Natural Impetigo Treatments

Impetigo is an extremely contagious skin infection. This is essentially a disease of childhood, though it may also occur frequently in adults. The infection can spread rapidly from one person to another by close contact. The disease is more common in the areas with unhygenic conditions.

Impetigo Symptoms

At first, impetigo appears as a small fluid-filled vesicle usually around the nose or lips. The infection can spread to other parts of the face and occasionally other parts of the body by the patient's irresistible urge to scratch and due to presence of bacteria in large numbers on this weeping surfaces. The vesicle rapidly crusts over, forming a yellowish scab which can be easily knocked-off, leaving a raw, weeping surface.

Causes of Impetigo

Impetigo is caused by staphylococci and occasionally by streptococci germs. The organism can spread quickly, particularly between persons, causing an outbreak of the disease. Impetigo may also occur as a secondary phenomenon in atopic eczema, scabies and head-louse infestation.

The real cause of the disease, however, is constitutional, resulting from malnutrition due to wrong feeding and unhygenic habits of living. It is easily passed from the affected person to other persons, who are in a similar state of toxicity and impaired vitality, by contact from fingers or towels.

Natural Treatment for Impetigo

Early and adequate treatment of the first small patch of impetigo can prevent the spread of the disease. The patient should be kept isolated until the condition is cleared up, so as to prevent the spread of infection. He should be prevented from scratching the scabs. He should have his own sponge and towel. No other member of the family should use these articles. They should be changed frequently and washed separately. The use of harsh detergent should be avoided for this and they should be thoroughly rinsed.

The treatment of impetigo is essentially constitutional and it should consist of proper diet, correct hygiene and fresh air. The best way to commence the treatment is to place the patient on an all-fruit diet for two or three days. In this regimen, he should be given fresh juicy fruits such as orange, apple, pineapple, peach, pear and papaya. In serious cases, however, it would be advisable to commence the treatment by a short fast on orange juice and water for about three days. This may be followed by an all-fruit diet for further three days.

After the all-fruit diet, the patient may embark upon a well-balanced diet consisting of milk, seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits. The emphasis should be on fresh fruits, raw salads, fresh milk and whole meal bread. The use of these foods is of utmost importance in the future dietary. The patient should avoid tea, coffee, condiments and highly flavoured dishes as well as sugar, white flour products, denatured cereals and tinned or bottled foods.

It will be desirable to administer warm-water enema daily during the first few days of the treatment to cleanse the bowels. If constipation is habitual, all natural methods should be adopted for its eradication.

Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of impetigo. The use of turnip (salgum) is one such remedy. A few chopped turnip pieces after thorough cleaning should be immersed in cooked rice water (kanji) or any natural vinegar for about six hours. They should then be eaten by the patient.

Garlic is useful in relieving constant itching caused by this disease. This vegetable should be crushed and spread over irritated areas. One or two cloves of garlic should also be chewed for better results.

Other helpful measures for treating this disease are sun and air baths, a daily dry friction, breathing and other light exercise. Daily dry friction bath can be taken with a rough dry towel or with a moderately soft bristle brush. If a brush is used, the procedure should be as follows: Take the brush is one hand and begin with the face, neck and chest. Then brush one arm, beginning at the wrist and brushing towards the shoulders. Now stoop down and brush one foot, then the ankle and leg. Then do the other foot and leg, and next the hips and central portion of the body.

Continue brushing each part until the skin is pink. Use the brush quickly back and forward on every part of the body. The whole process does not take very long about a minute or so. If a towel is used, it should be fairly rough, and the same above mentioned process should be followed.