Roseola is a viral disease that occurs mainly in young children. Pseudo-rubella, three-day fever, sudden exanthema, or sixth disease are all synonymous with roseola. The causative agent of the infection is the herpes simplex virus type 6 (HHV-6B).
This disease is mainly characteristic of children under two years of age. And for adults, this is a very rare occurrence. There is not much information about this infection, it is under investigation. Scientists have found that every person on earth suffers from this disease. However, its course occurs in all different ways. Many are interested in the question: roseola - what is this? The answer is in this article.
It is accompanied by a rash, so earlier it was mistaken for the usual reaction of the child's body to medications. We will analyze in more detail what roseola is. What symptoms are accompanied. Each parent must know what it is that, when faced with this disease, know how to help the child.
Roseola - what is it?
Roseola is a childhood illness. Its main feature is that the diagnosis causes difficulties. You can get the disease by airborne droplets or by contact with the sick. Two weeks is its incubation period, during which it can manifest itself.
An infectious disease appears with the help of the herpes virus. With it, the patient may develop a fever, a rash appears on the skin, as well as other symptoms. At risk are children aged from six months to three years. However, cases have been recorded when roseola also affected adult patients. Many of those exposed to this disease suffered from chronic fatigue.
It is also called "three-day fever." Diagnosis is difficult, as the fever may be hiding behind another disease. For example, in terms of symptoms, it is similar to rubella, allergies, or the common cold. Without special analyzes and diagnostic measures, it cannot be detected. This is how roseola for children manifests itself. Symptoms are discussed in more detail below.
Fever occurs quite easily in young children and almost never leaves consequences. For children who have not reached three years of age, the disease does not require the use of special medications. For the rest, the use of antiviral medications is mandatory in order to overcome the disease. It is worth fearing seizures that it can provoke. Since this, in turn, can lead to disturbances in the central nervous system.
Symptomatology
As already mentioned, roseola is an infectious disease. The duration of the incubation period is on average about a week, in rare cases - two weeks. Children who are less than three years old are most at risk. The acute form of the disease causes considerable discomfort to the child. In this case, there are certain symptoms.
- Body temperature rises to 39 degrees and does not recede within 3 days.
- Convulsions appear.
- Significantly enlarged lymph nodes.
So the baby's body resists the infection that develops inside it. There is also swelling of the mucosa in the nasopharynx. That is why many consider her a common cold.
After a week, everything goes away for the child. The following symptoms are very rare:
- migraine;
diarrhea
- runny nose;
- a sore throat;
- swelling of the eyelids.
With roseola disease symptoms, treatment depends on the age of the patient. Young children carry it much easier. In children, the disease is accompanied by a rash that does not go away until four days. Kids over the age of seven do not tolerate the disease.
In an adult patient, the following changes are noted:
- drowsiness appears;
- there is a syndrome of constant fatigue;
- the liver may increase.
Body temperature for infection
Roseola is a disease that is very important to determine by the first symptoms. And it is, first of all, high fever, it stays with the patient for 3 days. On average, it reaches 39 degrees and does not go astray with the help of special medications.
Parents most often attribute these symptoms to the fact that the teeth are cut in the children or they have rubella. The main difference is that this infection has a body temperature of no higher than 38 degrees. But to distinguish roseola from cutting teeth is very difficult. This can be done only after a few days, when concomitant symptoms form.
What are the symptoms of roseola in children?
Heat
It is important that at a constant temperature you should not give your child medications that lower the temperature. The kid just needs rest and bed rest. Under these conditions, the infection itself will disappear. Such symptoms cause a child's weakness of the whole organism, and in particular:
- he eats poorly;
- he has no desire to do anything;
- severe headaches appear.
In order for the child to alleviate the condition, the patient can be given "Paracetamol" in the form of a suspension, it will help to slightly reduce pain. It is not recommended to give him the previously popular “Aspirin”, as it has a negative effect on the digestive tract and destroys brain cells.
Rash
The main symptom of the disease is expressed in the coating of the skin with a rash. It has a small shape and a little pinkish color. In small amounts it pours out on the face and neck, and the main rash appears on the stomach and back. Acne does not interfere with life, so they do not need to be treated. At the same time, they themselves pass and do not harm the skin.
Rash form:
- specks of pink or red;
- size - from 2 to 5 millimeters;
- their edges are uneven;
- since they are located very close to each other, it seems that this is one spot.
On the first day of the disease, it is impossible to understand that roseola develops in the body. More precisely, you can understand when the rash still appeared. Your suspicions should be checked with one method. The pimple itself needs to be pressed and held for 15 seconds, if it turns pale after releasing the finger, then there can be no doubt - this is roseola. If it remains red, then this indicates another disease. In any case, you should undergo a medical examination and pass the necessary tests.
This is how roseola occurs in children. Symptoms and treatment are often interconnected.
The incubation period lasts up to a maximum of 14 days, while the following changes can be observed in the child:
- fatigue and tearfulness;
- the child can start acting up for no reason;
- eyelids swollen;
- in the mouth everything turned red;
- the child refuses food;
- sharply increased body temperature.
Diagnostics
You can not diagnose the disease at home. To identify it, it is necessary to pass tests and undergo a full examination. A blood test will show a deviation from the norm, the level of leukocytes will decrease by 4 g / l, and lymphocytes will increase by 40 g / l. The healthcare provider is also required to take an antibody test and determine if there is an infection agent.
What is the treatment for roseola?
The main thing here is to remember that with this infection it is impossible to lower the temperature, so do not give the child many drugs to lower it. After a few days, the temperature itself returns to normal. Doctors may mistakenly diagnose rubella. The difference is that with rubella, spots on the body are poured everywhere, and with roseola, mainly on the stomach and back. Also, these diseases are distinguished by such signs:
- Acne does not itch and does not cause discomfort;
- may disappear within a few hours;
- no peeling occurs.
If there is a disease, the child must create the right conditions under which he will recede within a few days:
1. Compliance with bed rest.
2. Ensuring complete peace.
3. The room in which the patient is located should be constantly ventilated.
After the baby is ill with this infection, he develops immunity to it and subsequently he can no longer get sick.
In adults, the rash looks like a solid spot. Reminiscent of an allergy to food or drugs. An adult patient can not do without special treatment. The baby may have only a few spots, which parents often do not pay attention to. How does roseola appear in adults? Symptoms are practically absent, temperature changes do not occur, and the rash does not appear. Only a general malaise is felt in the body.
Possible consequences
If the patient observes bed rest, then the consequences do not arise. Otherwise, roseola can lead to the development of sepsis. Also, the disease can provoke a malfunction of the central nervous system, due to the fact that seizures are possible. This may be in children who have not reached the age of two years.
With self-treatment, parents begin to give the child a lot of all kinds of drugs, not realizing that they have side effects and can negatively affect their health.
Useful Tips
So, what parents can not do:
- bring down the temperature;
- lubricate pimples with various creams;
- make you eat;
- refuse hard quarantine at home.
Diet
The infection itself does not need to be treated, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system. To do this, you can drink vitamins. For the patient it will be good to follow a diet:
- chicken bouillon;
- mashed vegetables;
- porridge;
- tinctures made on berries, herbs and fruits.
Conclusion
A child in this condition can be capricious a lot and not observe the daily routine. Parents should be indulgent in this. In no case should you force the child to work, feed him excessively. His body is weakened, so it will be very difficult for him to do this. In addition, this can lead to complications.
You should consult a doctor so that he confirms or refutes the diagnosis. An adult patient requires special treatment, which can only be prescribed by a doctor.
We examined a disease such as roseola in children. The treatment is also described.