MRSA Symptoms: What to Watch For on Skin and Beyond

MRSA Symptoms: What to Watch For on Skin and Beyond

MRSA Symptoms: What to Watch For on Skin and Beyond
Key takeaways
  • Most MRSA infections start on the skin as a red, swollen, painful or warm bump, sometimes with pus.
  • It often looks like a pimple or spider bite. You can’t tell it’s MRSA without a lab test.
  • A fever, red streaks or pain that keeps getting worse means you should get care.
  • Signs of a serious infection, like confusion or trouble breathing, need 911.

The short answer

Most MRSA infections show up on the skin. They usually start as a bump or infected area that is red, swollen, painful or warm to the touch.1 Less often, MRSA causes infections deeper in the body, with symptoms like fever, chills or trouble breathing.2

MRSA looks just like other staph infections. The only way to know is a lab test.1 Knowing the early signs helps you get checked sooner, while a problem is still small.

Skin signs

A MRSA skin infection may be:1

  • Red
  • Swollen
  • Painful
  • Warm to the touch
  • Full of pus or other drainage
  • Accompanied by a fever

It may start out looking like a pimple and then turn into a hard, painful red lump filled with pus.3 It is more likely to show up where the skin has been broken or rubbed, such as a cut, scrape, burn or bite, or in hairy areas.2,3

Many people think they have a spider bite. The CDC notes that unless you actually saw the spider, it probably isn’t one.1 For side-by-side descriptions, see What Does a Staph Infection Look Like?

Signs it’s getting worse

Some skin infections stay small. Others grow or spread. Watch for:

  • A sore that looks or feels worse after a few days instead of better3
  • Red streaks spreading out from the sore3
  • Pain that is much worse than you would expect for its size3
  • A fever along with the sore1

Any of these means it is time to see a doctor, not to wait. It helps to note when the sore first appeared and how it has changed, so you can give your doctor a clear timeline.

Symptoms beyond the skin

If MRSA gets deeper into the body, it can spread to the bones, joints, blood, or organs such as the lungs, heart or brain.2 Symptoms of a more serious infection can include:2

  • Fever and chills
  • Cough or shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Headache
  • A rash
  • A wound that won’t heal

Deeper infections are more common in people who have had long hospital stays, are on kidney dialysis, or are getting cancer treatment or other medicines that weaken the immune system.2

A serious infection can also lead to sepsis, the body’s extreme reaction to an infection. Signs include clammy or sweaty skin, confusion, extreme pain, fever or shivering, a high heart rate, and shortness of breath.5 Sepsis needs emergency care.

How MRSA is confirmed

Because MRSA looks like other skin problems, doctors confirm it with a test. Depending on where the infection is, they may take a sample from a wound, the nose, blood or urine.4

Standard lab cultures usually take 24 to 48 hours, since the bacteria need time to grow. Faster molecular tests on a nose swab can give results in about five hours.4 The result helps your doctor choose a treatment that will work.4

Be ready to tell your doctor how long you have had the sore, whether it has grown, whether you have had a fever, and whether anyone you live or play sports with has had similar bumps. Those details help your doctor decide what to test and how quickly.

When to see a doctor

Contact a doctor if you have:

  • A skin infection with a fever1
  • A sore that doesn’t improve within 48 hours1
  • Red streaks, spreading redness or pain that keeps getting worse
  • Any skin infection in a baby, an older adult, or someone with diabetes or a weakened immune system

Call 911 or go to the emergency room for confusion, trouble breathing, chest pain, a very fast heartbeat, or a fever with fast-spreading redness.

Take extra care with babies, older adults and anyone with a long-term health condition. For them, it is better to call early than to wait. If you or someone in your home has had MRSA before, tell the doctor.

What to do until you’re seen

While you wait for an appointment, a few steps protect you and the people around you:

  • Cover the area with a clean, dry bandage.1
  • Don’t pick at, pop or squeeze the bump or sore.1
  • Clean your hands often, and always after touching the area.1
  • Don’t share towels, washcloths or razors.6
  • Throw used bandages away in the regular trash.6

Skip home remedies and leftover antibiotics. Your doctor can test the infection and choose a treatment that fits. It can also help to take a photo each day so you can show how the area has changed. For how MRSA spreads to others, read Is MRSA Contagious?

Sources
  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Basics. https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/about/index.html
  2. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007261.htm
  3. Johns Hopkins Medicine. What Does MRSA Look Like? https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/what-does-mrsa-look-like
  4. MedlinePlus. MRSA Tests. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/mrsa-tests/
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Sepsis. https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/about/index.html
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing MRSA Infections. https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/prevention/index.html
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