Staph in the nose - causes and signs of staph in the nose

There are several dozen types of staphylococcus, but most bacteria do not pose a danger to humans. Three types of staphylococcus are considered pathogenic:

• golden - is the cause of damage to the nasopharynx and other human organs in the vast majority of cases;
• saprophytic - affects mainly the genitourinary system, as well as other organs; is less dangerous to humans than the previous type of bacteria;
• epidermal - can be found in the nose, mouth, eyes, skin and other organs. It is most often found in children.

Causes

Staphylococcus in the nose can lead to the development of symptoms of the disease in the following cases:

• failure to observe personal hygiene rules, especially neglecting hand washing;
• communication with a person showing signs of the disease - in this case, the spread of bacteria occurs through handshakes, shared household items, door handles;
• violation of hygiene rules in medical institutions;
• hypothermia;
• uncontrolled use of antibacterial or vasoconstrictor nasal drops;
• long-term use of antibiotics to which staphylococcus is resistant;
• weakening of the immune system, resulting in excessive spread of staphylococcus in body.

About 70% of all people are carriers of staphylococcal infection, but pathogenic bacteria mainly affect a weakened body.

Symptoms

The development of staphylococcal infection is accompanied by the appearance of the following symptoms:

• increased body temperature;
• redness of the skin in the affected area;
• the appearance of pustules, acne, inflammation;
• runny nose, swelling of the nasal mucosa;
• exacerbation of other diseases of the upper respiratory tract (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, etc.), which is caused by the spread of bacterial infection from the nasal cavity towards larynx;

Diagnostics

The main method of diagnosing staphylococcus in the nose is laboratory diagnostics by isolating bacteria in pure form as a result of sowing on nutrient media.

Also, when performing sowing, a very important step is to determine the sensitivity of staphylococcus to individual antibiotics.

Additionally, a doctor should examine the nasal cavity, if necessary - an X-ray of the nasal sinuses in the event of symptoms of complications of the disease.

Treatment

After establishing a diagnosis when staphylococcus is detected in the nose, otolaryngologists use the following treatment methods:

• prescribing antibiotics taking into account the results of a laboratory study on the resistance of staphylococcus to certain drugs;
• use antistaphylococcal bacteriophage;
• sanitization of foci of infection in the presence of abscesses;
• immunotherapy: administration of antistaphylococcal immunoglobulin or anatoxin;
• rinsing the nasal passages with a chlorophyllipt solution.

Prevention

In order to prevent damage to the nasal cavity by staphylococcal infection, it is recommended:

• carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene;
• strengthen the immune system through hardening, dosed physical activity, and a balanced diet;
• use remedies for the treatment of the common cold and other diseases of the ENT organs only as prescribed by a doctor.