Cellulitis, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a common but possibly severe skin infection. The Mayo Clinic reports that cellulitis can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly affects the skin on the legs. MedlinePlus, an online medical encyclopedia associated with the U.S. National Library of Medicine, reports that the cause of cellulitis is most often the bacteria staphylococcus or streptococcus, and is treated with antibiotics to resolve the infection.
Signs of Infection
MedlinePlus reports that an effect of cellulitis is flu-like symptoms. These symptoms include chills, sweating, excessive tiredness, a general feeling of being ill, muscle aches and pains and a fever. These symptoms are the signs of the bacterial infection that underlies cellulitis.
Skin Effects
Cellulitis also causes changes in the skin at the site of infection. The Mayo Clinic reports that cellulitis can cause the skin to be red, swollen, tender and warm. These symptoms are due to the inflammation in the skin caused by the bacteria. The body's response to the bacterial infection is to bring more blood to the infected area, caused the skin to become red, warm, swollen, tender and warm. The immune cells in the blood attack the bacteria, but concurrently cause uncomfortable inflammation. Also according to the Mayo Clinic, the patches of red skin often expand over time, and small red spots may appear on the infected skin. Occasionally the skin will blister, and the blisters may burst. Seek medical attention if a rash that is red, warm, tender and swollen appears, especially if the rash is spreading.
Systemic Effects
In severe cases of cellulitis, the bacterial infection can spread from the skin systemically, which means the infection has spread throughout the body. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that severe cellulitis first spreads from the skin to the connective tissue underneath. If severe enough, it will spread to the lymph nodes, and further throughout the body. When the infection spreads beyond the skin throughout the whole body, the University of Maryland Medical Center warns that the infection may be fatal. If the size or severity of the rash changes rapidly or is accompanied by a fever, emergency medical attention should be sought due to the possible fatal effects of a systemic infection.
