Online Staph Infection Treatment
A staph infection can turn a small cut or bump into a red, swollen, and painful sore that gets worse as pus builds up. If you are not sure whether it is a pimple, a boil, or something that needs antibiotics, you do not have to wait for a clinic appointment to find out. With Your Doctors Online (YDO), you can share photos of the area with a board-certified doctor from home, 24/7, and get an antibiotic prescription sent to the pharmacy you choose when it is medically appropriate.
How to get staph infection treatment online
Getting treatment for a staph infection through Your Doctors Online is easy.
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- Staph Infection
- STD
- UTI
- Sexual Health
- Skin
- COVID-19
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Our online doctors can help you with your medical issues and give you prescriptions.
Prescription
- Mupirocin cream
- Apply 3 times a day for 10 days
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What are the treatment options for a staph infection?
The right staph infection treatment depends on the type of infection, how deep it goes, and whether it is spreading. A doctor may recommend:
- Antibiotic cream or ointment: For impetigo or a small infected cut.
- Antibiotic tablets: When redness is spreading, the infection is deeper in the skin, or you have a fever.
- Warm compresses: A warm, moist cloth held on the area several times a day can help a small boil drain and heal.
- Drainage: A large or deep boil or abscess may need to be opened and drained by a doctor in person.
Some staph, called MRSA, is resistant to several common antibiotics, so the doctor chooses an antibiotic based on how the infection looks and your medical history. Do not squeeze or pop a boil yourself, because this can spread the infection. An online antibiotics prescription is issued only after a doctor has reviewed your symptoms and confirmed it is appropriate.
What antibiotics can we prescribe online for staph?
These are some of the antibiotics our doctors may prescribe to treat a staph skin infection. The right one depends on the type of infection, where it is on your body, whether MRSA is likely, and any allergies you have, including to penicillin.
What is a staph infection, and what causes it?
A staph infection is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria, most often Staphylococcus aureus. Many healthy people carry staph on their skin or in their nose without it causing any harm. It causes an infection when it enters the body, usually through a cut, scrape, or hair follicle.
Most staph infections are skin infections, such as boils, impetigo, and cellulitis. Less often, staph gets into the blood, bones, lungs, or heart, and these infections can be serious. MRSA is better known, but any staph infection can be dangerous, even when it is not antibiotic-resistant.
Staph spreads through skin-to-skin contact and through things that have touched infected skin, such as towels, razors, and gym equipment. You are more likely to get a staph infection if you:
- Have a cut, scrape, burn, or other break in the skin
- Share towels, razors, clothing, or sports equipment
- Play contact sports or spend time in crowded places, such as daycares or military barracks
- Have diabetes, eczema, or another long-term health condition
- Have a weakened immune system
- Have had recent surgery, or have a catheter or an implanted medical device
- Inject drugs
What are the symptoms of a staph infection?
A staph skin infection often starts as a bump that looks like a pimple or a spider bite, then becomes more painful as pus builds up. Common symptoms include:
- A red, swollen bump or sore that is painful and warm to the touch
- Pus or other fluid draining from the area
- A boil with a white or yellow center
- Blisters filled with yellow or honey-colored fluid that ooze and crust over, which is impetigo
- Red, swollen, warm skin that gets bigger as the infection spreads, which is cellulitis
- Fever or chills
You cannot tell by looking at the skin whether an infection is MRSA, so a sore that keeps getting worse is worth having checked.
When do you need in-person care for a staph infection?
- Redness that is spreading quickly, or red streaks running from the sore
- A fever or chills along with the infection
- A large, deep, or very painful boil or abscess that may need draining
- A boil on the middle of your face, or an infection around your eye
- An infection around a surgical wound, a catheter, or an implanted medical device
- A weakened immune system
- Symptoms that are not better within 48 hours, or that get worse while you are taking antibiotics
For a small boil, an infected cut, or impetigo without any of these signs, a doctor can usually review your photos online, start treatment when appropriate, and tell you what to watch for.
FAQs about staph infection treatment
Can I use telehealth for a staph infection?
Yes. Most staph skin infections, such as a boil, an infected cut, or impetigo, can be assessed through telehealth. A doctor can look at photos of the area, ask about fever and how quickly it is changing, and prescribe an antibiotic cream or tablets when medically appropriate. If the infection looks like it needs draining or is spreading fast, the doctor will tell you to get in-person care.
Are staph infections contagious?
Yes, they can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact or touching contaminated objects.
What is the fastest way to cure a staph infection?
It depends on the type of infection. For a boil or abscess, draining the pus is often the fastest fix, and for a skin infection that has not spread, it may be the only treatment needed. A doctor should do this because squeezing or cutting it open at home can spread the infection. Impetigo and infected cuts usually clear with an antibiotic cream, and spreading infections need antibiotic tablets. Whatever treatment you are given, take or use it exactly as prescribed.
Can you treat a staph infection at home?
A small boil can sometimes be cared for at home. Hold a warm, moist cloth on it several times a day to help it drain, keep it covered with a clean bandage, and wash your hands after touching it. Do not squeeze, pick, or pop it. Antibacterial soaps and creams cannot help much once a boil has formed, and impetigo, an infected cut, or spreading redness usually needs a prescription. Talk to a doctor if you have a fever, the area keeps getting bigger, or a boil lasts longer than a week.
How do you treat a staph infection in the nose?
Carrying staph in your nose is common and rarely needs treatment. An infection is different: a painful, red, swollen bump on or in the nose, usually a boil in a hair follicle. A warm, moist cloth held against it a few times a day can ease the pain. A boil on the nose is in the middle of your face, so it should be checked by a doctor, who can decide whether it needs an antibiotic.
What is the strongest antibiotic for a staph infection?
There is no single strongest antibiotic for staph. The best one is the one your type of staph responds to. Some staph, including MRSA, is resistant to several common antibiotics, so a doctor may send a pus sample to a lab to determine which antibiotics will work. Skin infections are usually treated with an antibiotic cream or tablets, while serious infections are treated in the hospital with antibiotics given through a vein.
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