Not to scare you.... Information found on WebMD
Symptoms of cellulitis in the eye area
If cellulitis affects the eye area, you may experience pain in and around the eye, restricted eye movement, and disturbances in your vision. Cellulitis affecting the eye requires urgent treatment to prevent permanent eye damage, blindness, or spread of the infection to the brain (meningitis).
What is cellulitis?
Cellulitis is a skin infection caused by bacteria. The infection extends into the tissues below the outer layer of skin (subcutaneous tissue). It most often develops anywhere the skin has been broken-often from a cut, burn, or an insect bite. The infection spreads from the skin to underlying tissues. In severe cases, it can spread quickly, within hours or days. Cellulitis is usually not contagious.
What causes cellulitis?
Cellulitis is caused by bacteria (usually Streptococcus or Staphylococcus). Some people are at risk for infection by other types of bacteria that result in cellulitis. At-risk groups include people with impaired immune systems and people who handle fish, meat, poultry, or soil without using gloves.
What increases my risk of cellulitis?
You may be at increased risk for cellulitis if you have:
A cut or injury to the skin, a surgical wound, a skin infection, a burn, or an animal or insect bite.
Skin lesions, such as ulcers, eczema, psoriasis, or a fungal infection such as athlete's foot. One study found that inflammation caused by toes rubbing together (toe-web intertrigo) is often a cause of cellulitis in the leg, and that treating this skin inflammation could prevent cellulitis.1
Certain medical conditions, such as a circulatory disease, fluid buildup in the body tissues (edema), an impaired immune system, diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or being overweight.
Impaired lymphatic drainage or blood circulation after surgery, such as after having a breast removed (mastectomy) or having a vein removed from your leg for use in coronary bypass surgery.2, 3
Liposuction, which is a procedure to remove excess fat tissue.3
Injected illegal drugs under your skin.3
What are the symptoms of cellulitis?
Cellulitis can cause tenderness, pain, swelling, and redness at the site of the infection. Fever and chills are also common. Cellulitis can occur anywhere on the body. In adults, it often occurs on the legs, face, or arms. In children, it commonly develops on the face or around the anus. Facial infection requires immediate medical attention; antibiotics can help prevent a potentially dangerous eye infection.
Are there complications of cellulitis?
Complications such as bacteremia (presence of bacteria in the blood) or sepsis (body's response to widespread infection) can develop if the bacteria that cause cellulitis spread quickly through the body. Facial cellulitis infection can spread to the brain (meningitis). Other complications, such as thrombophlebitis or, rarely, gangrene, can also develop. If you are an older adult, have certain medical conditions such as diabetes or peripheral arterial disease, or have an impaired immune system, you are more likely to have complications. Your chances of the cellulitis coming back may also be higher.
How is cellulitis treated?
Antibiotics are the main treatment for cellulitis and are usually successful in curing the infection. Antibiotics can be taken either by mouth or intravenously (IV). If you have certain medical conditions that increase your risk of getting cellulitis, you can take antibiotics after a skin injury to help prevent the infection.
Treatment Overview
The intent of cellulitis treatment is to decrease the severity of the infection, speed up recovery, relieve pain and other symptoms, heal the skin, and prevent the infection from coming back.
Antibiotics are usually used to treat cellulitis. If the infection is limited to a small area, has not spread to the bloodstream or lymph system, and you don't have any other medical problems, antibiotics you take by mouth (oral) are effective. If the infection is more widespread, or if you're having a slow recovery on oral antibiotics, antibiotics may be used intravenously (IV) or by injection.
For cellulitis of the leg or arm, treatment also includes elevating the limb to reduce swelling and applying a sterile, saline-soaked dressing to aid healing and reduce pain.
Treatment for children depends on their age and which part of the body is infected. An antibiotic is usually given intravenously. Facial cellulitis in young children requires immediate treatment and responds well to antibiotics.6
Treatment sometimes requires a stay in the hospital. This is common if antibiotics must be given intravenously, but it is also considered if you have signs of complications such as a high fever, or if it will be difficult for you to have follow-up care with a health professional.
Medications used to treat cellulitis
Oral, topical (applied to the skin), or intravenous antibiotics may be used to treat cellulitis. The extent of the infection and its location help determine what type of antibiotic is used.
Oral antibiotics include penicillin or a similar medication such as dicloxacillin. For people who are allergic to penicillin, a cephalosporin, erythromycin, or vancomycin can be used.
Topical antibiotics include mupirocin, which has been found to be as effective as oral antibiotics for children with cellulitis in the area around the anus.4
Intravenous antibiotics may include nafcillin, levofloxacin, or cephalosporin.
Preventing a recurrence of cellulitis
Cellulitis tends to recur in people with certain medical conditions that can lead to skin breakdown, such as edema (fluid buildup), fungal or bacterial infections, diabetes, or peripheral arterial disease.
If you have edema, support stockings and good skin hygiene may reduce or eliminate recurrence of cellulitis.5
If you develop frequent fungal infections, regular use of antifungal medications may help reduce recurrent cellulitis.
If you are considered very high risk for recurring cellulitis, taking preventive antibiotics may help. A common course of preventive antibiotics is a dose of antibiotics every 2 weeks.7
Home Treatment
If you have cellulitis, follow your doctor's instructions for taking medication and for skin care. Other steps to help your recovery and keep cellulitis from coming back include the following:
Take all of your medication as prescribed.
Take care of your skin. Any measure that prevents injury to your skin will help to prevent cellulitis.
Elevate your affected leg or arm to reduce swelling. Apply a sterile, saline-soaked dressing to reduce pain.
Apply warm compresses to the affected area.
Use pain relievers as needed.
Use support stockings to prevent fluid buildup.
Take steps to treat or prevent fungal infections, such as athlete's foot. If athlete's foot is hard to treat or recurs, ask your doctor about oral antifungal medications. For more information on treating this condition, see the topic Athlete's Foot.
Take care of your feet, especially if you have diabetes or other conditions that may increase the risk of infection.
Avoid touching possible sources of infection, such as ill family members and their belongings; raw fish, meat, or poultry; or soil, particularly when you have an area of broken skin.
When you have completed your course of medication, follow up with your doctor to verify that the infection is gone.
Hope this helps.... Hope she gets better soon
