Staph Infection Symptoms

Staph Infection Signs and Symptoms

Generally, staph infections can range from minor skin problems to food poisoning, fatal pneumonia, surgical wound infections and endocarditis.
So technically speaking, signs and symptoms of staph infections vary widely, depending on the location and severity of the infection. It is also a factor whether your illness results from direct infection with staph bacteria or from toxins the bacteria produce.

• Staph bacteria cause most skin infections including boils, cellulitis, impetigo, and scalded skin syndrome. Most begin with skin redness, swelling, warmth, tenderness and sometimes fever. Some staph infections are localized but others can cover your entire body.

• Symptoms of staph-related food poisoning usually come on quickly — as soon as one to six hours after eating contaminated food. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The illness often leaves just as suddenly as it came, and most people recover in a day or two, but the effects can be more serious and longer lasting in children and older adults.

• Toxic shock syndrome. This life-threatening condition, which has been linked to the use of certain types of tampons and to skin wounds and surgery, usually develops suddenly, with a high fever, nausea and vomiting, a rash on your palms and soles that resembles sunburn, confusion, muscle aches, seizures and headache.

• Septic arthritis. The bacteria usually target the knees, but other joints can be affected, including ankle, hip, wrist, elbow and shoulder. Affected people likely to have swelling and severe pain in the affected joint, along with fever and shaking chills.

• Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA infections often begin as a superficial skin problem that resembles a pimple or spider bite, but which can quickly turn into a deep, painful abscess that requires surgical draining.

• Community-associated methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. (CA-MRSA). Signs and symptoms, which are similar to those of other types of pneumonia, include cough, shortness of breath and chest pain, but the bacteria also cause massive inflammation and destruction of lung tissue.