staphs lives in everybody`s skin? don`t people with acne in most cases has staph aureus?

2. having a staph can produce the acne?

3. staphs should look red, swollen and be painful? or they can be similar to an ordinary zit? it`s possible that for 5 years the underlyng cause of my acne has been a staph infection?

4. if so, are antibiotics useful?how do you get clear of staph if staph is a bacteria that lives on our skin?

5. why usually people who takes antibiotics are fine while taking them but when they stop the acne returns? it is different to take antibiotics to attack the bacteria of acne than to attack a staph?

6. the good bacteria killed by antibiotics can be recovered after having a course of antibiotics (for example with probiotics or sthg)?

I really don`t know what to think and don`t know what to do. I`m pretty scared of taking antibiotics because I have read that acne returns. And that`s another doubt, if staph is causing the acne, taking antibiotics will kill definitively the staph or it will return.

thanks for your help

[greentiger87 15]

Hi,

I suffer from constant pimples and zits and stuff in my face and chest since 2006. The acne in the chest is much worse than the face. I`m 24 years.

Derms tell me is acne. However the other day a doctor told me that could be a staph aureus.

My doubts:

1. how can I know what I have if the acne bacteria and staphs lives in everybody`s skin? don`t people with acne in most cases has staph aureus?

2. having a staph can produce the acne?

3. staphs should look red, swollen and be painful? or they can be similar to an ordinary zit? it`s possible that for 5 years the underlyng cause of my acne has been a staph infection?

4. if so, are antibiotics useful?how do you get clear of staph if staph is a bacteria that lives on our skin?

5. why usually people who takes antibiotics are fine while taking them but when they stop the acne returns? it is different to take antibiotics to attack the bacteria of acne than to attack a staph?

6. the good bacteria killed by antibiotics can be recovered after having a course of antibiotics (for example with probiotics or sthg)?

I really don`t know what to think and don`t know what to do. I`m pretty scared of taking antibiotics because I have read that acne returns. And that`s another doubt, if staph is causing the acne, taking antibiotics will kill definitively the staph or it will return.

thanks for your help

Ermm.. I'll attempt to answer these, no guarantees though...

1) It's overwhelmingly likely that you have both. The inflammatory response that p acnes produces often paves the way for a staph infection. A bacterial culture could confirm the staph aureus, but this is rarely done - except in the case of drug-resistant staph infections (like MRSA).

2) Technically when staph is the sole/main cause of lesions, they're described as boils, furuncles, or a rash. They generally look quite qualitatively different from acne - large amounts of white pus, delicate lesions, focal points other than follicles/pores.. the lesions also tend to be clustered/distributed differently. There's a lot of information on this online, if you want to read up on it.

3) Yes, staph infections usually cause a kind of diffuse, pustular inflammation thats qualitatively different from acne. Cysts/nodules, for example, are rare with staph infections. When they progress deep into the skin, they rarely do it at specific points - rather, a diffuse area will have a deep infection, sometimes resulting in cellulitis (infection of the connective tissue underneath the skin). Is it possible that what you've been considering acne is actually primarily a staph infection - absolutely.

4) Staph normally lives on our skin, but it does NOT normally infect our skin and cause an inflammatory response. It's a delicate balance that our immune system normally does a good job of maintaining. Often, staph infections are evidence that you are in some way, immunocompromised (though this is not always true). Antibiotics help by killing the staph in the infected tissue, which the bloodstream will rapidly bring into contact with the drug. Some staph bacteria will remain on the surface of the skin to repopulate, along with other members of the normal skin flora.

5) The acne returns because antibiotics can never kill all of the P. acnes population - they mainly exist outside the bloodstream, in the follicle. Even if they could kill most of the population, people would likely quickly become repopulated by environmental sources. Eliminating a staph infection is different because it eliminates an incursion by staph bacteria into the living parts of the skin. Once this balance is re-established, the immune system has a chance to prevent such an incursion from recurring - which is much easier than eradicating an existing infection.

6) As far as I know, pro-biotics for the skin are not available, mainly because they're unneeded. There are cases of antibiotic induced fungal infections because of skin flora depletion, but generally the skin flora is very quick to rebound. This is mainly because systemic antibiotics are not very good at killing bacteria on top of the strateum corneum (the top, dead layer of skin cells). There's always more than enough remaining bacteria to repopulate. Probiotics are available to repopulate the intestines and stomach, as natural repopulation here is significantly slower and more difficult.

Edited December 29, 2010 by greentiger87

[BeadyB 0]

They have to culture it to make sure.

Staph can cause acne and vice versa.

Antibiotics are useful at clearing up the initial breakout, but some form of regular maintenance must be done to prevent it.

If its acne causing staph, you should use a regimen to keep it in control.

If its staph causing acne, you should clear up the staph first, and then do monthly antibiotic nasal sprays or something to keep that in check.

Most importantly, you need to get it cultured.

thanks beady,

1. staphs should look red, swollen and be painful? or they can be similar to an ordinary zit? it`s possible that for 5 years the underlyng cause of my acne has been a staph infection?

2. if acne causes staph when you say "a regimen" you mean antibiotics or an acne regimen?

3. if it`s viceversa, the clearance of staph you say how long should it take? and the monthly antibiotic nasal spray monthly for how long I should do it? why nasal sprays?

4. how do you get clear of staph if staph is a bacteria that lives on our skin?

5. why usually people who takes antibiotics are fine while taking them but when they stop the acne returns?

6. the bacteria killed by antibiotics can be recovered after having a course of antibiotics (for example with probiotics or sthg)?

thanks, sorry for having so many doubts

No worries on the doubts. Thats why we're here.

For me, it was acne causing staph. Even the tiniest pimple would result in an infection. Strange, but I blame working with money. It's dirty!!

1. Ok. First off, staph can be a number of different types and colors. Mine was Impetigo. Which can start as a pimple, boil, rash and then becomes yellow and scab like. (Super icky)

2. If acne causes staph, the best thing to do is to prevent the acne in the first place. Usually with a topical regimen. (Antibiotics work for some, but they made me feel terrible and didn't do much for acne, just staph)

3. My staph antibiotics were usually a week course, taking a pill twice a day. Usually some kind of broad range antibiotic. Like Cefadroxil or Cefalexin. Most people do not carry staph. We all have bacteria on our skin, but to carry staph in your body is much more rare. Nasal sprays are recommended for people who have that problem. I do not carry staph. I just keep getting reinfected somehow. A doctor would tell you how long to do the nasal spray.

4. I already answered this, sorry. Again. We all have bacteria on our skin, but to carry staph on skin and in the body is RARE. A culture is necessary to determine this.

5. Antibiotics usually treat a problem. Acne and staph are different. They are caused by different things. Antibiotics are not a cure. They can cure an infection, but that doesn't mean you wont be infected again. I may be wrong, but people who take antibiotics for acne only treat the problem, not cure it. Staph can be cleared up, but it can always come back, especially if you carry staph.

6. Probiotics help restore the healthy bacteria that has been destroyed, but it takes time. Your immune system doesn't just recover from it from eating yogurt and such. I think its a long process and it doesn't restore ALL bacteria. I don't like taking antibiotics unless I have to.

Again, my case was different and I definatley dont have all the answers. I would suggest asking a doctor.

[ayla 150]

What Are Staph Infections?

Staph infections are caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which many healthy people carry on their skin and in their noses without getting sick. But when skin is punctured or broken, staph bacteria can enter the wound and cause infections, which can lead to other health problems.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/ba...hylococcus.html

[Rooo 0]

thanks again Beady B,

maybe in a couple of weeks I would like to ask you aanother couple of things about this

happy new year