Q. What are Cellulitis and Impetigo?
A. They are both common skin infections. Cellulitis affects your skin and the soft tissue below it. It arises when your skin has a crack or break, allowing bacteria (most commonly streptococcus and staphylococcus) to enter and spread quickly. The resulting infection may leave you with swelling, pain and hot spots. If the infection isn’t treated with antibiotics, it can be life-threatening.
Q. How do you get Cellulitis?
A. You can contract this bacterial infection anywhere on your body if you have trauma tearing the skin open, get an infection after having surgery, or from a foreign object penetrating the skin. Cellulitis can arise from a long-term skin condition like an ulcer or dermatitis, or even from an infection of the bone beneath the skin.
Q. What are the symptoms of Cellulitis?
A. You may have redness or red streaks, swelling, warmth, tenderness or have leaking yellow or clear fluid.
Q. What is Impetigo?
A. Impetigo is a highly contagious skin infection that leaves red sores on the face and spreads by skin-to-skin contact.
Q. How do you get Impetigo?
A. Impetigo is caused by bacteria-strep, Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes that infects the skin through a break, like a cut, insect bite, or bodily injury. It can also show up in perfectly healthy skin.
Q. What are the symptoms of Impetigo?
A. You may notice red spots turning into blisters that break and feel itchy. You may have a sore that leaks fluid and appears to be crusty. The sore can increase in size as big as a coin or small like a pimple. As with Cellulitis, antibiotics can shorten an Impetigo infection and keep it from spreading to others.
Should you find yourself with any of these contagious symptoms, please contact the Dermatology Center in Orem, Utah to see one of our skilled dermatologists. Dr. Kraig K. Jenson, Byron Edwards and Dr. Devin Burr can successfully treat your skin condition. Please call 801-224-5200 to learn more about cellulitis and impetigo or to schedule an appointment with our team.
