Recognizing the symptoms of a bacterial skin infection can help you receive early treatment and prevent the infection from spreading or even worse, developing into a life-threatening condition. Here are some examples of what to look out for:
Cellulitis
At the onset of cellulitis patients may experience fatigue, fever, and chills. Cellulitis is normally red in appearance and is accompanied by swelling and pain. Other symptoms include:
• Warmth over the affected area
• Excessive sweating
• Swelling increasing in size rapidly
• Stretched, glossy skin appearance
In adults, cellulitis commonly occurs on the legs and arms and on children it often appears on the head and neck.
Impetigo
Impetigo falls into two categories, bullous and non-bullous- responsible for 70% of impetigo infections.
Bullous
• Commonly occurs in infants and children
• Large blisters filled with fluid that are first clear in appearance then turn cloudy
• Blisters occur on the face, hands, and buttocks
• Heals without scarring
Non-bullous symptoms
• Thick, yellow crusty lesions
• Pain experienced with large legions only
• The wound heals without scarring
• Most often occurs on the face, arms, and legs
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms consult your skin care professional as soon as possible to prevent the infection from becoming worse.
