Does This Look Infected? How to Tell if You Have an Infection

Infections are bad news. They’re sore, painful to touch, ugly to look at, prevent proper wound healing, and can even spread to other parts of your body. 

Some wounds are more prone to infection than others. The risk of infection depends on the nature of the wound. For example, cat and dog bites, or a jagged cut from dirty, rusty tools are more likely to get infected than a smooth cut from a clean kitchen knife. 

When it comes to preventing infection, nothing is more important than receiving good urgent care for wounds, including proper aftercare at home. 

We see a lot of lacerations at CityHealth Urgent Care, and making sure they don’t get infected is very important. So, we’ve created this guide to help you understand, spot, and prevent infected wounds. 

What is an Infection?

Infections are caused when bacteria, viruses, or other microbes enter your body, such as through an open wound. Your body goes into defensive mode to fight off these invaders, which results in many of the unpleasant side effects of infection: swelling, pus, or fever, to name a few. 

Infections can form in different sites, such as just below the skin’s surface or deep inside the tissue below. Minor infections near the surface of the skin can often be treated at home by keeping the injured area clean and allowing the body to rest and recover. However, more severe or longer-lasting infections require professional medical attention. 

It’s essential to treat infections as early as possible, as they can worsen and cause serious side effects if left untreated. Untreated infections may become abscessed (filled with pus), or the bacteria may reach the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body. 

The infection may travel deeper underneath the skin, becoming even harder to treat and causing conditions like cellulitis or sepsis, a severe infection. 

In extreme cases, an untreated infection can result in a condition called necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as “the flesh-eating disease.” While these cases are rare, it does happen. So if you have a laceration (cut), scrape, or other wound that doesn’t look like it’s healing correctly, don’t ignore it! Instead, be on the lookout for some common signs of infection. 

How to Spot an Infection 

The signs of an infection include:

• Oozing fluid or pus 
• Pain that becomes more intense over time 
• Redness surrounding the wound
• A red line that tracks from the injury to your heart 
• A yellowy scab or a pimple (abscess) covering the wound 
• Blistery sores
• Fever 
• Swelling that increases a few days after developing 
• A wound that hasn’t improved within ten days 

Infection Risk Factors 

There are some medical conditions that put you at a higher risk of developing an infection. These include:

• Diabetes 
• Compromised immune system 
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Immobility
• Advanced age 
• Nutrient or vitamin deficiency 
• Diminished blood circulation 

If you have any of the above conditions or are otherwise in poor health, be extra diligent about caring for any wounds you have.

What to Do After an Injury

The single most important thing you can do after an injury is to keep the wound clean. 

If the cut’s edges are jagged or wide open, if the wound is very deep, was caused by something dirty, or if the injury contains dirt or debris, it should be seen by an urgent care clinician right away. 

Animal bites, such as dog and cat bites, should also receive immediate medical attention due to the high likelihood of infection. Animals do not have clean mouths, and their saliva is often loaded with bacteria. Their teeth, especially cat teeth, drive this bacteria deep into wounds, where it can multiply quickly and is very hard to clean. 

If the laceration is deep, long, jagged, bleeds heavily, continues to bleed after pressure has been applied, or spurts blood, seek urgent medical care right away. 

Most small wounds will heal fine on their own, provided they are kept clean. 

Once bleeding has stopped, wash the wound with soap and water. Apply antibacterial ointment if you have any on hand. Avoid harsh chemicals like rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, as these can dry wounds, which can actually slow healing. 

Additionally, seek urgent medical care if it’s been five years or longer since your last tetanus shot, especially if the laceration is the result of a bite from a strange animal or something rusty or dirty, even if the wound does not appear serious. Tetanus bacteria can cause a life-threatening condition called lockjaw, where the victim’s muscles tighten, and they have difficulty breathing, swallowing, or even opening their mouth. 

After an urgent care clinician has inspected your injury, he or she will decide if it needs sutures (stitches). Stitches help wounds heal faster, and they can also make scars less visible.  

Depending on the nature and severity of the wound, your clinician may recommend aiding healing with staples, medical adhesive tape, or a liquid adhesive. Sutures or clips will require a follow-up visit for removal, whereas liquid adhesive stitches will wear away on their own. 

How to Prevent Infection 

Preventing infection is very simple, but not always easy! 

The most important thing is the keep the wound as clean as possible. This applies to the bandages and area around the wound as well. 

Clean the injury with soap and water, and apply an antibiotic cream. Apply a sterile gauze dressing and secure it with medical tape or a bandage depending on the wound’s location, remembering not to wrap so tightly that it blocks circulation. 

Change bandages daily or when they become soiled. Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching a wound, or wear sterile gloves. Every time you change dressings, inspect the wound for redness, increased swelling, oozing pus, or foul-smelling discharge, all of which indicate infection. 

If you think a wound is becoming infected or not healing properly, seek medical advice immediately. Early treatment can help prevent the infection from spreading or worsening. Book a virtual visit to video conference with an urgent care provider from the comfort and safety of your home. You’ll be able to show them the wound, and they can advise you on whether or not it may need additional care. Alternatively, you can visit an urgent care center or doctor’s office. 

The second thing to do is not to pick at the wound. If you tend to poke or pick at scabs or, you’ll need to stop. Picking or poking introduces bacteria from your fingers into the still-healing wound, which is very vulnerable to infection.

If you must touch the wound, for example to change bandages or clean it, thoroughly wash your hands, or wear disposable medical gloves before doing so. 

If you have undergone surgery and are concerned about infection, keep in mind that incision wounds following surgery may become infected, but this happens infrequently. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report confirming that from 2006 to 2008, only around 1.9% of incision wounds developed an infection in the U.S.

When to Seek Urgent Care 

If you think that a wound is becoming infected, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. 

If you develop a fever, numbness to the injured area, or notice a red line forming from the injury to the heart, seek urgent or emergency medical care immediately, as these are signs of a serious or spreading infection. 

Other signs that you need to see a medical professional include increasing redness, swelling, or pain around the wound. Oozing liquid, pus or an abscess forming are other signs of infection that need to be seen by a doctor, particularly if the discharge smells bad, which could be a sign of necrosis (dead flesh). 

Does This Look Infected?

When left untreated, an infection of the skin can spread and enter your bloodstream. If this happens, it may turn into a life-threatening condition. 

Even infections that don’t spread can still be quite painful and may result in permanent scarring. 

Keep wounds clean, always wash your hands, and avoid touching healing wounds. If a wound doesn’t heal, seek urgent care. 

CityHealth Urgent Care is open daily from 9 am- 5 pm and has two convenient locations in San Leandro and Oakland. 

With our new virtual visits, you can video chat with one of our friendly clinicians and get the care you need from the comfort of your home. 

Common Types of Infected Wounds

Not all infections look the same. Therefore, understanding the different types of wound infections helps you recognize when your wound needs medical attention promptly.

• Cellulitis — A bacterial skin infection that causes redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness in the affected area. Cellulitis can spread rapidly if left untreated and is one of the most common reasons people visit urgent care for infections. Symptoms often start around a wound or break in the skin, then spread outward.
• Abscess — A pocket of pus that forms under the skin when bacteria become trapped. Abscesses appear as painful, swollen lumps that are warm to the touch. They often require drainage to heal properly — a procedure performed at urgent care under local anesthesia.
• Impetigo — A highly contagious bacterial infection that causes red sores, which break open, ooze, and form honey-colored crusts. Common in children but can affect adults. Impetigo responds well to antibiotic treatment.
• Infected laceration — A cut or wound that becomes infected, typically within 24-72 hours of injury. Signs include increasing redness, warmth, pus, and worsening pain. If you have an infected laceration, visit urgent care rather than waiting — early treatment prevents complications.
• Paronychia — An infection of the skin around a fingernail or toenail, often caused by bacteria entering through a cut or hangnail. Signs include redness, swelling, and pus around the nail base. Mild cases respond to soaking; more severe cases may need drainage or antibiotics.

How Do You Know If an Infection Is Spreading?

An infection is spreading if the redness, swelling, or warmth around a wound is growing — especially if you see red streaks moving away from the wound. This is the most important sign to watch for. Red streaks (a sign of lymphangitis) mean the infection has entered the lymphatic system and is spreading through your body. This is a medical emergency.

Here are the key signs that an infection is spreading and you need care immediately:

• Expanding redness — The red area around the wound is getting larger, not smaller. Draw a line around it with a pen and check in 30-60 minutes. If it has grown past the line, go to urgent care.
• Red streaks — Thin red lines radiating out from the wound toward the body. Never ignore these. Go to urgent care or the ER right away.
• Increasing warmth — The skin around the wound feels hotter than it did earlier.
• Swelling that is getting worse — The infected area is puffier than it was hours ago.
• Fever above 100.4°F — A systemic fever means the infection has entered your bloodstream. This is sepsis territory.
• Increasing pain — Pain that is getting worse rather than better after 24-48 hours of treatment.
• Pus or drainage — Yellow, green, or foul-smelling discharge from the wound.
• Flu-like symptoms — Chills, fatigue, nausea, or confusion alongside a wound — signs of a systemic infection.

If you notice any of these signs — especially red streaks, fever, or rapidly expanding redness — visit CityHealth urgent care in San Leandro immediately. Do not wait to see if it gets better on its own.

When to Go to Urgent Care for an Infected Wound

Many infections can be treated at CityHealth urgent care in Oakland and San Leandro on the same day you notice symptoms. Specifically, you should visit urgent care if your wound shows:

• Increasing redness or warmth that’s spreading beyond the wound edges
• Yellow, green, or cloudy pus drainage
• A red line spreading from the wound toward your body (lymphangitis — a sign infection is spreading)
• Fever above 100.4°F (38°C) accompanying a wound
• Swelling that makes the area feel tight
• Pain that’s worsening rather than improving after the first day or two

Additionally, certain groups should seek medical care for even mild infection signs: people with diabetes, those who are immunocompromised, older adults, and anyone with circulation problems. For these individuals, infections can escalate quickly and require prompt professional treatment.

Tularemia Symptoms: A Rare but Serious Infection to Know

Most infected wounds are caused by common bacteria like Staphylococcus or Streptococcus. But occasionally, unusual infections require special attention. Tularemia — also called “rabbit fever” — is a rare bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis. It can look deceptively similar to a standard infected wound or ulcer, making early recognition especially important.

According to the CDC, tularemia can be life-threatening without prompt antibiotic treatment. The good news: when caught early, it responds well to treatment.

What Are Tularemia Symptoms?

The most common form — ulceroglandular tularemia — typically causes:

• A non-healing skin ulcer — A painful sore at the site where bacteria entered (often from a tick bite, animal scratch, or handling wild animals). The ulcer has raised edges and doesn’t heal like a normal wound.
• Swollen, tender lymph nodes — Enlarged nodes near the infection site (armpit, groin, or neck) — often so pronounced they may require drainage.
• Sudden high fever — Temperature of 101–104°F, with chills, fatigue, and body aches — onset is rapid, typically within 3 to 5 days of exposure.
• Headache and muscle aches — Early symptoms that frequently accompany the fever, sometimes causing initial misdiagnosis as flu before the skin ulcer becomes visible.

Less common forms include pneumonic tularemia (inhaled bacteria → lung infection) and oculoglandular tularemia (eye infection). All forms require immediate medical evaluation.

Who Is at Risk?

Tularemia risk is highest for people who:

• Spend time outdoors in wooded or grassy areas with tick and deer fly activity
• Handle wild animals — especially rabbits, squirrels, and prairie dogs
• Mow grass or disturb soil in areas where infected animals may have died
• Work in veterinary medicine, agriculture, or wildlife management

While tularemia is more prevalent in south-central states, cases have been reported in California. Bay Area hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who encounter wildlife should be aware of this risk.

When to Seek Medical Evaluation

If you develop a non-healing skin ulcer accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, high fever, and recent outdoor exposure or animal contact — seek medical care promptly. Tularemia is treated with antibiotics (doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, or streptomycin), and early treatment significantly improves outcomes.

At CityHealth urgent care in Oakland and San Leandro, our providers can evaluate unusual skin lesions, order diagnostic testing, and initiate antibiotic treatment for suspected bacterial infections. If a wound looks unusual or isn’t healing as expected after outdoor exposure, come in — same-day evaluation is available.

Related: cellulitis (bacterial skin infection)