How Is Cellulitis Treated?

 

Cellulitis Treatment Options

Cellulitis is a serious bacterial infection which normally grows from an injury or at the spot of an intravenous catheter. This disease mostly affects your feet and legs where the flow of blood is poor or on existing conditions such as fungal infection. This disorder can be caused by nearly any bacteria but the most common causing bacteria are Streptococcus and Staphylococcus.

This article is dedicated to inform you on how to treat cellulitis. The treatment is intended to minimize the severity of the bacterial infection, relieve pain and other accompanying symptoms, heal your skin, speed up recovery and prevent the infection from occurring again.

 

1. Antibiotics

You can treat mild infections, if the infection has not affected your lymph system or the bloodstream right at home by taking normal antibiotics orally such as dicloxacillin, penicillin, vancomycin, erythromycin and cephalosporin.

If you are allergic to penicillin then avoiding it and the dicloxacillin. If the infection does not get better you should consult your doctor for further treatment. In the cases where the infection is severe then an injection of antibiotics is recommended. For the case of children then antibiotics are administered intravenously, however it treatment must be sought immediately for young children.

Topical antibiotics are also used to treat mild cellulitis. The location and the extent of this infection is what dictate the antibiotic to be used whether oral, topical or intravenous. Other factors that determine the treatment to use include the patients’ health status and the type of bacteria causing the illness.

 

2. Blood Samples

If you don’t respond to general antibiotics the doctors will take samples of your blood, fluids and skin to determine the meticulous species of bacteria causing the illness. An exact antibiotic will then be given to treat such severe cases. In such a situation the doctor may give the patient the antibiotic through intravenous antibiotics or an injection.

Once a patient improves then he can change to antibiotic tablets.

 

3. Vitamins

Another suggested method of treating cellulitis is taking plenty of Vitamin C and Vitamin E to help boost your immune system and reduce the chances of contracting cellulitis. Other foods like dark chocolate, dark tea and red wine have also been said to reduce the risk of developing cellulitis.

Other studies show that applying honey on your open wound can boost the recovery process and prevent cellulitis from forming.

 

4. Home Remedies

There are several steps you can take at home to speed up recovery and ease pain and other symptoms of cellulitis that include; drinking plenty of water will help prevent your body from dehydration. Raising your affected leg will ease pain and minimize swelling. Over the counter painkillers can help relieve pain and include ibuprofen and paracetamol.

This illness is treatable but only if treatment is sought in time and the administered dose taken fully. If not treated properly cellulitis may spread to your lymph system and bloodstream causing more serious infections.

Prevention however is better than cure and you should take care of your wounds, treat chronic tissue swelling and embrace proper hygiene.

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