Measles in children: photos, symptoms and treatment, prevention
Measles belongs to the category of acute infectious diseases and is caused by a specific type of virus. A characteristic feature is a high index of contagiousness. This factor provokes frequent epidemics among the population.
In this case, the inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, a strong increase in temperature, a characteristic rash throughout the body.
Despite the fact that measles is traditionally considered a so-called "child" disease, it appears to be a great threat to the health and life of the patient. Therefore, in this article we will talk about measles in children: symptoms, treatment, as well as prevention and photo of the initial stage.
A specific RNA virus belonging to the family of paramyxoviruses is the immediate pathogen of measles in children and adults. This virus rarely survives outside the human body and has a weak resistance to harmful environmental factors.
In particular, it is exposed to high temperatures, irradiation, exposure to chemicals. At room temperature, the virus persists for a maximum of 2 days. If the temperature is below zero, then its viability significantly increases and sometimes is several weeks.
To the external environment, the measles infectious agent enters with sputum and mucus that the patient gives off during sneezing or coughing. A healthy person can pick up the virus from both the patient and the person who is already infected, but the virus has not yet been activated. And the greatest danger to others is born exactly by those people who have the disease in the incubation stage. After 5 days from the moment when the first rash appeared, a person becomes not infectious.
Measles are mostly inflicted on children. In this case, newborns up to 3 months of life are protected from the virus by a special kind of immunity - castoral. It is formed in those children whose mothers once had a disease with this disease and their organism developed specific antibodies to it. If a pregnant woman suffers from an ailment, then the virus, as a rule, also affects the fetus and carries a great threat to pregnancy.
The incubation period of measles, in which there are no signs of illness, lasts approximately 10 days. After this, the characteristic symptoms of measles gradually begin to manifest.
In adults, everything begins with weakness and lethargy, sleep and appetite disorders, and the temperature rises sharply - sometimes up to 39-40 degrees and above. In children, this symptomatology occurs in a lighter form.
From the first day of illness, patients have a strong cold and dry cough. The mucous membranes also occur. In particular, patients are diagnosed with eyelid puffiness and conjunctivitis.
In addition, there is hyperemia of the pharynx, white spots with a red border appear on the inner side of the cheeks and gums. They are called spots of the Belsky-Filatov-Koplik and are considered one of the characteristic signs of measles. Photo below:
After about 5 days, the disease goes into a new stage. On the skin of the patient begin to appear rashes. Rash in measles is called corium exanthema. It looks like a scattering of small papules that often merge with each other. In the adult part of the population, the rash is more pronounced, in severe cases, hemorrhagic elements appear.
In the case of measles, rashes are spread in a certain order. On the first day, she begins to cover the scalp, the area near the ears, small elements appear also on the face, neck, and chest. The next day the rashes spread to the entire trunk and shoulders. During the 3rd day the rash affects the legs and lower part of the hands, but the rashes in the face area begin to turn pale.
Rash in patients with measles children persists for about 7-10 days( in adults longer), while causing severe itching. At the last stage of the disease, it disappears, leaving behind pigmentation.
Read also, rubella and mumps: symptoms and treatment.
To date, unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for measles in children or adults. Medical assistance is only to make the symptoms as simple as possible. If the disease occurs in a standard way, then the person who is sick with measles is not hospitalized. However, it needs to be marked in an isolated room and minimized communication with other people until the disease is no longer contagious.
A child or an adult is provided with strict bed rest and a diet based on nutritious food that is easily digested. And to reduce intoxication, it is recommended to drink as much liquid as possible.
In the presence of fever, fever, it is possible to take antipyretic drugs: paracetamol or ibuprofen. But aspirin and its analogs are better not to use, as it is noted that in patients with measles they can provoke Ray's disease.
It is also recommended the use of antihistamines that will alleviate the itching of the skin. The skin should be treated daily with a cream or a solution of synthetic tannin( industrial name - Delaskin).Inflamed eyes are recommended to be washed with strong tea leaves. If conjunctivitis is diagnosed, it is necessary to use drops on the basis of an antibiotic, for example, levomycetin.
Thanks to the research, it was possible to establish that in people with measles, the amount of vitamin A and C in the body is significantly reduced. This can provoke further complications of the disease. That is why it is important to carry out also vitamin therapy. In case of complications, an additional treatment regimen is prescribed. It depends on which organ or body system has been affected.
See also, photo of chickenpox starting stage.
In most cases, measles are benign. The greatest danger to the health and life of the patient is the complications that often appear as a result of this disease.
Primarily, measles complicates the upper respiratory tract. Most often develops cereals, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, but they are usually easily transferred. A more serious complication is pneumonia, especially its dangerous variety - interstitial giant cell pneumonia. It is distinguished by the appearance of infiltrates and multinucleated cells in the lung tissue and heavy course.
Disease can cause changes on the part of the circulatory system. So, after several days after the illness, patients often register purpura, thrombocytopenia, bleeding in the oral cavity, internal organs.
The most severe complication of measles is coronary encephalomyelitis. It often appears 4-5 days after the onset of rashes. The patient's headaches are aggravated, the fever provokes fever. Over time, the situation is complicated, there is a focal lesion of the brain or spinal cord, the patient falls into a coma. It is the encephalomyelitis that most often causes death in this disease.
Measles pose a serious danger to an unborn child. Depending on the period of pregnancy, the fetus may die or be born prematurely.
Read also, inoculation: measles, rubella, mumps - when to do, reaction, complications.
The prognosis for measles, which occurs in uncomplicated form, is generally favorable in most cases. However, the insidiousness of this disease lies precisely in the fact that it leads to serious consequences.
Given the degree of complications, possible with the disease, there is reason to conduct preventive vaccination, which will help to avoid the disease. To date, the vaccine against this disease is included in the mandatory vaccination program in many countries around the world. Children are vaccinated twice. The first time in the age of up to 12 months, and the second time - under the age of 6 years.
There is also an emergency preventive measure for measles, but in this case we use a non-weakened strain of the virus, and immunoglobulin. It is administered to a person who is not vaccinated in the event of an epidemiological situation.
In this case, the inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, a strong increase in temperature, a characteristic rash throughout the body.
Despite the fact that measles is traditionally considered a so-called "child" disease, it appears to be a great threat to the health and life of the patient. Therefore, in this article we will talk about measles in children: symptoms, treatment, as well as prevention and photo of the initial stage.
How measles is transmitted
A specific RNA virus belonging to the family of paramyxoviruses is the immediate pathogen of measles in children and adults. This virus rarely survives outside the human body and has a weak resistance to harmful environmental factors.
In particular, it is exposed to high temperatures, irradiation, exposure to chemicals. At room temperature, the virus persists for a maximum of 2 days. If the temperature is below zero, then its viability significantly increases and sometimes is several weeks.
To the external environment, the measles infectious agent enters with sputum and mucus that the patient gives off during sneezing or coughing. A healthy person can pick up the virus from both the patient and the person who is already infected, but the virus has not yet been activated. And the greatest danger to others is born exactly by those people who have the disease in the incubation stage. After 5 days from the moment when the first rash appeared, a person becomes not infectious.
Measles are mostly inflicted on children. In this case, newborns up to 3 months of life are protected from the virus by a special kind of immunity - castoral. It is formed in those children whose mothers once had a disease with this disease and their organism developed specific antibodies to it. If a pregnant woman suffers from an ailment, then the virus, as a rule, also affects the fetus and carries a great threat to pregnancy.
Symptoms of measles in children
The incubation period of measles, in which there are no signs of illness, lasts approximately 10 days. After this, the characteristic symptoms of measles gradually begin to manifest.
In adults, everything begins with weakness and lethargy, sleep and appetite disorders, and the temperature rises sharply - sometimes up to 39-40 degrees and above. In children, this symptomatology occurs in a lighter form.
From the first day of illness, patients have a strong cold and dry cough. The mucous membranes also occur. In particular, patients are diagnosed with eyelid puffiness and conjunctivitis.
In addition, there is hyperemia of the pharynx, white spots with a red border appear on the inner side of the cheeks and gums. They are called spots of the Belsky-Filatov-Koplik and are considered one of the characteristic signs of measles. Photo below:
After about 5 days, the disease goes into a new stage. On the skin of the patient begin to appear rashes. Rash in measles is called corium exanthema. It looks like a scattering of small papules that often merge with each other. In the adult part of the population, the rash is more pronounced, in severe cases, hemorrhagic elements appear.
In the case of measles, rashes are spread in a certain order. On the first day, she begins to cover the scalp, the area near the ears, small elements appear also on the face, neck, and chest. The next day the rashes spread to the entire trunk and shoulders. During the 3rd day the rash affects the legs and lower part of the hands, but the rashes in the face area begin to turn pale.
Rash in patients with measles children persists for about 7-10 days( in adults longer), while causing severe itching. At the last stage of the disease, it disappears, leaving behind pigmentation.
Read also, rubella and mumps: symptoms and treatment.
Treatment of measles
To date, unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for measles in children or adults. Medical assistance is only to make the symptoms as simple as possible. If the disease occurs in a standard way, then the person who is sick with measles is not hospitalized. However, it needs to be marked in an isolated room and minimized communication with other people until the disease is no longer contagious.
A child or an adult is provided with strict bed rest and a diet based on nutritious food that is easily digested. And to reduce intoxication, it is recommended to drink as much liquid as possible.
In the presence of fever, fever, it is possible to take antipyretic drugs: paracetamol or ibuprofen. But aspirin and its analogs are better not to use, as it is noted that in patients with measles they can provoke Ray's disease.
It is also recommended the use of antihistamines that will alleviate the itching of the skin. The skin should be treated daily with a cream or a solution of synthetic tannin( industrial name - Delaskin).Inflamed eyes are recommended to be washed with strong tea leaves. If conjunctivitis is diagnosed, it is necessary to use drops on the basis of an antibiotic, for example, levomycetin.
Thanks to the research, it was possible to establish that in people with measles, the amount of vitamin A and C in the body is significantly reduced. This can provoke further complications of the disease. That is why it is important to carry out also vitamin therapy. In case of complications, an additional treatment regimen is prescribed. It depends on which organ or body system has been affected.
Related Videos: "Symptoms and treatment of measles in children - Dr. Komarovsky's School"
See also, photo of chickenpox starting stage.
Complications of measles
In most cases, measles are benign. The greatest danger to the health and life of the patient is the complications that often appear as a result of this disease.
Primarily, measles complicates the upper respiratory tract. Most often develops cereals, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, but they are usually easily transferred. A more serious complication is pneumonia, especially its dangerous variety - interstitial giant cell pneumonia. It is distinguished by the appearance of infiltrates and multinucleated cells in the lung tissue and heavy course.
Disease can cause changes on the part of the circulatory system. So, after several days after the illness, patients often register purpura, thrombocytopenia, bleeding in the oral cavity, internal organs.
The most severe complication of measles is coronary encephalomyelitis. It often appears 4-5 days after the onset of rashes. The patient's headaches are aggravated, the fever provokes fever. Over time, the situation is complicated, there is a focal lesion of the brain or spinal cord, the patient falls into a coma. It is the encephalomyelitis that most often causes death in this disease.
Measles pose a serious danger to an unborn child. Depending on the period of pregnancy, the fetus may die or be born prematurely.
Read also, inoculation: measles, rubella, mumps - when to do, reaction, complications.
Measles prophylaxis
The prognosis for measles, which occurs in uncomplicated form, is generally favorable in most cases. However, the insidiousness of this disease lies precisely in the fact that it leads to serious consequences.
It should be noted that children of school age are the most vulnerable to measles. It is most difficult for adults, infants and elderly people, whose disease rarely passes without complications.
Given the degree of complications, possible with the disease, there is reason to conduct preventive vaccination, which will help to avoid the disease. To date, the vaccine against this disease is included in the mandatory vaccination program in many countries around the world. Children are vaccinated twice. The first time in the age of up to 12 months, and the second time - under the age of 6 years.
There is also an emergency preventive measure for measles, but in this case we use a non-weakened strain of the virus, and immunoglobulin. It is administered to a person who is not vaccinated in the event of an epidemiological situation.