Erysipelas is a skin infection. It is a form of cellulitis, but unlike cellulitis, which affects deeper tissue, erysipelas only affects the upper layers of the skin. However, ...EverythingyouneedtoknowabouterysipelasMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPH—WrittenbyTomSeymouronJune18,2017SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentandrecoveryPreventionandoutlookErysipelasisaskininfection.Itisaformofcellulitis,butunlikecellulitis,whichaffectsdeepertissue,erysipelasonlyaffectstheupperlayersoftheskin.However,thetwoconditionscanoverlap,whichcanmakeithardforadoctortotellthetwoconditionsapart.Previously,doctorsthoughtthaterysipelasonlyaffectedtheface,buttheNationalOrganizationforRareDisordersnowestimatethataround80percentofallcasesoccuronthelegs.Itcanalsoappearonthearmsandtorso.SymptomsOften,apersonwillfeelunwellbeforevisiblesignsoferysipelasappearontheskin.Symptomscanincludefevers,chills,shivering,andhightemperature.ShareonPinterestErysipelascausestheskintoappearred,swollen,andshiny.Imagecredit:CDC/Dr.ThomasF.Sellers/EmoryUniversityTheskinisthenusuallyaffectedinaparticularareaandcanappearinoneofthefollowingways:swollenandshinyrednesswarmandtendertothetouchblistersinseverecasessharpedgesbetweentheaffectedareaandunaffectedskinredstreaksabovetheaffectedareacanturnpurpleorblackinseverecasesThesesignsandsymptomsareoftenquiteabruptandcandevelopinjustafewhoursordays.CausesErysipelasdevelopswhenbacteriaentertheskinthroughcutsorsores.Skininjuriesthatincreasethechancesofdevelopingerysipelasinclude:cutstotheskin,ulcers,orbedsoresinsectoranimalbiteswoundsfromsurgeryPre-existingskinconditionsthatbreakthesurfaceoftheskinalsoincreasethechancesofgettingerysipelas.Theseconditionsinclude:eczemaimpetigofungalinfections,suchasathlete’sfootOtherconditionscanalsoincreasethelikelihoodofapersongettingerysipelas.Thesedonotalwaysaffecttheskindirectly,andinclude:veinsandlymphaticvesselsnotworkingastheyshouldobesityalcoholismpoorlycontrolleddiabetescirculationproblemsweakenedimmunesystemSomemedicationscanweake