Cellulitis is one of the most commonly occurring soft tissue infections on the planet, but don’t let its ubiquity lull you in to a false sense of security. If left untreated, what starts as a patch of discolored and irritated skin can become fatal quickly. Skin affected by cellulitis will often appear red, swollen, warm, and painful to the touch. It typically appears in the legs, but can also show up in the face and arms (or any part of the body for that matter).
So, what is it, how does it happen, and what can you do to prevent it? Those are exactly the kinds of questions that this article sets out to answer for you. Let’s get started.
What Is It?
First things first, what exactly is cellulitis?
Cellulitis is a bacterial infection that occurs most frequently in middle-aged and older adults. Often associated with redness, tenderness, and warmth to the touch, cellulitis can shift and change, creating a vast array of uncomfortable and downright dangerous symptoms.
It’s also not something that will just go away in a day or two. Without proper treatment, cellulitis does have a tendency to spread to a patient’s lymph nodes and bloodstream, with life-threatening potential.