What Is Erysipelas?

By james

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Our skin is perhaps our first barrier of defense against harm. It helps to prevent us against physical harm and it also helps to prevent us against diseases. It is also very effective at helping to keep us safe, but it is not impervious. We will sometimes be harmed, and our skin itself can sometimes be harmed directly.

At any one time, our skin is likely to be covered in bacteria. The vast majority are harmless, but some can cause problems if we are unfortunate. Some pathogens will infect our skin if given the opportunity to do so, and one example of such an infection is erysipelas.

1. What Is Erysipelas?

Erysipelas is a condition that affects the upper layer of the skin. It is a bacterial infection and is another form of another type of skin infection that affects the lower layer of the skin. The other condition is known as cellulitis, and cellulitis can be serious in some cases. Erysipelas is, thankfully, not usually a serious condition.

Although it is not usually serious, Erysipelas can still be uncomfortable and unsightly. It should be treated because otherwise it might develop into something that can be dangerous for the patient. Thankfully, treatment is fairly straightforward so it is uncommon for erysipelas to become dangerous.