Cellulitis: Home Treatment

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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 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.

Last updated:	March 22, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Randall D. Burr, MD - Dermatology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC