Cellulitis due to diabetes: what to know

Diabetes may affect sensation, circulation, and the body's ability to respond to infection. A small blister, crack, pressure spot, or wound can therefore be missed or take longer to settle. Cellulitis commonly presents with spreading redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness; reduced sensation may make pain less noticeable. Foot problems deserve particular attention, including cracks between toes or athlete's foot, because they can break the skin barrier.

Check your feet and other skin daily for cuts, blisters, colour changes, warmth, swelling, or drainage. Wash gently, dry carefully between toes, protect wounds with a clean dressing, and avoid walking barefoot if a foot is injured. Contact your diabetes or primary-care team promptly about suspected cellulitis. Continue your prescribed diabetes medicines unless your clinician gives different instructions, and bring a list of medicines to the visit.

Seek same-day medical advice for expanding redness, warmth, swelling, a new wound, pus, or increasing difficulty using the affected limb. Get urgent help for fever, vomiting, confusion, faintness, unusual drowsiness, or rapidly worsening skin changes, as severe infection can progress to sepsis.

Ask how severe the infection appears, how to check the area safely, whether your diabetes plan needs adjustment during illness, and when the wound or skin should be reviewed.