What is cellulitis and how to spot and treat it |23 June 2021

Cellulitis is a deep infection of the skin caused by bacteria. It usually affects the arms and legs. It can also develop around the eyes, mouth, and anus, or on the belly. Normal skin can be affected by cellulitis, but it usually happens after some type of injury causes a skin break, including trauma or surgery. Once the skin breaks, bacteria can enter and cause infection.

The infection can be very serious. These can include extensive tissue damage and tissue death (gangrene). The infection can also spread to the blood, bones, lymph system, heart, or nervous system. These infections can lead to amputation, shock, or even death.

Cellulitis is usually caused when bacteria enter a wound or area where there is no skin. Symptoms of cellulitis include redness of the skin, swelling of the skin, tenderness, warm skin, pain bruising, blisters, fever, headache, chills, weakness, red streaks from the original site of the cellulitis.

The symptoms of cellulitis may look like other skin conditions, which is why it is important to contact your physicians if symptoms persist.

Diagnosis is usually based on a medical history and physical exam. Blood and skin samples may be taken to confirm the diagnosis and the type of bacteria that is present. A bacterial culture can identify the organism causing the condition and indicate the most effective antibiotic.

Treatment for cellulitis differs from person to person. Your physician will consider your age, overall health and severity of the condition when determining the appropriate treatment for you.

Getting treated right away can help prevent the spread of cellulitis. Treatment may include: oral, intramuscular (injection), or intravenous (IV) antibiotics, cool, wet dressings on the infection site, keeping the area dry and clean, surgery if your arm or leg is affected, elevating the arm or leg may help, rest, time to heal, topical antibiotics, pain medicine as needed.

To prevent cellulitis you must observe good personal hygiene, wash hands often, apply lotion to dry, cracked skin, use gloves when cuts and scrapes may happen, wear protective footwear.

If skin breaks open, keep the area clean and use an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment. Watch for signs of infection. If you have diabetes, visually check your feet for signs of skin breaks or infection. Also, don’t cut out warts or calluses, and don’t cut toenails too short.

Seychelles NATION tried to contact the Ministry of Health to get more details on how many cases of cellulitis there are in the country but to no avail.

Compiled by Christophe Zialor