What should you know about cellulitis?

The affected skin may feel hot, tender and tight, with redness and swelling that gradually extend beyond a small break in the skin. The entry point can be a cut, bite, ulcer, eczema flare or fungal infection between the toes. Fever, chills or feeling unwell can accompany the local changes, but their absence does not exclude cellulitis.

Cellulitis is different from simple surface irritation because infection can spread through deeper tissue. People with poor circulation, lymphoedema or type 2 diabetes may need particularly prompt assessment. A clinician diagnoses it from the examination and symptoms.

Arrange medical assessment promptly for a warm, painful, expanding red area. Keep the skin clean, avoid squeezing it and mark or photograph the edge only if this does not delay care. Mention any wound, athlete’s foot, recent procedure, immune problem or previous cellulitis. Treatment commonly involves prescribed antibiotics, with the choice and route depending on severity and location.

Seek urgent medical help for rapidly spreading redness, severe pain, blistering, purple or black skin, confusion, faintness, breathing difficulty or a high fever. Infection near the eye, on the face or over a joint also needs prompt review. Worsening symptoms after starting treatment require reassessment because deeper infection or sepsis may need urgent care.

Where is the infection likely to have entered, and which treatment do I need? How soon should pain, redness and swelling begin to settle? What warning signs mean I should return or seek emergency help?