what happens if you don't treat a skin infection?
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If left untreated, pus may form and cells may die in the infected skin area. Cellulitis can involve any part of the body but most often affects the leg. It typically results from an injury to the skin, such as scratches or animal bites—these allow bacteria to enter the body and cause an infection.
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If left untreated, venous ulcers can quickly become infected, leading to cellulitis or gangrene and the risk of foot or leg amputation.
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When to see a doctor If a child receives treatment early, MRSA usually remains a mild skin infection. But if left untreated, it can make the child seriously ill, and may even lead to death.
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A skin wound that doesn't heal, heals slowly or heals but tends to recur is known as a chronic wound. Some of the many causes of chronic (ongoing) skin wounds can include trauma, burns, skin cancers, infection or underlying medical conditions such as diabetes. Wounds that take a long time to heal need special care.
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Can athlete's foot spread to your face? If you don't wash your hands after touching your feet and then touch your face or head, then the infection can spread to your face or scalp.
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Don't apply the cream or ointment to broken skin or open wounds, or areas of skin affected by any of the following conditions: Viral skin infections, such as chickenpox, shingles, cold sores or herpes simplex. Bacterial skin infections, such as impetigo. Fungal skin infections, such as thrush, ringworm, athlete's foot.
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The risk of any serious illness is very small. However, without treatment, ringworm can spread from one part of the body to another. If the skin is broken, bacteria may enter and cause an infection. People with HIV and other conditions that weaken the immune system are more likely to experience a spreading of ringworm.
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Most of the time, these bacteria cause no problems or result in relatively minor skin infections. But staph infections can turn deadly if the bacteria invade deeper into your body, entering your bloodstream, joints, bones, lungs or heart.
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If left untreated, an ingrown toenail infection can cause an infection in the bone in your toe. A toenail infection can also lead to foot ulcers, or open sores, and a loss of blood flow to the infected area. Tissue decay and tissue death at the site of infection are possible.
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As the crusts dry, they leave a red mark which usually heals without scarring. Although the sores are not painful, they may be very itchy. It is important not to touch or scratch them to prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of the body and other people.
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Complications of treatment Without treatment, your syphilis will likely continue to progress. It can be 10 or 20 years before you experience the worst effects. Eventually, untreated syphilis can lead to damage to the brain, eyes, heart, nerves, bones, joints, and liver.
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You might get blisters and have oozing, especially if you scratch. The other kind of reaction actually involves your immune system. It's called allergic contact dermatitis and symptoms can include redness, swelling, itching, and hives. Your skin can get red and raw.
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What if I don't treat kidney infection? Untreated infection can damage the kidneys and lead to long term problems. In rare cases, kidney infections can lead to kidney disease, high blood pressure, or kidney failure. If kidney infection spreads to the bloodstream it can cause a serious problem called sepsis.
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The infection can be active at times and not active at other times. When the infection is active, you have symptoms. When it's not active, you don't have symptoms, even though you still have syphilis. But even when you don't have symptoms, you can pass syphilis to others.
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You may not get sick or have any more skin infections, but you can spread MRSA to others. It is not fully understood why some people are carriers of MRSA, yet don't get infections. How contagious am I? If you have an active MRSA infection on your skin, it is contagious.
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Anaphylaxis Symptoms and Diagnosis It's also possible for a poison ivy rash could get infected, especially if you scratch the area and break open blisters. Bacteria under your fingernails are often the source of this infection, which may need to be treated with antibiotics.
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We all know what happens when you don't take off your makeup or wash your face: oils and dirt build up, causing breakouts and irritation (that's why travelers should really consider stocking up on beauty wipes). Eczema—irritating dry, red, itchy patches of skin—can be exacerbated by skipping showers.