Can Arthritis Cause Cellulitis?
Arthritis is pain in the joints due to joint structures malfunctioning. The tendons may be stretched and loose or the surfaces of the joint have eroded. This erosion is usually related to normal wear and tear with age or lack of nutrients or exercise. There is also rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation of the joints, and septic arthritis, caused by bacterial infection. In some cases arthritis can lead to cellulitis, which is a bacterial infection of the body's outer tissue and skin.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cellulitis
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When you have an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, the antibodies in your blood attack your own body tissues, inflaming them. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect other areas of the body as well and so it is occasionally referred to as rheumatoid disease. This inflammation of the tissues can spread to other areas of the body, which can attract bacteria to the outer layers of the skin and, in turn, eventually lead to cellulitis.
Swollen Joints and Cellulitis
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If you have arthritis, swelling in a joint may cause a break in the skin, which can allow bacteria to get in. Normally, your skin helps to protect you from infection, but bacteria can attack a cut or a sore, penetrate the skin and spread to other tissues leading to cellulitis.
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Septic Arthritis and Cellulitis
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When you have septic arthritis, bacteria infects your joints. The most commonly infected joints are your knee, hip, elbow, shoulder, wrist and hip. It's very important to take antibiotics and to drain the infection from your joint or the infection may spread to other areas of your body. If it infects the outer tissues, like the muscles, fat and skin, it can lead to cellulitis.
Symptoms of Cellulitis
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The skin around an area infected with cellulitis becomes red, swollen, warm and painful to the touch. Occasionally it will be accompanied by a fever, chills and headache or swollen lymph glands. Cellulitis symptoms may resemble other ailments so it's important to have your condition diagnosed by a doctor.
Treatment of Cellulitis
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Antibiotics are used to treat cellulitis. If you have a mild case you'll be given antibiotic pills to take at home, but if the infection is severe, you may need to be admitted into the hospital for care and intravenous antibiotics. You must treat mild or severe cellulitis right away, because the bacteria could spread to other parts of the body. If it spreads to the brain it could cause a dangerous condition known as meningitis, which is fatal.
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