Skin Infections

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. Its function is to protect your body from infection. Sometimes the skin itself becomes infected. Skin infections are caused by a wide variety of germs, and symptoms can vary from mild to serious. Mild infections may be treatable with over-the-counter medications and home remedies, whereas other infections may require medical attention. There are four categories of major skin infections.

• Viral – Viral skin infections are caused by a virus. These infections range from mild to severe. Different types of viral infections include:
  • Shingles (herpes zoster) – Shingles, caused by the varicella zoster virus comes from the same virus that causes chicken pox. After you have recovered from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in your spinal cord until it gets its second punch and reappears with a painful rash that looks like a band or strip of blisters on one side of your body and wraps around the other, or even on your neck, nose or forehead. There are numerous treatments that Dr. Nicolaides and his team can perform, and include the use of an anti-viral medication.
  • Chickenpox
  • Molluscum contagiosum
  • Warts
  • Measles
  • Hand, foot, and mouth disease
• Bacterial – Bacterial skin infections often begin as small, red bumps that slowly increase in size. Some bacterial infections are mild and easily treated with topical antibiotics, but other infections require an oral antibiotic. Different types of bacterial skin infections include:
  • Cellulitis
  • Impetigo – Staphylococcus Aureus
  • Boils – Staphylococcus Aureus is the bug that cause
  • Leprosy
  • Fungal – These types of skin infections are caused by a fungus and are most likely to develop in damp areas of the body, such as the feet or armpit. Some fungal infections aren’t contagious, and these infections are typically non-life-threatening.
    • Different types of fungal infections:
      • Athlete’s foot
      • Yeast infection
      • Ringworm – Ringworm is a common fungal skin infection. Ringworm is not caused by a worm.Ringworm typically begins as a flat scaly area on the skin, which may be red and itchy. This patch develops a slightly raised border that expands outward — forming a roughly circular ring. The contours of the ring may be quite irregular, resembling the wavy outline of a snake or a worm.most commonly affects the skin on the body, the scalp, the feet, or the groin(jock itch). Because ringworm is contagious no matter where ringworm appears on the body, treatment is important. Without treatment, the rash tends to grow slowly and cover a larger area. You can also infect other areas of your body. The treatment for ringworm depends on its location on the body and how serious the infection is. Some forms of ringworm can be treated with over the counter medication , while others need treatment with prescription anti-fungal medication.
      • Nail fungus – Nail fungus is a common condition that begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail. As the fungal infection goes deeper, nail fungus may cause your nail to discolor, thicken and crumble at the edge. It can affect several nails. treatment of nail fungus infections can be a long and expensive process. There are oral anti-fungal medications, topical ointments, and alternative therapies. Over the counter cream have not proved very effective.
      • Oral thrush
      • Diaper rash
• Parasitic – These types of skin infections are caused by a parasite. These infections can spread beyond the skin to the bloodstream and organs. A parasitic infection isn’t life-threatening but can be uncomfortable. Different types of parasitic skin infections include:
  • Lice
  • Bedbugs
  • Scabies – Scabies are tiny mites that burrow underneath your skin and lay eggs. They are harmless but highly contagious and are extremely uncomfortable, causing uncomfortable itching feeling usually much worse at night.It is not uncommon that when one member of the family contracts scabies, that the rest of the family may also become infected with scabies and need to be treated for it as well. They may look like tiny pink bumps or blisters  on the skin. Our skin becomes extremely allergic to the mites. There are numerous treatments that Dr.N and his team can perform.
  • Cutaneous larva migrans