Boy Gets Unexplained Sores After Spending Time With Friends
Boy Gets Unexplained Sores After Spending Time With Friends
For most children, the biggest danger at a birthday party is just a sore stomach from eating too much cake. One family found out the hard way that there are much more serious issues. When Brenda Sanderson’s son started developing unexplained sores, she was shocked to find the reason. It turned out that the ten year old got a staph infection from a common party entertainment.
At first, the raised, reddish circles on the boy’s arm just looked like a common case of ringworm. However, the reddened areas started developing into sores that were not healing. Sanderson decided to take her son to a doctor. As soon as the doctor saw the sores, he knew what was wrong. The doctor told Sanderson that her son had an infection caused by the staphylococcus bacteria.
Staphylococcus is a common type of bacteria that exists everywhere. These germs are not a problem on the surface of the skin where they normally live. However, if they get into a cut, they can spread through the bloodstream. Inside the body, the toxins created by a staph infection can cause a life threatening case of toxic shock syndrome. The infectious areas can also become septic, killing healthy tissue and cells. Therefore, a staph infection can be very dangerous.
The first sign of a staph infection is normally just a slightly reddened patch of skin. These areas quickly turn into oozing sores and painful boils. As they travel deeper into the body, internal organs can be affected. People may develop a high fever, abdominal pain, trouble breathing, chills, and swollen joints. If left untreated, it can quickly become deadly.
At first, Sanderson was unsure how her son had come into contact with a dangerous strain of the staphylococcus bacteria. When the doctor learned that her son had been in a bounce house at a party, he knew the cause. The plastic surface of the bounce house gets covered in sweat as children play. This creates the ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Most bounce houses are not cleaned between users, so the doctor explained that they cause a lot of infections.
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The staphylococcus bacteria can survive on many types of surfaces. They can spread anytime a person with the bacteria touches an item. Even high temperatures do not stop the bacteria from living, so it is hard to properly sterilize items. Gym equipment, towels, elevator buttons, phones, TV remotes, door knobs, and pillows can all spread staph quickly. All of these items can normally be disinfected with the right solutions, such as diluted bleach.
Fortunately for the Sanderson family, their son’s staph infection was caught in time. It is normally very simple to treat if diagnosed quickly. The little boy just had to take a lot of heavy antibiotics and keep the sores on his arm clean. He did not have MRSA, which is the antibiotic resistant version of staph, so he was back to normal quickly. Staph infections are not always serious, but they need immediate medical treatment.
Therefore you should take your children to a doctor if they develop an odd rash or sores. It could be a sign of a staph infection that needs prompt medication. And if they go to a party with a bounce house, you might want to make sure it is clean. Sanderson’s son got lucky, but sometimes staph infections can be a big problem.