How to Get Rid of a Staph Infection

A few days ago, I started experiencing symptoms of a staph infection on my face. What's the treatment? How do I get rid of it?

Minor skin infections are usually treated with an antibiotic ointment such as a nonprescription triple-antibiotic mixture. In some cases, oral antibiotics may be given for skin infections. Additionally, if abscesses are present, they are surgically drained. More serious and life-threatening infections are treated with intravenous antibiotics and supportive medical care in the hospital.

Doctors use several different types of antibiotics have been used to treat staph infections. The choice of antibiotic depends on the type and severity of the infection as well as drug-resistance patterns of the particular bacterial type. Some of the antibiotics that have been used to treat staph infections are:

• cefazolin,
• cefuroxime,
• cephalexin,
• nafcillin (Nallpen),
• oxacillin (Bactocill),
• dicloxacillin,
• vancomycin,
• clindamycin (Cleocin),
• rifampin, and
• telavancin (Vibativ).

Combinations of antibiotics and other antibiotics can also be used. Some staph strains, such as MRSA (see next section), are resistant to many antibiotics.

Learn more in our full medical article about staph infection causes, symptoms, and treatments.