Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as “staph,” is a type of bacteria that can cause infection. Although this type of bacteria commonly lives on the skin of healthy individuals, it can lead to problems when it gets inside the body and infects internal tissues.
Some strains of staph can be easily treated with antibiotics. Other strains, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, can’t be controlled with usual treatments.
Staphylococcus aureus infections can lead to different signs depending on where in your body bacteria are growing:
Staph bacteria can live on the skin. Additionally, up to half of adults occasionally have groups of staph bacteria living in their nostrils. These bacteria don’t usually cause any issues and rarely lead to infection.
You may develop a staph infection if bacteria from your skin or nose enter your body and starts growing within internal tissues. You can also be exposed to staph if you have contact with someone else who has an infection.
You are more likely to experience a staphylococcus aureus infection if you:
Doctors can diagnose a staph infection by examining the affected area. They may need to take a sample of skin or tissue to determine what type of germ is causing a particular infection.
Many staph infections are treated with antibiotic medications. If you have a skin infection, the antibiotic may be a cream or ointment that you put on the skin. In other cases, the antibiotic is a pill that you take by mouth.
MRSA bacteria don’t respond to many types of antibiotics. Your doctor may need to give you newer forms of antibiotics delivered through an IV if you have a MRSA infection.
Make sure to follow your doctor’s instructions when using antibiotics. In particular, don’t stop using an antibiotic treatment early — take all of your medication, even if you start to feel better.
You can reduce your risk of staph infection by following healthy lifestyle habits, including: