Cellulitis Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Natural Health News May 20, 2017

1,812 5 minutes read

What is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of your skin and the tissues beneath your skin. It most commonly affects the lower part of your body, including your legs, feet and toes. However, it can occur in any part of your body. It also commonly appears on your face, arms, hands and fingers.

Who does Cellulitis affect?

Anyone can get cellulitis. However, you may be more likely to get cellulitis if:

You’re a child.
You have a wound such as a cut, ulcer, bug bite, animal bite, surgical incision, tattoo or piercing.
You have a long-lasting (chronic) skin condition such as athlete’s foot, eczema or psoriasis.
You have chickenpox or shingles.
You have a weakened immune system.
You have obesity.

How common is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is very common. There are more than 14 million cases of cellulitis in the United States per year.

How does Cellulitis affect my body?

Cellulitis causes swelling and pain. If you have cellulitis on your hands or feet, it may be challenging to close your hands or walk.

A cellulitis infection may cause flu-like symptoms, including a fever higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), chills, sweats, body aches and fatigue.

Causes of Cellulitis

Staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria are the most common causes of cellulitis. Risk factors for cellulitis include:

Cracks or peeling skin between the toes
History of peripheral vascular disease
Injury or trauma with a break in the skin (skin wounds)
Insect bites and stings, animal bites, or human bites
Ulcers from certain diseases, including diabetes and vascular disease
Use of corticosteroid medications or medications that suppress the immune system
Wound from a recent surgery

Symptoms of Cellulitis

Symptoms of Cellulitis develop abruptly and can get worse rapidly. It affects the skin and can also cause additional symptoms. Cellulitis causes the affected skin to become:

red
hot
swollen
painful
tender

There may also be a break in the skin, although this isn’t always obvious, and pus or blood-filled blisters.
Cellulitis can also cause additional symptoms that may develop before or alongside the changes to your skin.

These can include:

feeling generally unwell
feeling sick
shivering
chills

Occasionally the infection can extend to other parts of the body, such as the deeper layers of tissue, blood, muscle and bone. This can be very severe and potentially life threatening.

Signs the infection has spread include:

a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above
a fast heartbeat or fast breathing
being sick
diarrhea
feeling dizzy or faint
confusion or disorientation
cold, clammy, pale skin
unresponsiveness or loss of consciousness

How is Cellulitis Diagnosed?

To diagnose cellulitis, your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and perform a physical examination of the affected area.

What tests will be done to Diagnose Cellulitis?

In most cases, your healthcare provider won’t conduct any tests. However, if you’ve got a severe case of cellulitis, your healthcare provider may recommend tests to make sure the infection hasn’t spread to other parts of your body.

These tests may include:

Blood test. A blood test will confirm whether the cellulitis infection has spread to your blood.
Skin test. A skin test will identify the type of bacteria responsible for your cellulitis, which helps your healthcare provider prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic.
Bacterial culture. A bacterial culture will identify the type of bacteria responsible for your cellulitis.

How is Cellulitis Treated?

Your healthcare provider will typically prescribe antibiotics taken by mouth (oral antibiotics) to treat your cellulitis. Oral antibiotics may include dicloxacillin or cephalexin.

Severe cases of cellulitis may not respond to oral antibiotics. You may require hospitalization and intravenous (IV) antibiotics — your healthcare provider will use a small needle and tube to deliver the antibiotics directly into a vein.

What is the fastest way to get rid of Cellulitis?

The fastest way to get rid of cellulitis is to take your full course of antibiotics. Some Natural Treatment for Cellulitis may help speed up the healing process.

Home treatments include:

Warm compress. Apply a warm compress to your affected area to help reduce swelling and other symptoms.
Elevation. Elevating your affected area helps lower the blood pressure in the area’s blood vessels and improve blood flow.
Compression. Compression wraps or stockings help reduce swelling and improve blood flow. Don’t wrap your affected area too tightly. This can cut off circulation. Remove the compression wrap or stocking at least twice every day for 10 to 15 minutes.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, reduce pain and inflammation. Not everyone can take NSAIDs, so it’s a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before use.

How soon after treatment will I feel better?

In most cases, you should feel better within seven to 10 days after you start taking antibiotics.
You’ll notice signs that your cellulitis infection is healing a few days after starting antibiotics. Your pain will decrease, swelling will go down and any discoloration will begin to fade.

What can I expect if I have Cellulitis?

With early diagnosis and treatment, the outlook for people with cellulitis is good. Most people feel better after seven to 10 days.

It’s very important to take cellulitis seriously and get treatment right away. Cellulitis can quickly progress and lead to more severe conditions. The bacteria could spread to your bloodstream (bacteremia) or heart (endocarditis), which may be fatal.

How can I reduce my risk?

You can reduce your risk of developing cellulitis by:

Cleaning your wounds or sores with antibacterial soap and water.
Applying an antibiotic ointment on your wounds or sores.
Covering your wounds or sores with a bandage to prevent dirt or bacteria from entering the area.
Refraining from touching or rubbing your affected areas.
Getting medical attention right away for any deep cuts or puncture wounds.

How do I take care of myself?

Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. It’s important to finish your full course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better. If you don’t finish your full course of medicine, your cellulitis may come back and be more challenging to treat.
Refrain from touching the affected area. If you must touch the affected area, wash your hands before and after touching it. Don’t squeeze or puncture the area. Squeezing and puncturing won’t drain any swelling or provide relief.
Rest. It’s a good idea to avoid any activities that may aggravate your affected areas, including walking, running or other exercises.