If you get a minor cut, scrape or wound, it usually heals well with basic care. But even when you properly clean and cover a cut or wound, complications can happen.
It can be easy for you to miss early infected cut symptoms. Learning how to tell if a wound is infected can help you get care early, protect your health and prevent more serious problems.
“Normal healing may have some mild redness and swelling to the skin around the wound. There may be tenderness to touch and small amounts of clear drainage that improve over time,” said Christopher Jones, FNP, a wound care specialist with Banner Health. “Infection may cause redness and firmness in the tissue around the wound, thick yellow, white or green drainage, foul odor and more pain than you would expect.”
What happens when a wound gets infected?
A wound gets infected when bacteria get into the damaged skin and multiply. Your body responds to the bacteria with inflammation, which can cause redness, swelling, warmth, pain and drainage.
It’s normal to have some inflammation when a wound starts to heal but it should get better gradually.
Signs of normal healing
With normal wound healing, you may have:
- Mild redness close to the wound
- Mild swelling
- Tenderness that gets better slowly
- Small amounts of clear or light pink fluid
- Scabbing or new pink skin
Early signs of a wound infection
Early signs of infection in a cut or wound may be mild. Watch how the wound changes over time, especially during the first few days.
Early signs may include:
- Redness that spreads out from the wound
- Swelling that gets worse
- Pain that gets worse instead of better
- Warmth that spreads around the wound
- Drainage that changes to cloudy, yellow, green or thick
- A wound that isn’t healing
More serious signs of infection
More serious wound infection signs include:
- Pus or thick drainage
- Strong or bad odor
- Fever
- Chills
- Red streaks that spread out from the wound
- Pain that’s getting worse
- Swollen lymph nodes near the wound, like in the neck, armpit or groin
- Skin that feels tight, shiny or very warm
- A wound that is getting larger or deeper
- Numbness, color change or loss of movement near the wound
“Some serious infections may have little drainage or minimal pain, especially in people with neuropathy or diabetes,” Jones said.
If you notice signs of infection, contact a health care provider. Get care right away if your symptoms get worse quickly.
How soon can a wound become infected?
“A wound can become infected within 24 to 48 hours but some infections develop over several days, depending on the type of wound you have and your risk factors,” Jones said.
Bites and puncture wounds can get infected quickly because they can push bacteria deep into tissue. Surgical wound infections can develop days or even weeks after your procedure.
What to know about specific types of wounds
Puncture wounds
Puncture wounds are caused by pointed objects like nails, needles, glass, wood splinters or animal teeth. Have a puncture wound checked if it is deep, dirty or caused by a rusty object or animal bite.
Animal or human bites
Animal and human bites should be checked if they break the skin or involve the hand, face, genitals or joints. Even if a wound looks small, you could have an infected dog bite, cat bite or human bite.
Surgical wounds
Follow your surgeon’s wound care directions and call your surgeon or care team if your symptoms change or you have any questions about them.
Diabetic wounds
If you have diabetes you should take wounds seriously, especially on your feet. A diabetic wound could be infected even if you have little or no pain.
When to contact a health care provider for a wound
Call a provider or visit urgent care if you notice:
- Symptoms that get worse after 24 to 48 hours
- Redness, warmth or swelling that spreads
- Pain that gets worse instead of better
- Cloudy, yellow, green or thick drainage
- A strong or bad odor
- Swollen lymph nodes
- A wound that is not healing
- A deep, dirty or gaping wound
- A puncture wound
- An animal or human bite that breaks the skin
- A wound with dirt, glass, wood or another object inside
- A wound on the face, hand, foot, joint or genitals
- Any wound if you have diabetes, poor circulation or a weakened immune system
Get emergency care for:
- Severe bleeding that will not stop
- A deep wound with exposed bone, tendon or muscle
- Loss of movement or feeling
- Rapidly spreading redness or swelling
- Severe pain
- Fever, chills, nausea, vomiting or confusion
- Red streaks spreading from the wound
- Signs of sepsis, such as extreme weakness, fast breathing, fast heart rate or feeling very ill
- Black tissue
- A bite from a wild animal or possible rabies exposure
- A wound caused by a serious accident
How to reduce the risk of wound infection
Take these steps to make infection less likely:
- Clean the wound with soap and water
- Cover it with a clean bandage
- Change the dressings regularly
- Don’t pick at it
- Watch for redness, swelling or drainage that’s getting worse
Managing diabetes and not smoking can lower your risk of an infected wound.
When infection becomes serious
Most wound infections can be treated, especially when they are found early. But infection can sometimes spread beyond the skin, so it is important to know when symptoms are getting worse.
Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a skin infection that can spread into deeper layers of skin. It often needs antibiotics.
Abscess
An abscess is a pocket of pus under the skin. It may feel like a painful lump, boil or swollen area. It may need to be drained by a health care provider.
Sepsis
Sepsis is a rare but serious reaction to infection that needs emergency care. Warning signs may include confusion, extreme weakness, fast breathing, fast heart rate, fever, chills or feeling very sick.
Bottom line
Most minor wounds heal without problems. Mild redness, swelling and tenderness can be part of normal healing, especially early on.
But symptoms that spread, get worse or come with pus, fever, red streaks or increasing pain may be signs of infection. When in doubt, have the wound checked.
Not sure if your wound is infected? A Banner Health provider can evaluate any cuts, bites, puncture wounds or other injuries and help you get the right care.
Frequently asked questions about infected wounds
How to tell if a wound is infected?
A wound may be infected if redness spreads, swelling or pain gets worse, the skin feels warm, drainage becomes cloudy or thick or you develop fever, chills or red streaks.
Is redness around a wound normal?
Mild redness close to the wound can be normal during healing. Redness that spreads, gets darker or comes with warmth, swelling, pain or drainage may be a sign of infection.
What does infected wound drainage look like?
Infected wound drainage may look cloudy, yellow, green, gray or thick. It may also have a strong or unpleasant odor.
How quickly can a cut get infected?
A cut can show signs of infection within 24 to 48 hours but some infections appear later. Bites, puncture wounds and deep cuts may need closer monitoring.
Can an infected wound heal on its own?
Some mild irritation may improve with proper wound care but a true infection may need medical treatment. Get checked if symptoms are spreading, worsening or not improving.
Should I cover an infected wound?
In most cases, keeping a wound covered with a clean bandage helps protect it. Change the bandage regularly and contact a health care provider if you think the wound is infected.
When should I go to urgent care for a wound?
Go to urgent care for spreading redness, worsening pain, pus, fever, puncture wounds, animal or human bites, dirty wounds, wounds that may need stitches or wounds in people with diabetes or weakened immune systems.
Do I need a tetanus shot for an infected wound?
You may need a tetanus shot if the wound is deep, dirty, caused by a puncture, bite or rusty object or if you are not up to date on tetanus vaccination. A health care provider can check your vaccine history.
