Cellulitis Infection: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Cellulitis is a skin infection brought by certain types of microorganism. The bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus and Group A Streptococcus are usually responsible for this kind of infection. These bacteria are part of the body's natural external flora and pose no threat to health while still on the outside of the body.

Streptococci and Staphylococci can enter the skin to cause cellulitis infection through scrapes, cuts, wounds, blisters, insect bites and ulcers and find their way into the dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin.

Cellulitis caused by the Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci is rapid spreading because of the enzymes produced by the bacteria that breaks down the cellular components responsible for localized infection.
• Elevating the infected area will help in reduce the swelling and irritation most especially for arm and lower leg cellulitis.
• Drinking plenty of water helps prevent dehydration and helps clean the body system.
• Over-the-counter pain killers and fever relievers to alleviate the symptoms and speed up the recovery.
Medical Treatment:
• Staying in a hospital for infections that are not too serious is unnecessary. Keeping confined inside the home while taking the prescribed antibiotics for 7 to 10 days may be enough to help cure the cellulitis. When symptoms get severe or worsen, contact a physician right away to receive hospital treatment.
• If the cellulitis infection is severe and are located in sensitive areas such as the eyes, hospitalization may be essential. Intravenous antibiotics must be administered for infections that have been rapidly spreading and deteriorating your skin, for very old or very young patients, and for those who are experiencing secondary symptoms such as chills or even vomiting.

This makes the cellulitis infection from Staphylococci more localized and most often occurs with an open wound or a cutaneous abscess. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus has also been found to cause community-acquired cellulitis in medical facilities that is not responsive to monotherapy.

Cellulitis infection commonly affects the legs though it may occur on any part of the body. It is usually unilateral, meaning only the right or the left half of the body may be affected. Symptoms may start out as a small tender area with swelling and redness. As it develops, pain may also be experienced along with the appearance of red streaks coming from the infected area.

Lymph nodes near the infected area may also start to swell. As the cellulitis infection goes deeper into the skin and enters the lymph nodes and the bloodstream, a widespread infection can cause fever, chills fatigue and muscle aches. Very rare cases of cellulitis infection may be caused by Necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacterium that causes deep-layer infection that needs extreme and immediate medical treatment.

Cellulitis infection may be categorized into types according to the body part that is infected. Types of cellulitis are facial cellulitis, breast cellulitis, orbital (eye) cellulitis, periorbital (eyelid) cellulitis, hand/arm cellulitis, perianal cellulitis and lower leg/foot cellulitis.

Depending on the severity of cellulitis, self-care treatment at home and medical treatment are options.

Self- medication:

• Resting and as much as possible immobilizing the infected area

Cellulitis infection may recur anytime so it is best to consult a doctor about options and treatment to prevent recurrence.