Cellulitis Symptoms Causes & Treatment

Medically reviewed by:

Dr Eddie Roche - Medical Officer

Updated: Aug 18, 2021

Next review: Aug 18, 2022

Cellulitis is an infection that affects your skin. However, unlike other skin problems such as abscesses or rashes, cellulitis damages the deeper layers of skin and surrounding tissue. While it’s mostly found in the legs, cellulitis can occur anywhere on the body.

It can affect all ages and genders and should be dealt with quickly, as it can lead to more serious health problems. Our doctors will be able to act quickly and help you get the best treatment for your cellulitis.

The main symptoms of cellulitis are your skin becoming swollen, painful, warm and red. In some cases, you might get blisters on your skin. As with any other infection, you might also experience feelings of nausea and develop a fever.

If not dealt with quickly, cellulitis can lead to more serious problems such as septicaemia (a blood infection) and bacterial meningitis.

See a doctor urgently if you’re experiencing symptoms such as dizzy spells, a high fever, palpitations and vomiting or if the redness in your skin has spread over a wide area. This could indicate that your infection is spreading.

Cellulitis is usually caused by a bacterial infection. Bacteria can enter your skin in a number of ways, such as through cuts, grazes and bites, or cracks caused by other skin problems such as eczema.

Very rarely, cellulitis can be caused by a fungal infection. This only tends to happen if you have a poor immune system, which is itself caused by a variety of other illnesses.

There are factors that can increase your chance of getting cellulitis, including obesity, diabetes, poor circulation, or if you’re an intravenous drug user.

As it’s almost always a bacterial infection, cellulitis is usually treated with antibiotics.

However, there are other things you can do to help, such as drinking plenty of water and taking painkillers to deal with any short term discomfort.

You can also keep the affected limb elevated and rested wherever possible, but it should still be moved from time to time. Avoid any tasks that could cause further and cuts and grazes to your skin.

The most important thing you can do is see a doctor if your symptoms occur suddenly. Catching the condition earlier makes resulting antibiotic treatment much more likely to succeed quickly.

Our doctors can prescribe the most effective antibiotic for your cellulitis and get the prescription sent to your nearest pharmacy.

CELLULITIS

Dr Eddie Roche - Medical Officer

What is cellulitis?

Symptoms of cellulitis

Causes of cellulitis

Treatment for cellulitis