What Are Skin Infections?
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Your skin is your body’s largest organ. It serves to protect internal organs from the environment and is an extremely effective barrier against germs and many other potentially harmful substances. However, it is not impenetrable.
When the skin is broken, or an open wound or puncture breaks the barrier, germs can get inside the skin’s layers. While your body can fight them off in many cases, they will sometimes lead to an infection. Skin infections range in severity from mild to potentially life-threatening, so they should be taken seriously.
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1. What Causes Skin Infections?
Several things can cause skin infections. Most skin infections are caused by microbes that are present in our skin, soil, or water. Others are caused by pathogens that linger in medical settings. Direct physical contact with an infected individual can also cause an infection.
Bacteria and fungi are the most common pathogens that cause infection. When they manage to enter the skin through a cut or open wound, these germs multiply and infect the surrounding tissue.
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