Cellulitis
What is cellulitis?
Symptoms of cellulitis
Causes of cellulitis
Risk factors for cellulitis
Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for cellulitis
What is cellulitis?
Cellulitis is a potentially dangerous bacterial infection of the inner layers of the skin. It is most common on the lower legs and face, but can occur anywhere on the body.
It occurs when bacteria that are normally on the skin get an opportunity to enter the skin, usually through a cut, deep abrasion or some other break in the skin. The break can even be very small and hard to see.
Cellulitis should be treated as quickly as possible because it can spread within days and cause serious illness or even death.
The bacteria most commonly involved are Streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus, which are normally on the surface of the skin and cause no problems. After they enter the skin they can spread rapidly, entering the lymph nodes and the bloodstream and causing an infection throughout the body.
If you can see pus, or the person has had previous MRSA infection, urgent medical attention is required.
Symptoms of cellulitis
- Red skin. The area can increase in size over a few days. The borders of the red area are not sharp.
- Warmth over the affected area.
- Swelling of the affected area of skin.
- Pain. The area can be tender and painful to touch.
- Abscess.
- Fever, feeling exhausted, high temperature, sweating, vomiting, feeling cold with shaking or other influenza-like symptoms.
- Pus or leaking of yellow clear fluid.
- Lymph nodes swollen, seen as a tender lump in the groin and armpit.
Severe symptoms which require urgent attention include:
Causes of cellulitis
Cellulitis usually occurs in damaged or inflamed areas of skin, where some kind of trauma has broken the skin barrier.
Opportunities for bacteria to enter include cuts, abrasions, splinters or other foreign objects such as metal or glass embedded in the skin, insect bites particularly spider bites, surgical wounds, animal bites, eczema, psoriasis, scabies, acne, tattoos, skin rash, athlete's foot, dry and itchy skin, eczema, injecting drugs and boils.
Risk factors for cellulitis
- Obesity, which can affect blood circulation.
- Oedema. Swelling, especially of the legs or feet.
- Immune system weakened or stressed.
- Immunosuppressive drugs.
- Diabetes, which often impairs blood circulation in the legs. It also causes elevated blood glucose which lets bacteria grow more rapidly in the affected tissue, and feeds the infection if it is in the bloodstream.
- Diseases that affect blood circulation in the legs and feet, such as varicose veins or chronic venous insufficiency.
- Smoking.
- Being old.
Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for cellulitis
If you use any of these remedies, please come back next week (or whenever you have an outcome) and let us know about your experience. Please leave a comment as many people are interested.
See details of remedies recommended by Grow Youthful visitors, and their experience with them.
- Elevate the affected area.
- Keep clean.
- Rest.
- Garlic.
- Colloidal silver.
- Tea tree oil.