A member asked:

Can staph live harmlessly in the nose?

4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Yes: Many of us have staph living in our noses. It is often completely harmless. It only needs to be treated if we are having recurrent skin infections, or those we live with/are in close contact with are. We have lots of bacteria in and on us; in fact there are more bacterial cells than human cells. Amazing but true.

Answered 11/22/2013

5.5k views

Thank

Yes, colonization!: We actually have/carry gazillion of bacteria, living harmoniously on our skin, inside mouth/oropharynx, and nasal cavity, including the staphylococcus aureus (golden staph). They can colonize these area w/o causing problems, but once grow in excessive number and with opportunistic environment such as breached skin, infections occur. If you have concern, consult doc. Good luck.

Answered 12/9/2013

5.5k views

Thank

Related Questions

A member asked:

Can staph go to brain if infection in nose?

A doctor has provided 1 answer