St. Anthony’s Fire: Erysipelas Skin Disorder

Skin disorders are a complex and highly frustrating health complication for many adults. From complications that are attributed to genetic or hereditary disorders to those that result from sun exposure and bacterial infections, individuals who suffer from skin disorders often find struggle in daily living.

One skin disorder that is quite frustrating for the person who suffers is a condition known as erysipelas, or St. Anthony’s Fire. Most commonly found on the face, erysipelas can be painful but also cosmetically deformative.

While the legs can also be afflicted with erysipelas, most individuals who suffer from this skin disorder find their face is the main area of inflammation. Marked by redness, this type of skin disorder is usually attributed to a complication of a strep infection. In recent years, children, elderly, those with a history of alcoholism and even diabetic patients seem to be most at risk.

With symptoms very similar to that of cellulitis, most dermatologists will choose to treat your case of St. Anthony’s fire, or erysipelas, with the use of Augmentin or fluoroquinolone is quite common. Using injections of Rocephin, the infection associated with erysipelas can receive an almost immediate improvement.

If you suffer from complications of erysipelas, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Because the complication is associated with a bacterial infection, without treatment, the infection may spread across the face and may develop into lesions, greater inflammation, edema and even a burning sensation. With proper treatment, this skin disorder, like that of cellulitis, can be more easily resolved.

When St. Anthony’s fire, or erysipelas, is marked and appearing in more than one area of the body, your physician may want to order IV administered antibiotics. With long term health complications from strep infection, it is important to manage the extended cases of erysipelas aggressively. The intravenous administration of penicillin will usually resolve the complication within 48 hours.

As with any complication involving a skin disorder, it is important to seek medical attention early when the complication begins. With bacterial infections, especially those that affect the face, it is important to manage the complication and follow doctor’s orders for medication usage. With penicillins as the best treatment option, deciding to use IV or oral administration is the most effective way to resolve the case of erysipelas. Without treatment, you may develop long term skin complications which will lead to deformity of the tissue and the development of secondary mental health complications.