Cellulitis is an infection caused by bacteria getting into the deeper layers of your skin.
The main symptom of cellulitis is a red, painful, swollen area of skin.
Cellulitis usually needs to be treated with antibiotics. It can be serious if it's not treated quickly.
Things that increase your risk of cellulitis include poor circulation, inactivity and a weak immune system.
The main symptom of cellulitis is a red, painful, swollen area of skin.
You can also have swollen, painful glands.
These are symptoms of cellulitis.
You can get cellulitis on any part of your body, but it usually affects:
Hands – causing swollen fingers.
Feet – sometimes near toes if you have athlete's foot.
Legs – usually the lower legs.
Cellulitis usually needs to be treated with antibiotics. It can be serious if it's not treated quickly.
For mild cellulitis affecting a small area of skin, your GP will prescribe antibiotic tablets – usually for a week.
Your symptoms might get worse in the first 48 hours of treatment, but should then start to improve.
You should go back to the GP if you do not start to feel better 2 to 3 days after starting antibiotics.
It's important to keep taking antibiotics until they're finished, even when you feel better.
Most people make a full recovery after 7 to 10 days.
If your cellulitis is severe, your GP might refer you to hospital for treatment.
As well as taking antibiotics for cellulitis, you can help speed up your recovery by:
You can reduce the chances of getting cellulitis again by:
Things that increase your risk of cellulitis include poor circulation, inactivity and a weak immune system.