Understanding MRSA Symptoms

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of MRSA infection depend on where you've been infected.

MRSA most often appears as a skin infection, like a boil or abscess. It also might infect a surgical wound. In either case, the area would look:

• Swollen
• Red
• Painful
• Pus filled

Many people who actually have staph skin infections often mistake it for a spider bite.

If staph infects the lungs and causes pneumonia, you might have:

• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Chills

MRSA can cause many other symptoms since it can infect the urinary tract or the bloodstream.

Very rarely, staph can result in necrotizing fasciitis, or "flesh-eating" bacterial infections. These are serious skin infections that spread very quickly. While frightening, necrotizing fasciitis caused by staph is rare. There have only been a handful of reported cases.

Call your doctor if:

In most cases, MRSA is easily treated. But since MRSA infection can be serious or -- rarely -- fatal, don't ignore signs of infection. See your health care provider.

If you are already being treated for an infection, watch for signs that your medicine isn't working. If you are taking an antibiotic, call your doctor if

• The infection is no better after three or four days
• The infection keeps getting worse
• You develop a fever, or your fever gets worse

People who are ill or have a compromised immune system have a higher risk of getting MRSA. If you have a condition that lowers your immunity, call your doctor right away if you think that you might have an infection.

Related Links

MRSA: Experts Answer Your Questions

More U.S. Deaths From MRSA Than AIDS

Video: Preventing Staph Infections