Antibiotics for facial cellulitis

A clinician decides between oral medicine and treatment through a vein after examining the location and severity. The choice also reflects allergies, recent antibiotics, other medical conditions and possible sources such as a wound, dental infection or nearby skin problem.

Cellulitis is infection within deeper skin and soft tissue. Facial cellulitis commonly presents with expanding redness, warmth, swelling and tenderness on one area of the face; fever or feeling unwell may accompany it.

Swelling around an eye needs particular attention because clinicians must distinguish infection in the eyelid tissues from infection extending deeper into the eye socket. Pain with eye movement, altered vision or a bulging eye points to a more urgent problem.

Seek same-day clinical advice and take the chosen antibiotic exactly as prescribed. Do not substitute acne tablets, leftover medicine or another person's prescription. Tell the prescriber about antibiotic allergies, pregnancy, kidney or liver disease and any dental pain or recent facial procedure.

Keep broken skin clean, avoid squeezing spots or abscesses and do not place makeup over an open or draining area. Fluids and rest can support recovery, but home care does not replace assessment. Follow the clinician's plan for review even if discomfort begins to ease.

Go for urgent assessment if redness or swelling approaches the eye, spreads quickly or is accompanied by fever, severe headache, vomiting or increasing pain. Eye pain, reduced or double vision, difficulty moving the eye, marked eyelid swelling or a protruding eye requires emergency evaluation.

Call emergency services for confusion, fainting, breathing difficulty, swelling inside the mouth or throat, or trouble swallowing. These symptoms can reflect a threatened airway, a severe medicine reaction or infection affecting the whole body.

Confirm when you should expect reassessment, how to recognise spread and whether the suspected source needs dental, eye or wound care. Ask what to do after a missed dose and which medicine reactions require stopping treatment or seeking immediate help.