No. Cellulitis is not contagious. Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layer of skin caused by a bacterial or viral infection. It is caused by streptococcus bacteria that most often enter your body through a cut or scrape in your skin, hair follicles, and the lining of your mouth.
Cellulitis might not be contagious, but it requires prompt treatment, making it less likely to spread to other people.
What is Cellulitis?
Cellulitis is a common, acute bacterial skin infection. The cause of this condition is bacteria, usually streptococcus, but several other bacteria can cause it. It is usually a deep, painful infection of the skin that begins as an abrasion. Cellulitis usually starts on the leg but can be on any part of the body.
What Causes Cellulitis?
A bacterial infection leads to cellulitis, which is caused by various staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria. Most people who get cellulitis have other existing diseases such as cuts, scratches, burns, or wounds that have caused the skin to break open and become susceptible to infection.
This infection can travel through the lymphatic system, which drains excess fluid and bacteria from the body’s tissues into other parts of your body. This can cause serious illness if it occurs in your blood, lungs, kidney, or heart.
Symptoms
Cellulitis is a bacterial infection that develops outside the bone, such as in the skin tissue. The main symptoms you will experience once this type of infection has taken root are as follows.
- Tenderness and pain in the affected area
- Inflammation or redness of the skin
- A rash or sore that grows rapidly
- tight, glossy, swollen skin
- The affected area feels warm
- A pus-filled abscess
- fever
- Fluid-filled blisters
- Discharge
It’s not as uncommon as you think. It’s essential to know the signs, of course, and you have to watch out for it. But if you contact someone who has cellulitis, don’t freak out. The symptoms are telltale but easy enough to treat with some antibiotics.
Don’t neglect it, though; that can make the disease spread fast and turn into something hazardous. Make sure you keep an eye out.
Who is at the Risk of Getting Cellulitis?
Though no one is immune to getting cellulitis, specific individuals are at the potential risk of getting this condition. Some of the potential risks include:
- If you have a cut, a fracture, burns, or a scrape
- If you suffer from skin conditions like eczema, athlete’s foot, or shingles
- Participating in contact sports, such as wrestling,
- People with diabetes or people with weakened immune systems
- Those who experience chronic swelling in their arms or legs (lymphedema)
- The use of intravenous drug use
Bacteria cause most cases, but you can get cellulitis due to a skin injury unrelated to any kind of infectious cause.
Treatment
The most common type of treatment for cellulitis is antibiotics such as dicloxacillin or cephalexin. These antibiotics are administered orally. Often, hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics are necessary in cases of cellulitis that are more severe or do not respond to oral antibiotics.
It is possible to reduce symptoms and irritation by applying warm compresses to the area. It is also possible to reduce swelling by elevating the affected area.
Prevention
Cellulitis is a dangerous condition that can cause severe damage, so it’s vital to understand how it develops and what you can do to prevent it. Here are some basic preventive measures.
- Avoid skin breaks by keeping your skin clean and dry
- Practice good hygiene habits
- Stay out of the sun
- Keep wounds covered, especially those on the legs
- Stay away from people with open sores
- Be aware of the causes
- Watch out for symptoms
- Treat cellulitis as early as possible
The way to prevent this condition is to refrain from sharing personal items with other people, such as razors or towels. So if you do start experiencing symptoms of cellulitis, make sure to contact your doctor immediately!
In addition, if you notice a boil containing pus, seek medical attention immediately since it may indicate the spread of cellulitis.
Conclusion
Cellulitis is not contagious. Cellulitis occurs when your skin has been cut or when your skin has been injured somehow. Cellulitis is often the result of cuts and scrapes.
If the person gets cellulitis and isn’t correctly taken care of, it can spread to other parts of the body that aren’t cut or scraped. If you think you have cellulitis, take steps to stop the infection from spreading and treat it properly by following your doctor’s advice.