Olympic athlete Lawrence Okoye recently submitted a video to TikTok of his legs turning to playdoh. Others began to speculate that he had water retention and that his kidneys, heart, or other organs were deteriorating. He developed cellulitis, a condition caused by a bacterial infection.
Lawrence Okoye, 31, is a former Olympic discus thrower who competed in the London Olympics in 2012. He also served as a sort of trainer for various NFL teams. Fundamentally, this dude spends a lot of time at the gym.
But, he just shared a video to TikTok indicating that something was wrong with his health. He was shown in the video pressing indents into his swelling right lower thigh.
He said that his leg appeared to have turned into Play-Doh. Unsurprisingly, the comments section quickly filled up with individuals worried for his well-being.
Others immediately pointed out that this was due to water retention. They then immediately moved on to various worst-case scenarios: kidney failure, liver failure, heart failure, cancer, and so on.
Okoye did go to the doctor and then updated his fans and following. No, he was not suffering from organ failure. He had a condition known as cellulitis.
“I had a leg injury a few days ago, and the wound became infected with bacteria, causing redness, swelling, and the pitted edema you saw, which was me making craters in my leg,” he explained in the follow-up video. “It’s readily treatable; only a week’s worth of medication and relaxation, and I’ll be fine.”
Cellulitis is an infection caused by germs entering the body through skin cuts or sores. Though it is not immediately life-threatening, it can become so if left untreated.
It spreads fast via the bloodstream, affecting other organs like as the heart and lungs. Cellulitis is frequently caused by Strep A or B bacteria, although many strains can also cause this illness.
The infection is usually limited to the skin but can spread to other body parts via circulation.
It is more common in persons with compromised immune systems, such as diabetes or cancer. Cellulitis is highly harmful to pregnant women because, if not treated promptly, it can result in early labor or miscarriage.
Cellulitis is typically triggered by accident or cut that allows bacteria to penetrate your skin and begin an infection beneath the skin’s surface (subcutaneous).
You may not even realize you have cellulitis until it has progressed to the point where it spreads throughout your body via your bloodstream. The following are the most common causes of cellulitis:
Contact with a bacterially infected cut or wound on another person’s skin (such as strep)
Diabetes, pressure sores and infections all cause skin deterioration.
Limb injuries can result in severe damage where bacteria can infiltrate your body.
Cellulitis can be excruciatingly painful and irritating. Flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and exhaustion are also possible. Additional signs and symptoms include:
Red streaks radiating from the original incision or cut
Lymph nodes are swollen in your armpits, groin, or neck
Warmth in the area affected by cellulitis
Edema refers to swelling in the affected area.
Cellulitis is best treated with medicines prescribed by your doctor. Aside from that, getting enough rest will help your immune system fight off any residual infections.
If you have cellulitis in your legs, your doctor may prescribe an ancrod medicine. This decreases swelling and inflammation by lowering blood flow to the affected area.
You can also help lower the risk of cellulitis by keeping wounds clean and bandaged until they heal correctly.
Don’t wait if you detect a change in your health or something about your body that doesn’t seem right. Go see your doctor immediately away. The infection was not as advanced in Okoye’s instance and was easily treated with medications.
No long-term harm was done, and he will return to normal in a few days. Yet, the outcome could have been significantly different if he had not treated the infection. Don’t put it off – Monitor your body and health, and don’t let things slide until it’s too late.
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