Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a skin infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics. It can become serious if you don't get help quickly.

What does cellulitis look like?

If you have cellulitis, your skin will feel:

• Painful
• Hot
• Swollen

The area usually looks red, though this might be harder to see on brown or black skin. Your skin might also have blisters.

You might feel unwell, like you have flu. Your glands (the small lumps you can feel in your neck, armpits or groin) might become swollen and painful.

Cellulitis can happen anywhere on your body, but it's most common on your legs. You can also get it:

• On your hands, causing your fingers or the back of your hands to swell
• On your feet, sometimes near your toes if you have athlete's foot
• Around your eye (this is very serious)

When to get help

See your GP urgently or call NHS 111 if your skin is painful, hot and swollen.

Getting antibiotics early can stop cellulitis from becoming more serious.

Call 999 or go to A&E straight away if you have cellulitis and:

• A very high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery
• A fast heartbeat or you're breathing fast
• Purple patches on your skin
• Feel dizzy or faint
• Feel confused
• Have cold, clammy or pale skin
• Become unresponsive or lose consciousness

These are signs of serious complications that can be life-threatening. Don't drive yourself to A&E - ask someone to drive you or call 999 for an ambulance.

How is cellulitis treated?

For mild cellulitis, your GP will give you antibiotic tablets, usually for a week. Your symptoms might get worse in the first 48 hours, but should then start to improve.

Speak to your GP if you don't start feeling better 2 to 3 days after starting antibiotics.

Keep taking your antibiotics until they're finished, even when you feel better. Most people recover completely after 7 to 10 days.

If your cellulitis is severe, you might need to go to hospital for treatment.

How to help yourself get better

While taking antibiotics, you can speed up recovery by:

• Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain
• Raising the affected body part on a pillow or chair when sitting or lying down
• Moving the joint near the affected area (like your wrist or ankle) to stop it getting stiff
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Not wearing compression stockings until you're better

What causes cellulitis?

Cellulitis happens when bacteria get into the deeper layers of your skin through breaks like:

• Cuts or scrapes
• Insect bites
• Cracked, dry skin

Sometimes the break is too small to notice. You can't catch cellulitis from another person.

How to prevent cellulitis

You can reduce your chances of getting cellulitis by:

• Keeping your skin clean and well moisturised
• Cleaning cuts or wounds and using antiseptic cream
• Wearing appropriate clothing and shoes to prevent cuts and scrapes
• Wearing gloves when working outside
• Treating athlete's foot promptly if you're at higher risk

You're more at risk if you have poor circulation, find it hard to move around, have a weak immune system, or have had cellulitis before.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.