Cellulitis

Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers of the skin and the underlying tissue.

The main symptom of cellulitis is the affected area of skin suddenly turning red, painful swollen and hot.

It most often affects the legs, but can occur anywhere on the body.

When to see your GP

See your GP immediately if an area of skin suddenly turns red, hot and tender. If you can't see your GP on the same day, visit a walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.

Find a local walk-in centre or minor injuries unit using our service search.

Your GP can usually diagnose cellulitis by assessing your symptoms and examining your skin.

In some cases, further tests may be needed to rule out similar conditions, such as varicose eczema, or to assess the severity of the infection.

Hospital treatment

Certain symptoms can indicate that the infection has spread from your skin to other parts of the body, such as the blood. These include:

vomiting
fever
rapid breathing
confusion or disorientation

If you experience these severe symptoms, go to your local accident and emergency (A&E) department or call 999 for an ambulance.

Causes of cellulitis

Cellulitis can have a wide range of causes, but the majority of cases are caused by group A streptococcal infections or staphylococcal infections. In rarer cases, it may be caused by a fungal infection.

Cellulitis develops when bacteria or fungi move down through the skin’s surface through a damaged or broken area of skin, such as a cut, burn or bite.

Having a skin condition such as eczema or a fungal infection of the foot or toenails (athlete’s foot) can cause small breaks and cracks to develop in the surface of the skin. This makes a person more vulnerable to cellulitis.

Read about the causes of cellulitis, including more information on who is at risk.

Treating cellulitis

Cellulitis usually responds well to treatment with antibiotics if it's diagnosed and treated promptly.

As a precaution, hospital admission is usually recommended for more severe cases of cellulitis that fail to respond to antibiotic tablets. Once you have recovered you can usually be treated with antibiotics at home or as an outpatient.

Read more about treatment for cellulitis.

Complications

In some cases of cellulitis the bacteria triggers a secondary infection somewhere else in the body, such as in the blood (septicaemia).

Blood poisoning can be life-threatening and often requires hospital admission for treatment with intravenous antibiotics (antibiotics given directly into a vein).

Other complications can include:

abscesses
necrotising fasciitis – a rare bacterial infection of the deep layer of skin that causes the affected tissue to die
facial cellulitis – which can lead to meningitis if untreated

Read more about complications of cellulitis.

Who is affected?

Cellulitis can affect people of all ages, including children. Rates are thought to be roughly similar in both sexes.

In 2012, around 50,000 people were admitted to hospital in England as a result of cellulitis.

Antibiotics: Antibiotics are medicines that can be used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, usually bacteria or fungi. For example amoxicillin, streptomycin and erythromycin.
Bacteria: Bacteria are tiny, single-celled organisms that live in the body. Some can cause illness and disease and some others are good for you.
Inflammation: Inflammation is the body's response to infection, irritation or injury, which causes redness, swelling, pain and sometimes a feeling of heat in the affected area.