Is there always a rash with scarlet fever, how to treat this unpleasant disease and what are its features? We will answer these and other questions regarding the aforementioned disease below.
Infectious Disease Key Information
The causative agent of scarlet fever is a hemolytic streptococcus belonging to group A. It causes an infectious disease, which manifests itself in the form of fever and general intoxication. Also, a rash with scarlet fever almost always occurs. It should be specially noted that the main clinical manifestations of this disease are caused not by streptococcus itself, but by the toxin released into the blood. The source of the spread of the mentioned infection is a person. You can become infected with such a disease quite quickly.
Features of an infectious disease
The causative agent of scarlet fever, which hit a person, often provokes the appearance of a sore throat or streptococcal pharyngitis. Such a patient is especially dangerous for those around him in the early days of the disease. A person who has successfully recovered after the disease in question is called convalescence. It should be remembered that for some time he is able to secrete streptococcal infection. Typically, such a carrier lasts up to three weeks. During this period, you should minimize any contact with people around you.
A healthy carrier is a person who does not have any symptoms of the disease, but group A streptococci live on the mucosa of his oral cavity and nasopharynx and are released into the surrounding atmosphere. It should be noted that there are a lot of such people (about 15% of the total population of the Earth).
What are the causes of the disease?
The vaccine against scarlet fever effectively protects a person from infection with streptococcal infection. By the way, in addition to people with scarlet fever, the source of such a disease is banal tonsillitis or any other carrier of streptococcus. As a rule, infection with this disease occurs by airborne droplets. Sometimes a person becomes ill with scarlet fever through household contact (for example, through the patient’s toys, his household items, etc.).
It should also be noted that infection with the infection in question can occur through any damage that is on the skin (for example, abrasions, cuts, during surgery, etc.). In this case, the patient may experience a rash with scarlet fever, as well as other symptoms of the disease, except for angina.
The main symptoms of the disease
The vaccine against scarlet fever protects a person well, but, unfortunately, not everyone makes such injections. When infected with the infection in question, its incubation period lasts about 1-12 days. For this disease, a rather acute onset is characteristic. The patient’s body temperature rises almost immediately to 39 degrees. At the same time, he has unpleasant sensations in his throat when swallowing, noticeable weakness and headaches.
Upon a personal examination of the patient’s oropharynx, the doctor discovers the classic clinical picture of angina. By the end of the first day of illness in the upper body and on the neck, the patient develops a point and rather abundant rash. With scarlet fever, such irritation occurs very often. It is a group of rashes that protrude above the level of the skin and, merging with each other, form red spots 1-1.8 mm in size. Such unpleasant irritation spreads over the patient’s body very quickly.
The localization of the rash with scarlet fever is different. However, it is most intense in the armpits, as well as in the area of ​​the elbow folds and skin folds. Quite often, such irritation on the skin is accompanied by intolerable itching. The nature of the rash with scarlet fever is plentiful, punctate. As a rule, such irritation lasts 2-3 days, and then gradually disappears.
Other symptoms of scarlet fever
What other symptoms are characteristic of a disease such as scarlet fever (photo presented in this article)? According to experts, the face of an infected person begins to “glow”, but around the mouth and nose (nasolabial triangle) remains pale, with intact skin. Under the influence of toxins, the patient's tongue acquires a rich red color, and is also covered with protruding papillae.
The human body temperature remains elevated for about 2-4 days, after which it gradually drops. From the 5-6th day of the disease, intense peeling occurs at the site of the rash, which lasts for 2-3 weeks. Scarlet fever (photo of patients you can see below) is diagnosed very easily. Usually, the doctor makes a diagnosis at home, based on the clinical picture of the disease.
Can complications occur if untreated?
Scarlet fever without rash may occur. In this case, the disease is more severe. As a rule, it is manifested by the development of necrotic tonsillitis, and is also accompanied by early purulent complications.
According to experts, complications of scarlet fever are divided into 2 groups: early and late. The first are associated with infectious infection of neighboring tissues. In this case, otitis media, sinusitis and so on may develop. As for the late complications, they are caused by the development of such immune disorders as glomerulonephritis, rheumatism, and so on. By the way, the most severe and dangerous late allergic complications of scarlet fever occur with improper treatment of the disease.
How to deal with pathology?
Most often, treatment of scarlet fever is carried out at home. Only those patients who have moderate to severe forms of the disease are subject to hospitalization. In addition, patients with children from 3 months to 7 years, as well as schoolchildren of the first two classes who did not have scarlet fever, are sent to the hospital.
To eliminate the symptoms of this infectious disease, doctors usually prescribe antibacterial therapy using penicillin drugs. Such intensive treatment is continued for 5-7 days. In the event that the patient does not tolerate penicillin, other antibiotics are used.
What to do to the patient?
When observing all the symptoms of scarlet fever, the patient should immediately call a doctor. After diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe antibiotic therapy. In this case, the patient should strictly adhere to all his recommendations. Otherwise, he may experience quite serious complications.
In addition to taking antibiotics, the patient is required to observe bed rest. You need to do this until the body temperature drops completely. Also, the patient is shown heavy drinking in order to prevent toxic complications. The food of a patient infected with scarlet fever should be semi-liquid or liquid. He also needs to limit protein intake.
Prevention of the disease in children and adults
As mentioned above, the infectious disease in question can be transmitted to a healthy person by airborne droplets, as well as through household items. Therefore, a patient with scarlet fever must be isolated in a separate room. Such a patient should be allocated their own personal care products, including a towel. He is also given a separate tableware. Experts say that the patient’s isolation can be stopped immediately after his recovery, but not earlier than ten days from the onset of the disease.
Children who have had scarlet fever are allowed to attend the first two classes of schools and kindergartens only after their additional isolation at home for 12 days after recovery. As for the kids who were not sick with scarlet fever, but were in contact with the infected, they are not allowed in the team for 7 days from the moment of isolation of the patient. By the way, in direct contact with the patient during the progression of his illness, this period should be 17 days from the start of the first contact.