Indian Fire Rash

Indian fire rash is an extremely contagious skin infection, which mainly affects infants and children though it may attack adults. It is possible that you might have heard or encountered it because it is given other names such as impetigo or infantigo. The infection makes a child have red sores appearing in face especially around the nose and mouth.

While it is mainly caused by bacterial entry in to the body or scratches and stings from insects, it could also occur on otherwise normal, healthy skin. The condition, though highly contagious, it rarely leads to complications. It will dissipate in 2 to 3 weeks since it onset. The disease can become serious and that’s why doctors may prescribe antibiotics or topical treatment.

What causes Indian fire rash?

Indian fire rash is mainly caused by bacteria. There are two types of bacteria, which are responsible for causing this contagious skin condition and they are strep and staph, particularly streptococcus pyogenes and the staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria occur naturally on skin and remain harmless until they multiply in large numbers or gain entry into the body.

When a person has an exposed skin such as an insect bite, a cut, a scratch, or some form of trauma that tears open the skin, the bacteria may enter the body on skin and result to an infection. A rash will form. The rash may occur even in healthy skin.

People who have other skin conditions such as psoriasis may have risk of the Indian fire rash since it causes bacteria enter the skin. This condition is highly contagious. It is important for people to avoid sharing things with an infected person for example, clothes, bed sheets, towels, and other items because this practice increases the possibility of spreading the infection to other people.

In adults, trauma on skin is the main cause of bacteria entering the skin while in children; it is mainly as a result of insect bites that cause scratching and tearing open of skin, giving the bacteria the ability to enter skin. The bacteria, when in skin will release toxins that tend to damage the protective protein found on skin cells. This will result to increased spread of the bacteria within a patient.

How is Indian fire rash spread

Indian fire rash may be spread from a person to another when they come in contact or share items. That’s why children with this condition are isolated and do not attend school since they can easily pass it on to other kids. The rash may also be spread from one part of a person’s skin to another part.

For example, when a person infected with the rash scratches part of the skin and touches another, the bacteria may spread to the new part causing rash. Its spread from one person to another is mainly when an uninfected person shares items like bed sheets, toys, towels, and other things of an infected person.

What does the Indian fire rash look like?

People with Indian fire rash will experience a number of symptoms. The first symptoms to appear are tiny red bumps that form on the skin. These bumps change in color as they heal to form honey colored crusts. Prior to attaining the crusty look, the red sores will rapture and discharge fluids and pus then start healing where they form the yellow brown or honey colored crusts.

A person with this rash may experience itching though not always. The lesions may form with pain but at times, they may be painless. Although the red sore blisters have fluid, they tend to be painless and itchy. When filled with pass, the blisters will be painful and might form ulcers.

An individual may also have other symptoms such as fever and sore throat along with the rash on skin. Different forms of Indian fire rash exist such as impetigo contagiosa, bullous impetigo, and ecthyma. These may show different symptoms.

Treatment of Indian fire rash

Indian fire rash tends to heal on its own without seeking treatment. Sometimes, the symptoms may become worse meaning that a person should seek for treatment to prevent further compilations. Use of antibiotics is recommended to help in fighting infection. Where there is pain on skin, medications to relieve pain may be used.

Doctors will diagnose the skin conditions by conducting tests such as bacterial culture. For non-bullous impetigo, antibiotics may be applied topically, but for bullous impetigo, oral antibiotic is considered. Also, a non-bullous impetigo that has resistance to antibiotics may need to be treated using oral prescriptions that tend to be more effective.

Good hygiene measures are needed to help keep infected skin clean. White vinegar mixed with water may be used to clean the affected skin. The affected part can be soaked in the vinegar solution to help remove scabs. When cleaned, the area is tap dried before topical antibiotic is applied. A non-stick dressing may be used to prevent spreading of the infection.