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What Are the Treatments?

The key to treating - and preventing - impetigo is good personal hygiene and a clean environment. Once the infection occurs, prompt attention will keep it under control and prevent its spread.

Even if only one family member has impetigo, everyone in the household should follow the same sanitary regimen. Regular washing with soap and water can clear up mild forms. If the sores don't clear up in 48 hours, or if the infected person is a small child, see a doctor. To break the chain of contagion, the doctor may prescribe antibacterial baths for the entire household as well as for the infected patient.

A topical mupirocin ointment, available only by prescription, is highly successful in treating routine cases. Don't try over-the-counter antibacterial ointments; they are too weak to kill strep and staph infections, and applying the ointment carelessly may actually spread the impetigo. If mupirocin does not help in 48 hours, ask your doctor about an oral antibiotic such as Keflex or Zithromax.

If you have only a few small impetigo sores, simply bathing them regularly with soap and warm water, using the medications mentioned above, and exposing them to air will soothe the itchiness and should clear them up. For more severe cases, wash the infected area with antibacterial soap and follow up with an appropriate medical treatment.

Anyone in a household who develops impetigo should use a clean towel with each washing. Be sure to launder those towels separately.