Recognizing the 10 Key Symptoms of Osteomyelitis

4. Swelling

Blood consists of plasma, plasma proteins, and blood cells. As the area becomes inflamed, more blood reaches it. However, the vascular wall is lined by epithelial cells that are close to each other and don't allow the blood components to arrive at the space between the tissue. Chemical mediators help increase the spaces between those epithelial cells, so some of the plasma and white blood cells move from inside the vessel into the tissue to dilute the toxins and fight the infectious organism. As the fluid starts to accumulate in the tissues, the area will appear swollen. The lymph nodes draining the area can also become swollen and inflamed.