Cellulitis Symptoms

Because the infection can worsen quickly, possibly spreading to the lymph nodes and bloodstream, it’s important to seek medical help if you develop signs and symptoms.

Here’s what you need to know about symptoms of cellulitis, complications, and when to call a doctor.

• Redness Redness caused by cellulitis may start in one area and then spread to cover a larger area. It can sometimes be difficult to tell where the redness ends and normal-looking skin begins.
• Warmth Skin warmth caused by cellulitis isn’t always apparent until a person touches or presses on the affected area with a finger or hand.
• Pain and Tenderness Cellulitis triggers inflammation, which leads to pain and tenderness. Pain can be moderate or severe, depending on the severity of the infection. Pain is sometimes triggered by pressing on the affected skin.
• Swelling Swelling caused by cellulitis may start in one area and gradually spread. Some people also develop swollen lymph nodes near the site of an infection.

• Feet
• Lower legs
• Arms

Less common types of cellulitis include:

• Orbital Cellulitis Orbital cellulitis is a bacterial infection in the soft tissues that surround your eye. This condition is very serious and mostly affects young children. It can cause pain, discoloration, and swelling from the eyebrow to your cheekbone and may make your eye bulge outward.

  [3]

• Breast Cellulitis Breast cellulitis usually affects the lower half of the breast where sweat and bacteria tend to build up. The skin becomes red, warm, and inflamed, and the rash tends to spread throughout the area.

  [4]

• Facial Cellulitis Facial cellulitis can result from severe sinus, eye, and gum infections that spread to the face, causing swelling.

  [5]

• Perianal Cellulitis This is an infection of the area around the anus and it most commonly occurs in children. It often happens during or following a case of strep throat or a streptococcal skin infection. The skin around the anus may get infected when a child wipes after a bowel movement. The infection can also result from scratching the area with fingers that have bacteria from the mouth or nose. Symptoms include redness around the anus, itching, pain, or bleeding with bowel movements.

  [6]

“In more severe cases, [cellulitis] may include blister formation, pustules, and necrosis [skin breakdown],” says Tsippora Shainhouse, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at SkinSafe Dermatology and Skin Care in Beverly Hills, California, and a clinical instructor at the University of Southern California.

• A rapid heart rate (more than 100 beats per minute while at rest). If left untreated, rapid heartbeat can affect heart function and increase the risk of major complications such as heart failure, cardiac arrest, and stroke.
• Low blood pressure, generally defined as a blood pressure reading lower than 90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) systolic or lower than 60 mmHg diastolic, can be dangerous, too.
• Sepsis, a severe, life-threatening body-wide infection. Signs of this condition include a high fever, a fast heartbeat, fast breathing, clammy skin, disorientation, and loss of consciousness.

  [8]

In most cases, you won’t need a diagnostic test, says Anna Guanche, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at the Bella Skin Institute in Calabasas, California. Most doctors are able to diagnose this condition by looking at your skin.

Your doctor may examine the skin to pinpoint where the bacteria entered your body. “Occasionally, it’s a surgical site, but it can also be from an insect bite or a scrape of any kind — anything that introduces bacteria into the skin,” says Dr. Guanche.

• Cellulitis is a serious bacterial infection most commonly caused by the strep or staph bacteria; it enters the body through a break in the skin.
• The infection most commonly affects the lower legs, feet, and arms; rarer types of cellulitis can infect the face, eyes, and anus.
• Complications of cellulitis can be very serious and can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening, body-wide infection.
• If you suspect you may have cellulitis, get medical care right away.