Cellulitis Infection

The following article will tell you more about cellulitis infection. You'll know more about what causes it and what the treatment that one should be taking for the same.

Cellulitis infection is a bacterial infection that occurs on the body and causes severe inflammation of skin. The cellulitis symptoms are characterized by a single patch on the skin turning red, becoming swollen and tender and highly inflamed. Cellulitis means inflammation of cells and this inflammation is seen to affect the first two deeper layers of the skin (the dermis and the subcutaneous layer), thus affecting the tissues and fat as well. Since this infection affects the deeper layers of the skin and is not an infection of the upper or top layer, this condition is not contagious (hope that answers your question on 'is cellulitis infection contagious').

Cellulitis skin infection begins by affecting a small patch and then starts to spread over a larger area. Even though this condition can affect any body part like facial cellulitis, it has been seen that a cellulitis infection in leg (cellulitis of the leg is more common in the lower part) is the most common area for this infection to occur and can turn out to be dangerous as well. That is why there is a need to take cellulitis infection treatment. And in the following article we shall be taking you through the exact causes and the treatment methods of dealing with this condition.

Cellulitis Infection Causes

The streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria is responsible for causing this infection in the body. Other than these, the clostridium, haemophilus influenzae and the pneumococcus species can also cause cellulitis infection.

Sometimes an abrasion in the skin can cause an infection to occur. At other times, it does not need an area where there is an open wound, but can develop over a site that is smooth and has probably had a previous infection like eczema or athlete's foot. Along with that, insect and animal bites, tattooing and skin rashes which have affected the skin can also cause cellulitis infection. There are also instances wherein the cellulitis infection has been caused due to an occurrence of diabetes, AIDS or radiation.

The other bacteria responsible for the spreading of the cellulitis infection is the staphylococcus aureus bacteria, more commonly known as staph. Once the bacteria enter the skin layers, they can make their way deeper to the lymph nodes and into the blood stream and then spread throughout the body. This will most commonly lead to a high fever, cold and cough, sweating or having bouts of cold waves.

Cellulitis Infection Treatment

A cellulitis infection is most commonly treated by a course of antibiotics, the dose of which should be determined by a doctor after taking into consideration the severity of the condition and how far the infection has spread. An antibiotics course runs for a period of 10-14 days and is usually administered in the oral form. If however the cellulitis infection continues to be severe and does not clear up, the antibiotics have to be administered intravenously so that it makes for a quicker recovery.

Along with these treatment methods, it is extremely important for preventive methods to be applied as well. These include making sure that the infection does not spread to other areas, therefore keeping the infected area clean with a regular routine of washing and cleansing the area with an antiseptic soap and patting it dry is important. Other than that, one can also apply an antibacterial/anti fungal cream if there is a threat that the infection might spread to other areas. Another small practice that you can start following is to apply a moisturizer and keep the skin supple, this will ensure that the skin does not crack, lead to abrasions and therefore cause a cellulitis infection. And never, ever disregard or ignore an infection or skin disorder. Make sure that you get it checked and treated at the earliest so that there is no follow up with a cellulitis infection.

Now that you know exactly what a cellulitis infection is, what causes it and how one can prevent it, it will hopefully help you in dealing with this condition better.