Cellulitis

Prevention

To help prevent cellulitis:

• Prevent skin injury - Wear protective gloves while gardening and working outdoors. Wear long sleeves and trousers while hiking, and avoid going barefoot outdoors. Wear protective padding on elbows and knees while skating.

• Treat minor skin wounds promptly - Gently wipe away any dirt, wash with antibiotic soap, apply antibiotic ointment, and cover with a clean bandage.

• Seek medical attention - Medical attention is needed for all deep puncture wounds and animal bites and for all deep wounds involving a joint, hand or foot.

Treatment

Cellulitis is treated with antibiotics. Your doctor will choose a specific antibiotic depending on where your cellulitis is and the likely cause of your infection. Most cases of cellulitis improve quickly once you start taking antibiotics.

If you have mild cellulitis, you can usually be treated at home with antibiotics taken by mouth. However, you must keep in close contact with your doctor to be sure that the infection is improving as expected. At home, warm compresses, such as a warm, moist washcloth, and elevating the infected area can help. If you have severe cellulitis, you may need to be treated in the hospital with antibiotics given intravenously (into a vein).