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What Does a Red Streak Mean?
August 08 , 2004 by Agnes OblasQuestion:
What does a red streak mean when there is an infection?
Answer:
To put it simply, a red streak means trouble is brewing! But I think you already knew that and you want a deeper understanding of the significance.
The infection could have begun as a very superficial, minor injury; then, for some reason, the lymph channel that is trying to help clear infection actually becomes inflamed and infected itself.
If treatment is not obtained, the infection progresses. Since lymph flows toward the center of the body, the signs of infection (redness/streaking/pain/warmth) progress in the same direction following the lymph vessels. The obvious danger then being the infection heading toward the heart. Any red streaking from a site of infection must be adequately treated and in a timely manner.
A. Oblas, RN, CS, MSN
Nurse Practitioner
602.405.6320
medical@evliving.com
