If you don't finish your full course of medicine, your cellulitis may come back and be more challenging to treat. Refrain from touching the affected area. If you must touch the affected area, wash your hands before and after touching it. Don't squeeze or puncture the area.
Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a non-stick bandage. Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.
Things you can do to help with cellulitis
raising the affected body part on a pillow or chair when you're sitting or lying down, to reduce swelling. regularly moving the joint near the affected body part, such as your wrist or ankle, to stop it getting stiff. drinking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
You may need to keep your foot elevated as much as possible for at least 48 hours. However, to aid circulation, you should go for short walks every now and then and wiggle your toes regularly when your foot is raised. If you have cellulitis in a forearm or hand, a high sling can help to raise the affected area.
Elevate the area — Elevating the arm or leg above the level of the heart can help to reduce swelling and speed healing. Keep the area clean and dry — It is important to keep the infected area clean and dry. You can shower or bathe normally and pat the area dry with a clean towel.
Aim to avoid fast foods like burgers, Chinese, McDonalds and Ice Cream. But also be aware of margarine and highly processed fats and oils, BBQ sauces and other condiments high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt. Say no to fizzy drinks, pasta, chocolate and white bread as these can make cellulite worse.
These tests may include: Blood test. A blood test will confirm whether the cellulitis infection has spread to your blood.
Cellulitis is usually a superficial infection of the skin (left). But if severe (right) or if left untreated, it can spread into the lymph nodes and bloodstream.
The potential for decreasing bacterial counts in tissue holds promise for the use of heat therapy in skin affected by cellulitis.
In mild cases of cellulitis treated on an outpatient basis, dicloxacillin, amoxicillin, and cephalexin are all reasonable choices. Clindamycin or a macrolide (clarithromycin or azithromycin) are reasonable alternatives in patients who are allergic to penicillin.
If the cellulitis is on your leg, you can prop up your leg on a chair when you are sitting down, or put pillows under your leg when you are sleeping. This helps to remove the inflammation from around the area.
Cellulitis can be treated with many different topical agents including Silvadene, Bacitracin and Neosporin to sooth the burning inflamed tissue and help in healing progression. It has been my experience that Silvadene topical cream refrigerated is more soothing to cellulitis that Bacitracin or Neosporin.
Several common conditions can mimic cellulitis, creating a potential for misdiagnosis and incorrect management. The most common disorders mistaken for lower limb cellulitis include venous eczema, lipodermatosclerosis, irritant dermatitis, and lymphedema.
The involved area may rapidly become swollen, warm, and tender to the touch and increase in size as the infection spreads. In lighter skin colors, the area may be any shade of pink or red. In darker skin colors, the redness may be harder to see, or it may appear more purple or dark brown.
The best antibiotic to treat cellulitis include dicloxacillin, cephalexin, trimethoprim with sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, or doxycycline antibiotics.
Bananas, berries, oranges, apricots, grapefruits. These fruits are all packed full of vitamins, lycopene, and methoxylated bioflavonoids. These compounds are full of antioxidants and increase blood circulation. This helps to correct cellulite-causing cell imbalances.
What can you do to help your cellulitis heal? Try to keep your foot raised higher than your hip to reduce any swelling. It is important that you help the circulation in your leg, so where possible walk a short distance every hour. If you are unable to do this try to wriggle your ankles and toes.
When to seek urgent care. If redness, swelling or pain intensify over the next 24 hours, see a health care provider immediately. “If you're 48 hours out and have increased redness, that's a huge red flag,” Jake said. Other symptoms can include blisters, bruising, headache or red streaks tracking from the wound.
The most common warning signs of cellulitis are patches of skin that are swollen, red, painful, and warm to the touch. Cellulitis most commonly occurs in the lower legs but can appear all over the body, including the toes, arms, face, and belly.
Once cellulitis develops into sepsis or necrotizing fasciitis, the infection becomes life-threatening and requires aggressive medical intervention to stop the disease from spreading and heal the body. Don't wait to seek medical attention.
Pain, feeling very unwell and the need for elevation of the affected limb can result in reduced quality of life and substantial periods of work absence among people with cellulitis.