Keep the area clean and dry — It is important to keep the infected area clean and dry. You can shower or bathe normally and pat the area dry with a clean towel. You can use a bandage or gauze to protect the skin if needed. Do not use any antibiotic ointments or creams.
Keep your skin clean and moisturized.
Keeping your skin clean washes away bacteria that cause cellulitis. Moisturizing helps prevent cracks in your skin, which can let bacteria into your body. An effective way to prevent or reduce dry skin is to apply moisturizer within three minutes of taking showers or baths.
Also, do what you can to keep your skin in good condition so that you can avoid breaks in the skin that will invite bacteria in and cause cellulitis. Good skin care includes: Bathing regularly in warm — not hot — water.
If you don't finish your full course of medicine, your cellulitis may come back and be more challenging to treat. Refrain from touching the affected area. If you must touch the affected area, wash your hands before and after touching it. Don't squeeze or puncture the area.
The antibiotics need to keep killing the infection in the body after the skin has healed. Check and clean the infected skin every day. Wash the infected skin with warm water or in a salt bath. A teaspoon of salt, antiseptic or bleach could be added to a bath to help kill the bacteria.
Certain medical conditions can make it harder to treat cellulitis. This can be because of decreased blood flow to the area, a weakened immune system, or another reason. Some of these conditions include: Edema: Swelling of the lower legs can decrease blood flow to these areas.
Cellulitis Treatment
During your recovery at home, you should get plenty of rest so the body can concentrate on fighting the infection.
You may need to keep your foot elevated as much as possible for at least 48 hours. However, to aid circulation, you should go for short walks every now and then and wiggle your toes regularly when your foot is raised. If you have cellulitis in a forearm or hand, a high sling can help to raise the affected area.
Make sure you complete the whole course of medicine you've been given, even if you're feeling better. Contact your GP if your symptoms get worse after a few days or don't improve within a week. For serious infections, treatment is usually started in hospital.
Scientists have not studied the way individual nutrients may treat cellulitis, however, flavonoids -- chemicals in fruits, such as citrus, blueberries, grapes; in vegetables, including onions; and in tea and red wine -- seem to help reduce lymphedema, and the risk for cellulitis.
Cellulitis is usually treated with antibiotics to help fight the infection, and pain medications such as Tylenol or Motrin to help relieve pain. Warm soaks or the use of a heating pad are applied to the infected area three to four times a day for 20 minutes at a time.
Most over-the-counter products, such as petroleum jelly, are good to use. Ask your healthcare provider about specific creams or ointments you should use. Place a cool, damp cloth on the area.
Signs of healing to look for include: Reduced pain. Less firmness around the infection. Decreased swelling.
You have signs that your infection is getting worse, such as: Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness. Red streaks leading from the area. Pus draining from the area.
Untreated cellulitis might lead to bacteremia, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, toxic shock syndrome or sepsis. Rarely, the infection can spread to the deep layer of tissue called the fascial lining. Necrotizing fasciitis is an example of a deep-layer infection. It's an extreme emergency.
Home remedies
However, a person can do some things to feel more comfortable while waiting for medical attention and during treatment. Tips include: drinking plenty of water. keeping the affected area raised to help reduce swelling and pain.
Fatigue. Pain or tenderness in the affected area. Skin redness or inflammation that gets bigger as the infection spreads. Skin sore or rash that starts suddenly, and grows quickly in the first 24 hours.
As we said, caffeine is not the culprit of your cellulite. In fact, many effective cellulite treatments use caffeine to stimulate circulation. Caffeine is also known to help tighten the skin, and when your skin gets tighter, the appearance of cellulite decreases.
This gives your body a chance to fight the infection. Raise the area of the body involved as high as possible. This will ease the pain, help drainage and reduce swelling. Take pain-relieving medication such as paracetamol.