What Is Cellulitis?

A bacterial infection that often shows going on as a rash, cellulitis can enlarge suddenly.

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin and deep tissue thats most commonly caused by staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria.

Cellulitis appears as a red, swollen skin rash (usually on the lower legs or arms) that feels sore and hot. It can touch on rapidly on summit of the course of 24 hours.

Cellulitis Symptoms

The symptoms of cellulitis adding together up:

Skin rash that begins suddenly and spreads speedily following again the course of a hours of day
Areas of inflamed red skin that ensue larger
Tenderness in the affected place
Pain
Skin that appears tight or stretched
Fever
If the place is impure, you may also experience:

Chills
Fatigue
General malaise
Muscle aches and pains
Sweating
Risk Factors for Cellulitis

Bacteria, including staphylococcus and streptococcus, can cause cellulitis to enter your body through cracks or tears in the skin. You may be at greater risk for cellulitis if:

You have a scratch, scuff, or bug bite.
You have athletes foot or eczema.
You are using corticosteroid medications or medications that suppress your immune system.
You are overweight. Being overweight as well as increases your risk of recurrent cellulitis.
You have a weakened immune system from diabetes, kidney or liver illness, leukemia, or HIV/AIDS.
You have had cellulitis back.
Diagnosing Cellulitis

Your doctor will check the place of the rash to see if your symptoms are consistent gone cellulitis. He or she may mark the place of the rash taking into account a marker to track its shape to the lead.

Blood tests may with be ordered to consent out the possibility of a blood clot, as a clot and cellulitis can have connected symptoms.

Cellulitis Treatment


Cellulitis is normally treated taking into consideration a 10- to 14-daylight course of prescription oral antibiotics to treat both staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria.

Youll along with dependence to save the affected area elevated beyond your heart to mitigation gate boil.

The symptoms of cellulitis generally adding together going on greatly or disappear after a few days of treatment; however, its important to continue taking your antibiotics for the full course consequently that the bacteria are the whole killed.

If your symptoms dont include, make worse, or if you are processing a high fever, call your doctor, because you dependence to discharge loyalty antibiotics intravenously.

Complications of Cellulitis

Prompt treatment of cellulitis is important to prevent more omnipresent complications. If the bacteria contaminate deeper layers of skin, it may enter your bloodstream or lymph nodes, making it more challenging to treat.

Repeat cases of cellulitis may broken your lymphatic drainage system and lead to chronic eruption of the affected limb.

In scarce cases, cellulitis may forward movement to deeper layers of soft tissue and outcome in necrotizing fasciitis.

If you concord necrotizing fasciitis, you will obsession to put-on antibiotics intravenously and in intensely developed cases may dependence to have dead tissue surgically removed.

Preventing Cellulitis

To prevent cellulitis, its important to believe proper care of your scrapes and cuts. Always wash your wound subsequent to soap and rosy water, apply an antibiotic ointment, and lid behind a bandage to prevent bacteria from entering the bloodstream.

If you have diabetes or substitute condition that causes you to have destitute circulation, its important to apply a moisturizing lotion daily to save skin lubricated and healthy.

You should furthermore investigate your feet regularly for any cracks or tears; treat athletes foot promptly; and regularly trim your nails to prevent scratches.