Facial Cellulitis Causes, Treatments and More

By alexander

Reviewed: dr. vanta

Article Sources

Article Sources

• 1. Graham, Bettie J. 'Bacteria.' Genome.gov, National Human Genome Research Institute, www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Bacteria.
• 2. Raff, Adam B. 'Diagnosis and Treatment of Cellulitis.' JAMA, JAMA Network, 19 July 2016, www.jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2533510.
• 3. 'What Is Sepsis?' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Jan. 2021, www.cdc.gov/sepsis/what-is-sepsis.html.

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Bacteria are everywhere on Earth, including in and on the human body. It's estimated that human bodies contain more bacterial cells than human cells, but most bacteria never cause disease. Bacteria found on the skin are harmless unless they enter the skin through cuts, bites or skin irritations and cause an infection.¹Graham, Bettie J. ‘Bacteria.’ Genome.gov, National Human Genome Research Institute, www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Bacteria.

Cellulitis is an infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by bacteria or fungi. Cellulitis may spread, entering the bloodstream and lymph nodes. Cellulitis affects 14.5 million people in the United States each year.²Raff, Adam B. ‘Diagnosis and Treatment of Cellulitis.’ JAMA, JAMA Network, 19 July 2016, www.jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2533510. Continue reading to learn about the symptoms, causes and treatments for facial cellulitis.

1. What is Cellulitis?

The most common bacteria that cause cellulitis are in the strep and staph family. These painful bacterial infections run deep under the skin, appear quickly and are easy to treat if they remain local. Rapidly spreading cellulitis infections can lead to sepsis, a blood infection that could be life-threatening.³‘What Is Sepsis?’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Jan. 2021, www.cdc.gov/sepsis/what-is-sepsis.html. How quickly and extensively a cellulitis infection or sepsis spreads depends partly on an individual's immune system.

One of the most important factors affecting the outcome and recovery from cellulitis is early treatment. Learning about cellulitis and signs that it's quickly spreading can help determine when to seek treatment by a physician.