A MAN who took to social media after his ‘legs turned into playdough’ has revealed it’s down to a silent killer illness.
Olympian Lawrence Okoye posted a clip to TikTok which showed him pressing dots into his skin.
fullheartedpush/tiktokTikToker Lawrence Okoye posted a clip on him pressing down on his shin, which left large dents[/caption]
fullheartedpush/tiktokAt the bottom of his shin is a small mark, which Lawrence said was from an injury. It was from this that bacteria managed to get into his leg, he added[/caption]
As the athlete pushed down six times with his thumb, dents were made in his leg.
“It looks like I’m made out of playdough,” he remarked.
Two weeks after posting the first clip, the 31-year-old revealed he had been diagnosed with cellulitis.
This is a skin infection that can be treated with antibiotics, but can be life-threatening if it’s not treated swiftly, the NHS states.
Untreated, it can lead to silent killers such as sepsis and rarely the infection can spread to the deep layer of tissue called the fascial lining.
It can also lead to amputation, shock and even death, the NHS states.
In the second video, Lawrence, who competed in track, is no longer able to knead his legs like dough.
He said: “A tonne of people were trying to tell me I had heart disease or liver disease, kidney disease, cancer and diabetes but obviously that’s not the case.
“I had an infection called cellulitis, It’s basically bacteria that gets into your system from an open wound.”
Lawrence then points to scars on his legs, from where he says he ‘smashed his leg’ a couple of weeks ago’.
This was why he experienced the oedema, he said.
Oedema is a build up of fluid which causes tissue to become swollen and is usually caused by standing or sitting in the same place for too long.
“Those crazy holes that were in my leg no longer exist,” he said.
The NHS states that cellulitis can make your skin hot and painful, with the area usually looking red.
It’s often as referred to a silent killer as symptoms can often be disguised as other skin conditions.
However, guidance states that this might be less obvious on black or brown skin.
In mild cases, doctors will prescribe antibiotic tablets for a week.
If you don’t start to feel better in 2-3 days then you should call your GP.
Most people make a full recovery after 7-10 days, the NHS states.
You should call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department if you have cellulitis and you’re also experiencing:
a very high temperature, or you feel hot and shiverya fast heartbeat or fast breathingpurple patches on your skin, but this may be less obvious on brown or black skinfeeling dizzy or faintconfusion or disorientationcold, clammy or pale skinunresponsiveness or loss of consciousness. Read More