Overview
The way your provider determines if you have a staph infection depends on what area of the body is affected. It’s easy to see staph infections on your skin. However, providers often rely on Gram stain testing and bacterial culture tests to diagnose the presence of bacteria and the type.
- Skin: Usually, providers diagnose a staph infection on the skin by examining the affected area. Your provider may choose to take a sample of the skin to test for bacteria.
- Food poisoning: Your provider will ask you long you’ve been ill and how bad the symptoms are. You may need to provide a stool sample.
- Mastitis: After considering your symptoms, your provider may send a sample of your milk to a lab to test for the presence of bacteria.
- Toxic shock syndrome: Your healthcare provider may take a urine or blood sample to check for bacteria. Sometimes, they will also order a CT scan to see if the infection affects your organs.
- Endocarditis: Your provider will base their diagnosis on symptoms, blood tests and an echocardiogram.
How do I know if I have a staph infection?
If you have symptoms of a staph infection, contact your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment. See your provider if you or your child has an area of skin that is blistered, irritated or red, especially if there’s also a fever. Only healthcare providers can diagnose and treat a staph infection.
One thing you can do is draw a circle around the red area with a pen so you can see if it continues growing. If the redness gets bigger than the outline, you should definitely call your provider.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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