Summer time is full of fun in the sun but it is also a time of skinned knees and bug bites! Most people are careful with their care of cuts and scrapes but even with good care sometimes an infection can occur. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin and the deeper layers; the dermis and subcutaneous tissues. A person usually gets cellulitis from bacteria that has entered the body through a lesion. Cellulitis can begin as a small area of redness that is painful to the touch. The area can become larger as the infection progresses. The two most common bacteria that are responsible for causing cellulitis are staphylococcus and streptococcus. The bacteria enters the body through small lesions in the skin. It can also enter in open areas near ulcers or surgical sites. While cellulitis may look a bit scary it is NOT contagious. A person with the infection cannot spread it because it is an infection of the skin’s deeper layers and the epidermis (top layer of skin) is a cover over the infection. 

Cellulitis is a serious infection for the person who has it. These days cellulitis can be successfully treated in most cases with antibiotics. Sometimes cellulitis can become more severe requiring hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. If cellulitis is diagnosed and treated recovery is fairly quick but if left unchecked it can cause serious health issues and even death.

Some of the symptoms of cellulitis are:

  • redness
  • tenderness and/or pain
  • swelling
  • warmth at the affected area
  • fever and/or swollen lymph nodes

If you suspect you have cellulitis seek medical attention. Your health care professional will prescribe appropriate medications. Be aware that all medications should be taken as prescribed and not stopped until you have taken the full course to assure maximum effect.

 

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