Avoid a recurrence of celluitis

rrs
rrs Member Posts: 22

I'm just getting over a third bout of cellulitis over the past 4 years. I've had LE since 2006 and had not experienced cellulitis until these past few years. I'm not sure why. Maybe because my "mature" skin is thinning - who knows. I'm wondering what advice any of you may have about how to keep infection at bay. Skin care, garments and safetly tips for gardening, do you use a particular soap when showering. Do you take baths, if so what do you use to clean your tub to be sure bacteria free? How often to change towels and what to lander them with. So many questions. I look forward to hearing from you all. There is a ton of knowleldge on this forum. Thank you!

Comments

  • ratherbesailing
    ratherbesailing Member Posts: 137

    Hi rrs -

    So sorry you're having issues. The only advice I can give is that I always wear gardening sleeves. Not just for pruning rose bushes, but all those other activities like weed pulling that can leave us with small cuts and abrasions. The ones I use are from Farmer's Defense, but Amazon also has a large selection.

    Wishing you the best.

  • rrs
    rrs Member Posts: 22

    Ratherbesailing, Thank you. Do the Farmer's Defense sleeves have elastic on the top that would cause problems with lymph flow? I always wear a compression sleeve and a long sleeve shirt with SFP factor. I think one problem may be my gloves have fabric on top and are rubberized on the bottom - so water seeps through. I hate to think I have to wear a surgical glove under my gardeing glove but maybe I need to do that. I'm working on using hand lotion and cutical cream to try and avoid hangnails or cracked cuticals. Gardening is one of my main relaxation activities and I really hate to think I have to give that up.

  • ratherbesailing
    ratherbesailing Member Posts: 137

    No, they are not tight at the top. And they come in several sizes. They also sell gloves which might work for you,

  • obsolete
    obsolete Member Posts: 338

    Hello, very sorry about your infections. I had nasty cellulitis following past BC surgeries 11 yrs ago so I can empathize. It's good you have focus on prevention. Dig deep to reduce body inflammation. We are what we eat & absorb. Here are some detailed tips for better health & best wishes.

    • Go natural. Go organic.
    • Purified water. BPA-free containers. Burpee water filter
    • Natural body soaps. (examples are Clearly Natural Essentials Unscented Glycerin or same brand Aloe Vera w/essential oils)
    • Unscented laundry detergent
    • Natural fabric clothing (100% cotton, rayon, linen, silk, etc.)
    • Footwear that breathes
    • Cotton socks
    • Control Athletes Foot minor infections
    • Toxic-free oral care & gums
    • Aluminum-free deodorant

    • Avoid harsh chemical based air fresheners
    • Cotton sheets & bedding
    • Hypoallergenic pillows
    • Cotton sleepwear
    • Gloves for protection
    • Vaseline on dry skin patches to keep from cracking
    • Take Tumeric daily for inflammation
    • Vitamin C & D intake
    • Reduce any compromised auto immune conditions
    • Low sodium clean diet rich in antioxidants.  Avoid GMO
    • Avoid packaged foods
    • Antibiotic-free chicken only
    • Farm-fresh foods
    • Antioxidants from blueberries• Garlic extracts & Allicin
    • Avoid 💉contaminants
    • Nano colloidal silver on cuts & abrasions

  • rrs
    rrs Member Posts: 22

    Thank you Sailing, I'll order the sleeves and maybe gloves.

    Obsolete, I'm doing most of those things and am trying to avoid caffeine and alcohol as well. I've taken a couple of sculpture classes and enjoyed that so much but realized the clay contained sand that cause tiny cuts on my fingers 🙁 so no more of that sadly.

    I wish there was more awareness in the medical field about LE and cellulitis. At the emergency room I tried to explain what was going on with me ant that the quicker I got antibiotics, the etter. But the person in Triage said I just had a rash. I was left to wait for two hours until finally I left and went to another hospital. I was seen pretty quickly there but the attending physician didn't seem to "get it" it either and put me on two types of antibiotics - one for MARSA. I ended up having to go back in a couple of days because the medication was just too much. Again, I had to wait for a long time to be seen. When I finally saw the dr, was irritated that I had been given both Rx and told me to stop taking the second one.

  • lastar
    lastar Member Posts: 553

    @rrs are you using lymphatic drainage massage? I do it to maintain, but I saw a really talented PT who did a detailed (grueling) massage that included the area around my sternum between my ribs that resolved my issue for several years. I think that gaining 20+ lbs during covid has made my LE worse.