Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsWhat Does a Staph Infection on the Lips Look Like?CausesDiagnosisComplicationsTreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
What Does a Staph Infection on the Lips Look Like?
Causes
Diagnosis
Complications
Treatment
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureusor staph) is a bacterium that lives on the skin. Staph causes millions of skin and soft tissue infections yearly, including lip infections.
The bacteria enter through a cut or wound around the lips and infect the surrounding tissue. Staph can also travel to other organs via the bloodstream. Although most staph infections are treatable, they can be deadly if not handled quickly.
This article will discuss the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment for staph infections on the lip.
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Staph Infection Symptoms
Staph infections can cause mild to severe side effects. Common symptoms of a lip staph infection include:
If the staph infection travels to thebladder, it can cause pain, frequency, and urgency of urination. If the bacteria infect the joints orbones,it can cause pain. Coughing and shortness of breath could indicatestaph pneumonia.
Tell your healthcare provider immediately if you have a lip staph infection and experience any of the above symptoms, as treatment needs to be started quickly.
A staph infection of the lip can start as a small, red bump. Once the body’s immune system recognizes the bacteria as foreign, it sendswhite blood cellsto the area to fight the infection. This immune response causes the bump to become inflamed, tender, and filled withpus. Eventually, the bump may rupture, causing the fluid to drain out and the area to crust over. If left untreated, staph may travel to the bloodstream resulting in a blood infection calledbacteremia.
Staph Infection Causes
Any opening in the skin increases the susceptibility to a staph infection. As the bacteria invade the tissue, it colonizes and spreads. Common skin conditions that can result in a lip staph infection include:
Other risk factors for staph infections include being African American, having a weakened immune system, being diabetic, and having previous staph infections.
How Common Are Staph Infections?S. aureusis found in approximately 30% of the human population and is responsible for 14 million outpatient visits yearly.
How Common Are Staph Infections?
S. aureusis found in approximately 30% of the human population and is responsible for 14 million outpatient visits yearly.
Staph infections are diagnosed based on what body system could be infected. The following are ways to diagnose a staph infection:
A wound culture is likely to be performed for a lip staph infection. Your healthcare provider will take a special swab and collect drainage or tissue from the site of infection. The swab is then sent to a laboratory for testing. It can take up to 72 hours for a result.
Complications of Staph on the Lips
Most staph infections are typically easy to treat with a straightforward recovery. However, nearly 20,000 people died from staph bacteremia in 2017.
Complications of a lip staph infection occur when the bacteria infects the blood and other organs. Here are complications that can occur with a lip staph infection:
Additionally, staph can become resistant to antibiotics—this is calledmethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA).
How Staph Spreads
Despite best efforts, staph infections can recur, especially if it’s MRSA. Here are ways to help prevent a lip staph infection:
If you have an MRSA-positive lip staph infection, your healthcare provider may prescribe a topical cream, medicated facial wash, orprophylactic antibiotics.
When to See Your Healthcare ProviderContact your healthcare provider if you have a lip staph infection that isn’t improving or you develop fever, shaking chills, or worsening pain.
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Contact your healthcare provider if you have a lip staph infection that isn’t improving or you develop fever, shaking chills, or worsening pain.
Summary
Staph is a bacteria that causes skin and soft tissue infections in millions of people yearly. When staph enters the skin around the lips through a cut or crack, it colonizes and spreads. The body’s immune system attacks the bacteria causing inflammation, redness, tenderness, and warmth at the infected site.
A Word From Verywell
Complications from staph infections are more likely to occur in certain populations. For example, if you are over the age of 70 and are a male, your risk for bacteremia (blood infection) increases. Also, people who are HIV+ or are receiving hemodialysis have higher rates of acquiring bacteremia. Additionally, Black people in the United States are twice as likely to develop MRSA than White people.
Make an appointment with your healthcare provider at the first sign of a staph infection—especially if you are part of these at-risk populations—so you start treatment immediately.
A staph infection often starts as a small, red bump. If untreated, the bump can become inflamed, red, and tender. It can also fill with pus and leak.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Burnham JP, Kollef MH.Treatment of severe skin and soft tissue infections: a review.Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2018;31(2):113-119. doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000000431Staph Infection Resources.Symptoms of MRSA and staph infections.Sukumaran V, Senanayake S.Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(5):159-163.Tong SYC, Davis JS, Eichenberger E, Holland TL, Fowler VG.Staphylococcus aureus infections: epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2015;28(3):603-661. doi:10.1128/CMR.00134-14Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Deadly staph infections still threaten the U.S.Cheung GYC, Bae JS, Otto M.Pathogenicity and virulence ofStaphylococcus aureus.Virulence. 2021;12(1):547-569. doi:10.1080/21505594.2021.1878688Creech CB, Al-Zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-464. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Burnham JP, Kollef MH.Treatment of severe skin and soft tissue infections: a review.Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2018;31(2):113-119. doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000000431Staph Infection Resources.Symptoms of MRSA and staph infections.Sukumaran V, Senanayake S.Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(5):159-163.Tong SYC, Davis JS, Eichenberger E, Holland TL, Fowler VG.Staphylococcus aureus infections: epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2015;28(3):603-661. doi:10.1128/CMR.00134-14Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Deadly staph infections still threaten the U.S.Cheung GYC, Bae JS, Otto M.Pathogenicity and virulence ofStaphylococcus aureus.Virulence. 2021;12(1):547-569. doi:10.1080/21505594.2021.1878688Creech CB, Al-Zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-464. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Burnham JP, Kollef MH.Treatment of severe skin and soft tissue infections: a review.Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2018;31(2):113-119. doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000000431Staph Infection Resources.Symptoms of MRSA and staph infections.Sukumaran V, Senanayake S.Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(5):159-163.Tong SYC, Davis JS, Eichenberger E, Holland TL, Fowler VG.Staphylococcus aureus infections: epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2015;28(3):603-661. doi:10.1128/CMR.00134-14Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Deadly staph infections still threaten the U.S.Cheung GYC, Bae JS, Otto M.Pathogenicity and virulence ofStaphylococcus aureus.Virulence. 2021;12(1):547-569. doi:10.1080/21505594.2021.1878688Creech CB, Al-Zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-464. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007
Burnham JP, Kollef MH.Treatment of severe skin and soft tissue infections: a review.Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2018;31(2):113-119. doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000000431
Staph Infection Resources.Symptoms of MRSA and staph infections.
Sukumaran V, Senanayake S.Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections.Aust Prescr. 2016;39(5):159-163.
Tong SYC, Davis JS, Eichenberger E, Holland TL, Fowler VG.Staphylococcus aureus infections: epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2015;28(3):603-661. doi:10.1128/CMR.00134-14
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Deadly staph infections still threaten the U.S.
Cheung GYC, Bae JS, Otto M.Pathogenicity and virulence ofStaphylococcus aureus.Virulence. 2021;12(1):547-569. doi:10.1080/21505594.2021.1878688
Creech CB, Al-Zubeidi DN, Fritz SA.Prevention of recurrent staphylococcal skin infections.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(3):429-464. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007
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