What is MRSA? If you asked me this question when I was in high school I wouldn’t be able to give a good answer. I had never heard of MRSA, and it just was neither a concern of mine nor my classmates. Ask the same question today, and I bet many high schoolers would at least be able to say they’ve heard of it. Why? Because MRSA outbreaks have occurred in schools throughout various states in the US, and it’s raising a lot of concern.
What Exactly Is MRSA?
MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (pronounced “MER-sah” among many medical professionals) is a type of bacteria that can’t be killed by certain antibiotics, mostly of the penicillin variety. This kind of staph infection can potentially kill; not very encouraging!
An infection usually looks like a nasty bug bite or boil that’s filled with pus. The infection can turn into an abscess and then get into the bloodstream.
Take note that staph bacteria are for the most part harmless to healthy people. In fact, many individuals have these “bugs” in their noses or on their skin, and they’re not sick.
The problem is that they can transfer the bacteria to others who would get sick, especially to those in hospitals and nursing homes with open wounds, weakened immune systems, and catheters.
So What Happens If Someone Does Get Infected With MRSA?
The medical community brings out the big guns: Vancomycin, one of the few antibiotics still effective against MRSA; however, some strains of MRSA are gaining strength.
What Can You Do Right Now To Protect Yourself And Others?
- First of all, don’t live in fear. You need to live life, and to the fullest. But, you can try to live it a little more wisely.
- The best thing you can do is wash your hands! This decreases the spread of germs. It may sound elementary, but it merits reminding. Scrub your hands with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds. Dry them with disposable towels. Turn off the water with a clean, disposable towel, and open the door with one, as well. You may look funny, but you’ll be relatively germ-free!
- Use an alcohol hand sanitizer when you are unable to wash your hands. It’s better than nothing!
- Don’t share towels, clothes, athletic equipment, razors, cosmetics or cosmetic brushes with others.
- Sanitize gym equipment after use, and even before use. Who wants to sit on a sweaty piece of equipment! Use a towel as a cover too.
- If you have a cut or abrasion, keep it clean and covered until it is healed.
- If you or a loved one is in the hospital or nursing home, make sure the medical staff washes their hands. Politely ask about hand washing; it’s OK to do so and even encouraged in some facilities.
- Make sure that IV lines, injections, and catheters are inserted via sterile technique. Again, it’s OK to ask about this before the procedure begins.
- See a doctor if you have an infection that doesn’t heal, gets worse, has pus draining from it, is an abscess, or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as a fever. Ask about getting tested for MRSA. That way you can receive the right treatment for you.
Check out The Mayo Clinic for further info.
Originally posted 2007-10-23 07:47:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Happy Mother's Day! A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan A little girl, asked where her home was, replied, "where mother is." ~Keith L. Brooks The hand that rocks the cradle Is...... -
The Dreaded Halloween Candy! How do you get through Halloween (and its aftermath) when you’re faced with candy at work, candy you buy for the treat-or-treaters, candy your kids bring home, and leftover candy when Halloween has come and gone? Here are 13 tips on how to handle the candy and keep your diet...... -
Sugar, The Other White Drug I appreciate all your comments on my previous post about sugar addiction. This topic has really got me thinking! I’d like to explore it further. If truth be told, I never considered sugar a drug, but much of my reading suggests that sugar is capable of acting like a potent...... -
Home Births May No Longer Be an Option Back in November, I viewed a screening of Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein's documentary, The Business of Being Born. Applauded by the American College of Nurse Midwives, I too agreed it was an excellent perspective of the more natural side to childbirth, without all the excess medical interventions that sometimes...... -
Depression Risk Factors for Women There are a number of ailments that women are actually at risk for developing without actually realizing it. For example, heart disease risk factors for women are much more significant than for men in many situations. Depression seems to affect more women than it does men. According to the National......
Related Websites -
Finding The Best Coin Collector Shop In Your Area Each coin collector shop has its own personality and style. You need to look around to as many different coin collector shops as possible to make sure that you are working with the best collectors in your area. Trying to differentiate between these different shops can be somewhat difficult for...... -
Surveying Equipment Collectibles -> Science-Medical -> Surveying Equipment While many people collect cat figurines, dolls, books, sports memorabilia and almost anything you can think of, fewer people collect things like surveying equipment, medical instruments, mining tools and things of that nature. But those who do collect them are enthusiastic about their hobby,...... -
Your Swim Pose and Triathlon Training As technical as the swimming sport can be, it can generally be tough to narrow down solutions to a question that is asked often: What should I concentrate on in order to improve my triathlon swim capabilities? Here are five steps that you can take to improve your swim for...... -
Using Dozers Dozers and crawler tractors have many things in common. In fact, crawler tractors with blades designed for pushing on the front are often called bulldozers. But dozers are usually larger and are designed just for earth and material moving, while many crawler tractors can be used for a variety of...... -
Vital Snowboarding Tips Snowboarding is an absolutely wonderful way for you to get all of the benefits of exercise while enjoying the great outdoors during the winter month while some activities are not as easy to partake in. Whether you are an experienced snowboarder, or someone who is hitting the slopes for the......
- Drywall Lifts Drywall Tools Hand Tools Tools & Light Equipment Green Construction Store
- Open Back Banjo String Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Electric Hand Loppers, Pruners & Snips Garden Tools & Equipment Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Hand Tools Tools & Light Equipment Green Construction Store
- Screwdrivers - Professional Hand Tools Tools & Light Equipment Green Construction Store
Categories:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment