Causes and treatment of erysipelas
Have you heard of erysipelas before? Here are the most important details about erysipelas in the following article.
Erysipelas is a bacterial infection that occurs in the upper layers of the skin. It was previously believed that Erysipelas appeared on the face only.
But recent studies have shown that most cases of erysipelas arise by 80% on foot, and can appear on the hands and trunk.
Symptoms of erysipelas
Symptoms begin with a skin ulceration appearing in a specific location, then spread and are characterized by:
Bloating.
Redness.
The sore skin is warm and painful to the touch.
Red streaks appear over the affected area, and may turn purple or black in severe cases.
Pus-filled sacs may appear in severe cases.
Other general symptoms accompanying erysipelas appear, including:
High temperature.
Chills.
General fatigue.
a headache.
nausea.
Swollen lymph nodes.
Causes of erysipelas
The main cause of erysipelas is Streptococcus bacteria. These bacteria live naturally on the skin, but in case of skin wounds, skin ulcers or post-operations, the bacteria may be able to penetrate the skin and cause erysipelas.
Other skin diseases such as eczema, impetigo, psoriasis or fungal infections increase the risk of external skin tissue damage, thus increasing the risk of erysipelas.
There are other factors that do not directly affect the skin but may increase the chance of developing redness disease, including:
Defective blood or lymph vessels.
Obesity.
Uncontrolled diabetes.
Circulatory problems.
Weakness of the immune system, due to autoimmune diseases or due to some drugs such as cancer drugs and immunosuppressive drugs.
Treatment of erysipelas
Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment takes place at home, or your doctor may order you to be hospitalized, and treatment is with antibiotics that contain penicillin. It should be noted that you must inform the doctor if there is an allergy to penicillin to choose another antibiotic.
The treatment period lasts between 7 to 14 days by taking the medication pills, or intravenously in cases of risk.
Here are some methods that may help you relieve symptoms and speed up treatment in addition to taking the medicine:
Try to raise the affected area above the level of the body to reduce swelling, but keep it moving from time to time to prevent clots from occurring.
Apply cold compresses to the affected area.
Use lotions to moisturize the skin.
Take antipyretics, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
More than drinking water.
In rare cases, when the disease develops rapidly and fears of serious consequences for erysipelas, doctors may resort to surgery to remove dead cells and tissues.
Prevention of erysipelas
The following can be done to reduce the risk of developing redness disease:
Keep the wounds you may be exposed to.
Treat fungal infections in the feet.
Use moisturizers to prevent drying and cracking of the skin.
Try to keep your skin from scratches.
Treat any skin problems, such as eczema and psoriasis.
