What is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is caused by a bacterial infection in the dermis and subcutaneous layers of the skin. These are the two innermost skin layers. Cellulitis may develop around surgical incisions or cuts in the skin, but it sometimes shows up for no obvious reason.

Staphlycoccus bacteria is the main cause of cellulitis, with Streptococcus bacteria as a secondary cause. It is less common for cellulitis to be caused by other bacteria, but it is possible.

Symptoms of cellulitis include a small patch of pain and redness on the skin, which spreads to surrouding areas, creating larger regions of redness, swelling and pain.

Due to this spreading inflammation, a person with cellulitis may also develop swollen lymph nodes in the area of infection, along with a fever.

People with weakened immune systems are most at risk to develop cellulitis, as are people with advanced diabetes, who tend to have poor circulation. In general, anyone may develop cellulitis, and it impacts men and women equally.

Cellulitis looks bad, but it is not contagious. It is an infection just under the skin, not on top of the skin.

Antibiotics are vital for the treatment of cellulitis. Drugs from the penicillin family are most commonly used, but other antibiotics may work as well.

Advanced cases of cellulitis will often require hospitalization and treatment with antibiotics via IV (intravenously).

Left untreated, cellulitis can spread to the entire body, resulting in a systemic bacterial infection, which, as you can imagine, will lead to serious illness.