What are the signs of orbital cellulitis?

The infection is deeper than ordinary irritation on the eyelid. The eyelid or skin around one eye may become red, warm, tender, and swollen. A person may develop fever, headache, pain when moving the eye, reduced eye movement, double vision, blurred vision, or an eye that appears pushed forward. Children may be unusually tired, irritable, or reluctant to open the affected eye. These symptoms can overlap with Cellulitis and with general Skin Redness, Skin Swelling, or Painful Skin, so appearance alone cannot confirm the diagnosis.

Treat these symptoms as an urgent medical problem, particularly when swelling is increasing or eye movement is painful. Arrange immediate assessment at an emergency service or by a clinician who can examine the eye and vision. Avoid squeezing the eyelid, applying unprescribed creams, or using someone else's antibiotics. Mention recent sinus illness, a facial injury, dental infection, insect bite, or another skin infection. Fever can be a useful accompanying clue, but its absence does not safely rule out a deeper infection.

Seek emergency help now for any vision change, double vision, severe eye pain, pain with eye movement, a bulging eye, confusion, faintness, or rapidly worsening swelling. A child who is difficult to wake, unable to drink, or becoming very unwell needs immediate care. Untreated infection can spread into nearby tissues and, in severe cases, contribute to Sepsis.

Ask whether the eye movements and vision are normal, whether imaging is required, what source of infection is suspected, and which symptoms should prompt a return to emergency care after treatment begins.