What is measles? How to recognize in time what are its consequences, how is it treated? We will talk about everything in this article.
Measles is a viral disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets directly from an infected person.
A bit of history
When did a disease like measles occur? The medical history will help us understand that issue. The first case that was recorded occurred in the 9th century, and was described by one Arab physician, Rates. Mistakenly, the doctor considered the patient to have a mild form of smallpox. Therefore, for the first time, measles was called "small disease" (morbilli), and smallpox - morbus, which means "big disease".
What is measles? What symptoms does it have and how does it proceed? This was only possible to establish in the 17th century, thanks to Sydenham (England) and Morton (France). But these doctors could not establish the cause of the disease, and only experiments were conducted on monkeys in 1911, and it was possible to establish that measles is an acute viral disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets. The causative agent of the disease was established only in 1954. Measles is a disease that everyone should be aware of.
From the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, measles was the most dangerous childhood illness, which often ended in death. It was possible to reduce the epidemic of the disease only after the vaccine was developed. Mandatory vaccination was able to reduce the activity of the disease, and in some countries completely eliminated it. However, cases of the disease are recorded today, annually, according to WHO statistics, about 30 thousand people die.
Symptoms in children
First of all, it is worth noting that children aged one to 7 years are most likely to be infected, less often cases of infection of children over 7 years old and adults are recorded.
It is important to know: measles begins to manifest itself after 7-14 days.
What is measles? How to diagnose it? In order to start treatment on time, you need to be able to recognize the disease.
Measles disease in children has the following symptoms :
- Bad feeling.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Lethargy.
- Fatigue.
- Headache.
- Poor appetite, or its complete absence.
- Temperature rise.
The catarrhal stage lasts from 3 to 5 days. Symptoms are as follows:
- The throat becomes inflamed.
- A cough appears.
Further worse. The disease begins to affect the blood vessels, small capillaries in the eyes and skin begin to burst. Runny nose with purulent discharge begins. Puffiness appears on the face, eyes become numb. An infected child has a fear of light, from which he constantly squints his eyes. The temperature rises to 40 degrees, gradually the cough becomes stronger, vomiting may occur.
Only after the child has the main symptoms of measles, he is given an accurate diagnosis. To make a diagnosis, the doctor must prescribe:
- General blood analysis.
- General urine analysis.
- Analysis of the virus in the blood.
- Chest x-ray.
- In some cases, electroencephalography.
The main symptoms of the disease: measles in children
- Small rashes, the size of a grain, on the inner surface of the lips and cheeks. In the presence of such symptoms, the child must be isolated.
- Unlike other childhood diseases, a measles rash does not appear in a chaotic manner, but in stages. First of all, pink spots appear on the scalp and behind the ears. Then they switch to the bridge of the nose, and gradually spread throughout the face. On the second day, the rash begins to spread throughout the upper body (arms, chest). The third day is the legs.
- Since the rash appears, body temperature rises sharply to 40 degrees.
The bulk period lasts from 4 to 7 days.
Signs of measles in adults
Although measles is considered to be a childhood disease, adults are still not immune from infection. How does the disease progress in adults, what symptoms indicate the disease?
We will consider the main signs of the disease. Measles is something that cannot be ignored!
- First of all, the state of health sharply worsens, appetite disappears, terrible headaches and insomnia appear. The patient feels like a catarrhal disease, he has a sore throat, a runny nose, a sharp increase in temperature, and lymph nodes increase.
- After 2 to 5 days, all symptoms disappear, strength and vigor appear.
- A day after improvement, the disease occurs with renewed vigor. All symptoms return, but more acutely and painfully.
- The next step is a rash. Many spots appear, which subsequently combine and turn into one continuous spot. The rash appears in a certain sequence: behind the ears, head, upper body, lower body.
Therapy
A very insidious disease is measles. Treatment should begin immediately. How should it occur in children?
After the doctor has prescribed tests, and the diagnosis has been confirmed, treatment is prescribed. Unfortunately, to date, a single cure for measles has not been developed, so all efforts are directed towards the treatment of symptoms.
- Antipyretic drugs for children based on ibuphene and paracetamol are prescribed.
- High fever and vomiting lead to dehydration, so be sure to follow the drinking regimen.
- Since the child has a fear of light, the windows in the room where he is located must be curtained with thick black curtains. In the evening, use a nightlight.
- Antihistamines are used to relieve swelling and itching from rashes.
- The doctor prescribes expectorant drugs that will help relieve coughing attacks.
- Drops are put in the nose (vasoconstrictor) and in the eyes (with conjunctivitis).
- The throat and oral cavity are treated with chamomile.
- Antibiotics are taken.
- Chapped lips from high temperature should be lubricated with a damp handkerchief.
The infected child should not be in contact with other children; bed rest and complete rest are prescribed for him.
In addition to medicines, it is imperative to ventilate the room, do wet cleaning 2 times a day, humidify the air.
A prerequisite in the treatment is a diet. All the food that the child eats should be high-calorie, as the body needs considerable and considerable strength to fight the virus. But at the same time, food should be easily digestible, natural.
Hospitalization with measles is rare, only in cases where the symptoms of the disease are very acute. Basically, patients remain at home and must follow all the instructions of the doctor.
Adult measles treatment
The first thing to do is to alleviate the condition of the patient. Antibiotics are used to fight inflammation. If the disease is mild, then there is no need for hospitalization. In order to make up for the loss of fluid in the body, you need to drink a lot of water, syrups, tea, compotes.
Since measles of the oral mucosa becomes inflamed, special attention must be paid to hygiene. Gargle should be gargled with chamomile infusion and saline. Also, treatment necessarily includes cough preparations with a coughing effect, prednisone, antipyretic drugs.
Measles: Complications
The most dangerous and common complications that measles can cause are:
- Pneumonia is an infectious pneumonia.
- Visual impairment, rarely complete blindness.
- Otitis is an inflammatory process in the ear.
- Laryngitis is an inflammatory process in the mucous membranes of the larynx.
- Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain.
- Stomatitis is an inflammation of the oral mucosa.
- Polyneuritis is a multiple lesion of nerve fibers.
- Bronchopneumonia is an acute inflammation of the bronchi.
Adult Complications
In most cases, measles leaves no consequences after itself, but nevertheless, although rarely, the disease does not allow itself to be forgotten after treatment.
So, what is measles dangerous? The consequences of the disease in adults can be as follows:
- Bronchiolitis is an acute inflammation of bronchioles, transmitted by airborne droplets.
- Croup is an inflammation of the airways.
- Bronchitis.
- Myocarditis in the mild degree is damage to the heart muscle.
Sometimes the disease leaves an imprint on the eyesight, can lead to complete blindness.
Prevention
There are two types of prevention: emergency and planned.
Emergency prophylaxis is carried out if the fact of contact with an infected person is accurately established. But it should be reliably known that the child had not previously had measles, and was not vaccinated. In such cases, immunoglobulin is administered. The drug should be administered within 5 days from the date of contact.
Routine prophylaxis is nothing more than vaccination. What is vaccine? This is an artificial introduction of the virus so that the body can develop immunity. According to the vaccination schedule, the child receives the first routine measles vaccine at 1 year old, and the second at 6 years old.
After the planned vaccination, each mother is warned about the possible consequences and reactions of the child's body. Therefore, the mother must carefully monitor the condition of the child after vaccination. There are symptoms in which parents should immediately respond and seek help from doctors. Among them:
- Runny nose.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Temperature rise.
- Cough.
Particular vigilance must be shown from 5 to 20 days after the introduction of the virus. Any rash on the body is an occasion to go to the doctor. After all, it is better to be safe again than to risk the health of the child.
Any mother should know that each vaccine is given only to a healthy child. From the moment of the last disease, from 1 to 6 weeks should pass.
Anyone can get a measles vaccine, for this you need to contact the clinic at the place of residence. It is imperative that you have a card with your vaccination records with you.
An unpleasant disease is measles. Photos clearly demonstrate this. The patient’s body itches and itches.
Rubella, chickenpox, and measles are the infectious diseases most commonly found in children. However, an adult can also become ill with them. In this case, measles is much harder to tolerate. Photos of infected adults are not much different from images of the manifestation of the disease in children, but the child's health is an order of magnitude better throughout the entire period of the disease.
Quarantine
It is very important to isolate the patient from healthy ones, especially children. But as we know, infected patients are admitted to the hospital only in special cases, therefore it is necessary to allocate a separate room at home. If this is not possible, then you should temporarily take healthy children to relatives. In the room where the patient is located, wet cleaning and ventilation are mandatory. All windows must be covered with blackout curtains so that the room is twilight. It is very important to allocate separate cutlery to a sick family member: plates, mugs, spoons. It is also important to wear a gauze bandage, both for patients and those who care for him.
An adult vaccinated or who has had measles should take care of a sick child. Be sure to remember that childhood measles is very contagious.
Measles during pregnancy
But what if a pregnant woman gets measles? How dangerous is the disease for the baby and expectant mother?
Any viral diseases (measles, chickenpox or rubella) are extremely dangerous during pregnancy. As for measles, if a woman becomes infected with the virus in early pregnancy, then this is fraught with various malformations in the fetus. And despite all the modern diagnostic methods, doctors have no way to establish how much the disease managed to affect the brain of the child. This can only be revealed after birth. If a pregnant woman develops measles at a later date, the probability of contracting a baby is very high. This means that it is only that the child is born with a virus. This is fraught with the fact that a childish, still immature body, most likely, will not be able to transfer the disease.
Despite all the danger, measles is not an indication for abortion, for example, as is the case with rubella. But still, if a woman contracted measles in the early stages, the doctor must warn the expectant mother of possible irreversible consequences. But the choice always remains with the woman.
Naturally, any expectant mother does not want her child to have any diseases. Therefore, during pregnancy, a woman should not only eat right and take all the necessary vitamins, but also carefully monitor her health.
Brief summary of the above
What is measles? This is a dangerous disease that spreads by airborne droplets, has an acute course. The disease is quite ancient, however, there is no way to treat measles. Only the symptoms of the disease are treated. Fortunately, the illnesses of children (measles) have pronounced symptoms; they cannot be missed.
Most often, children of preschool and primary school age suffer from measles, but this does not mean that adults are protected from infection. The best prophylaxis is vaccination delivered on time: the first - at 1 year old, the second - at 6 years old. Further on request.
A sick family member is necessarily isolated from healthy relatives.