You could be carrying a staph infection and not even realize it. About 33% of people carry around staph in the warm, moist areas of the body, including nose, armpits, and groin. Another 33% carry staph sporadically.
The germs can live for years causing no issues and the person stays completely healthy. If a carrier has surgery, becomes injured, or has a skin issue, the formerly harmless bacteria can travel inside the body, causing complications such as pneumonia, infections in the valves of the heart, and sepsis.
Staph was found in the middle and upper regions of the nose, deep inside. Hiding in the nose is particularly complicated, as it makes it much more difficult to clear a patient’s body of staph before surgery.
Other bacteria far up in the nose may help keep staph at bay. When the bacteria C. pseudodiptheriticum is in short supply, staph seems to flourish.
