Cellulitis: drugs, symptoms, causes, etc. & bull; hello healthy

Definition of cellulitis

Cellulitis is a type of skin disease that occurs due to a bacterial infection. Cellulitis can cause redness and swelling of the skin. These symptoms often spread rapidly to other parts of the body.

This condition usually affects the surface of the skin, but can also reach the underlying tissue. This infection can also spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream.

Although caused by a bacterial infection, this disease is usually not contagious. If left untreated, cellulitis can be fatal. You should get medical help as soon as you start experiencing symptoms of cellulitis.

Signs and symptoms of cellulitis

Usually, the symptoms and characteristics of this skin disease will only appear on one side of the body. These symptoms include the following.

• Aches and pains in the affected area.
• Reddish skin due to inflammation.
• Sores and ulcer rashes appear and spread rapidly.
• The skin is shiny and the infected part becomes swollen.
• There is a feeling or a warm sensation on the affected skin.
• In the middle of the infected skin, ulcers and pus usually appear.
• Fever.

Often these symptoms appear on the lower legs, but can also affect other parts of the body such as the hands and soles of the feet.

There are also some of the more serious symptoms of:

• trembling body,
• feeling hot and cold,
• feeling excess pain,
• fatigue,
• dizzy,
• the head feels light,
• muscle pain, and
• sweating.

Other symptoms of cellulitis

Other symptoms that indicate that your cellulitis has spread include:

• feeling sleepy constantly, and
• appear red streaks around the wound.

Immediately contact your doctor if you notice these signs and symptoms in yourself.

Causes and risk factors

What causes cellulitis?

The main cause of this skin disease is a bacterial infection. The type of bacteria that generally causes this condition is bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus.

These bacteria initially enter through open wounds resulting from scratches by sharp objects, friction on rough surfaces, insect bites, eczema, and so on.

However, cellulitis can also occur even if no area of ​​the skin is injured. For example, in people with diseases that weaken the immune system such as HIV / AIDS.

The immune system that does not work optimally makes the body more susceptible to infection and disease.

What are the risk factors for cellulitis?

Cellulitis can be experienced by everyone, both adults and children. However, there are several factors that put a person at a higher risk of cellulitis. These factors include:

• have sores or conditions that cause skin damage such as eczema and water fleas,
• a weak immune system,
• often use drugs that are used by injection,
• have chronic swelling of the arms or legs (lymphedema),
• obesity, as well
• history of cellulitis.

Complications

Sometimes, this skin disease can spread throughout the body, entering the lymph nodes and the bloodstream. In rare cases, the bacterial infection can get into the deeper layers of the tissue.

The potential complications of cellulitis that can occur are:

• blood infection,
• bone infection,
• inflammation of your lymph vessels, and
• tissue death or gangrene.

If you have experienced cellulitis repeatedly, this disease can damage the disposal system of substances in the body that can cause inflammation, causing chronic swelling of the affected area.

Diagnosis and treatment

How to diagnose this condition?

The doctor will begin to diagnose by conducting a physical examination first. A physical examination is done to determine the severity of your illness.

Some of the things that are the focus of the examination are:

• test how swollen the infected skin is,
• how red and warm the infected skin is, as well
• whether there are other glands that are swollen or not.

Your doctor may want to monitor the infected area for a few days to see if redness or swelling is spreading.

However, it will depend on the severity of the symptoms. In some cases, the doctor will take blood or a wound sample to test for the presence of bacteria.

How to treat this condition?

To treat this skin disease, doctors will generally prescribe oral antibiotics for 10-21 days. It aims to treat your cellulitis infection.

The length of time you take oral antibiotics will depend on the severity of your infection.

Even if symptoms improve within a few days, it is important to keep taking the medication until it wears off as prescribed by your doctor.

While taking antibiotics, monitor your condition to see if your symptoms improve. In most cases, symptoms will improve or disappear within a few days.

Your doctor may also prescribe pain medication and pain relievers. Also, you should rest until your cellulitis symptoms improve.

When resting, position the affected limb in a higher line. For example, put on a pillow which is higher than your body's alignment. This method aims to reduce swelling.

Tell your doctor right away if your symptoms do not improve with antibiotics, pain relievers, or pain relievers. You should also get checked out if you experience a fever in the middle of the treatment period.

Cellulitis generally improves within 7 - 10 days of starting taking antibiotics. Longer treatment may be needed if your infection is severe.

Usually, this can happen if you also have chronic illnesses or if your immune system is not functioning properly.

Inpatient care

People with certain pre-existing medical conditions and risk factors may need to stay in the hospital for observation during treatment.

Your doctor may also recommend hospitalization if you have:

• high body temperature,
• high blood pressure,
• infections that don't get better with antibiotics,
• compromised immune system due to other diseases, as well
• You may also be hospitalized if you need intravenous antibiotics when oral antibiotics don't work.

Treatment and prevention

What home remedies can be used to treat this condition?

In addition to taking medication, you can take a few steps at home to reduce swelling and pain by:

• Compress the affected skin area using a cloth that has been soaked in cold water.
• Using painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to reduce pain due to swelling
• Drink enough water to avoid dehydration
• Perform small movements in the area of ​​the body affected by cellulitis such as the wrists or feet so that the muscles do not stiffen

How to prevent cellulitis?

You can also prevent cellulitis with the following things.

• Avoid injury by using protection when doing certain activities such as cycling, or using closed clothing when doing activities in an environment where there is a lot of grass.
• Immediately perform first aid when injured, from cleaning to giving antibiotics.
• Keep the skin from drying out by using a moisturizer.
• Immediately treat the disease if you have an infection such as water fleas or ringworm.
• Wearing footwear when on the move outside the home.
• Be diligent in cutting nails.
• Always be aware of changes or symptoms that occur after you have been injured.