The Only Way Is Essex star Amber Dowding was rushed to hospital over the weekend as her face swelled and her vision became blurred, Amber said it felt like she was 'being punched in the head' as the swelling got worse.
Amber was rapidly diagnosed and prescribed a course of antibiotics and eyedrops before being referred to a specialist unit for further treatment. Amber said she had been in and out of hospital in 30 minutes and later had a visit from a nurse.
Amber shared pictures from her hospital stay, and of her swollen face, to her Instagram stories. She said: "That was the quickest time spent in hospital ever. So grateful!!
"In and out within less than 30 minutes. Anyway it's periorbital cellulitis, they have given me antibiotics and have sent an urgent request to the eye casualty unit to follow up with me tomorrow to make sure it's getting better. Because I've got a headache and the pressure is so bad they have advised me to go to a certain hospital.
"Sure once these antibiotics kick in I'll be fine. Thanks for your messages and telling me to get checked."
She said a nurse had called around to administer more eye drops and said: "In some cases (rarely) it can affect deeper into the eye which is why they wanted to see me quickly but thankfully it hasn't."
Periorbital cellulitis is a bacterial infection that affects the tissues surrounding the eye. It typically occurs when bacteria enter the skin through a break or injury near the eye, such as a scratch or insect bite.
The infection can cause redness, swelling, warmth, and pain around the eye, as well as fever and sometimes difficulty moving the eye. Periorbital cellulitis can be serious if not treated promptly, as it can potentially lead to complications such as orbital cellulitis (infection of the tissues behind the eye), vision loss, or even spread of infection to the bloodstream.
Treatment usually involves antibiotics and sometimes surgical drainage of any abscesses that may have formed.
