Understanding cellulitis

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of deeper layers of skin and tissue. It can cause a rapidly enlarging area of skin redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness, or pain, often on one limb but potentially elsewhere. Fever may occur. A break in the skin, wound, insect bite, surgery, eczema, or athlete's foot can provide an entry point; type 2 diabetes and other health conditions can affect risk and recovery.

Cellulitis is different from a superficial irritation, but several conditions can look similar. A clinician may need to examine the borders, temperature, pain, and general symptoms before choosing treatment.

Take prescribed antibiotics exactly as directed and complete the course unless the prescriber changes it. Rest the affected area, elevate a swollen limb when practical, drink fluids if you can, and mark or photograph the edge of redness to track change. Keep any wound clean and covered as advised, and do not squeeze, lance, or massage the area.

Tell the clinician if you have athlete's foot, diabetes, lymphatic swelling, recurrent episodes, or an immune problem, because treating an entry point and managing underlying risks can help prevent future infection. Improvement should be assessed against your clinician's advice, not judged from redness alone.

Seek same-day medical care for spreading redness, increasing swelling or pain, fever, chills, or feeling significantly unwell. Go to emergency care for confusion, faintness, severe weakness, fast breathing, difficulty breathing, blue or mottled skin, or rapidly worsening pain and swelling. These may signal a serious infection such as sepsis or involvement of deeper tissue.

Ask what caused the likely entry point, which treatment to use and for how long, how quickly improvement should begin, and which changes require reassessment. Ask how to care for a wound, manage swelling, prevent recurrence, and control conditions such as diabetes or athlete's foot.