BODY SIGNAL ALERT LEG, PAINFUL, SWOLLEN, AND RED
Description and Possible Medical Problems
If you’ve ever had a skin infection, you know what to look for: red, broken skin, perhaps with some discharge. Cellulitis is a condition in which an infection appears underneath the skin; your calf will become swollen and red with shiny skin that is painful to the touch. You may also have a fever.
Cellulitis can form in response to an insect bite or as a result of poor circulation, which is a sign of heart failute.
If you think you have cellulitis, you should see your doctor, who will perform a physical examination with a particular eye toward ruling out deep-vein thrombosis, which is a serious medical condition (see “Calf, Swollen, Painful When Walking” above for more details).
To treat cellulitis, you will need to be hospitalized for about a week. You will be treated with warm soaks and an intravenous antibiotic, either penicillin or oxacillin. You will also need to rest during your stay in the hospital as well as for a week or two after you return home. You will probably also continue to take antibiotics while you are recuperating.
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Tags: General health