Measels

Measlies, mumps, oh my!

Measles

Measles is also known as red measles. Measles can be very severe and it is preventable, if you get your child vaccinated properly. The MMR vaccine protects your child against measles, mumps and rubella. Since children have been immunized, there has been a 99% reduction in the illness.

Measles is a viral illness that begins with fever, weakness, a dry cough and inflammed eyes that are itchy, red and sensitive to light. These symptoms begin three to five days before the appearance of the rash. Another early sign of measles is the appearance of fine white spots on a red base inside the mouth opposite of the molar teeth. These fade as the skin rash appears. The rash begins on about the fifth day as a pink, blotchy, flat rash. The rash first appears around the hairline, on the face, on the neck and behind the ears. The spots, which fade on pressure early in the illness, become somewhat darker and tend to merge into larger red patches as they mature. The rash spreads from head to chest to abdomen and finally to the arms and legs. It lasts from four to seven days and may be accompanied by mild itching. There may be some light brown coloring to the skin lesions as the illness progresses.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is spread by droplets from the mouth of throat and by direct contact with articles freshly soiled by nose and throat secretions. It may be spread during the period from 3 to 6 days before the appearance of the rash to several days after. Symptoms begin in an exposed susceptible person approximately 8 to 12 days after exposure to the environment.

There are many complications of measles-sore throats, ear infections and pneumonia. Many of these complicating infections are due to bacteria and will require antibiotic treatment. Pneumonia can be life-threatening. A very serious problem that can lead to permanent damage is measles encephalitis. Encephalitis is an infection of the brain. Symptoms include lethargy, stiff neck and convulsions. Life support measures and treatment of seizures are necessary when this rare complication occurs.

Home treatment for an uncomlicated case of the measles is symptomatic measures. Acetominophen should be used to keep the fever down and a vaporizer can be used to make your child's cough less uncomfortable. Dim lighting in the room often helps because of the eye's sensitivity to light. If your child has the measles, he should be isolated until the end of the contagious period.

If you think that your child has been exposed to measles and has not been vaccinated, call your doctor immediately for an evaluation. Bacterial infections, such as ear infections and pneumonia, can usually be treated with antibiotics. If your child develops symptoms of encephalitis, he will need to be hospitalized and a spinal tap will be performed.

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pregnantdebs - 1602 days ago.
hey people iv had the worst holiday period ever,my 4 month old baby got rushed to hospital in the ambulance,after crying for 3 days straight,he stopped eating.sleeping and came out in a rash that spread within 24 hours,i called the doctor and he thought it sounded like meningitis.i was so worried,but it turns out its measels,he hadnt had the last part of injections yet as he has just turned 4 months,its a shame hes in so much pain he has a ear infection and a throat infection with it,i really hope he gets better soon,i feel so useless as theres nothing i can do to help him feel better,and he keeps vomiting aswell,if anyone has any advice then please comment my page thanks xxx