Measles is a viral infection that is mostly contracted by children. It is also known as rubeola and starts in the respiratory system. It is a Highly Contagious Disease that is caused by the rubeola virus. Measles is a serious disease and it can also be fatal for small children. It used to be a very common disease earlier, but now with vaccines it is quite preventable. Even though more and more children are getting vaccinated against measles, there are still about 100,000 deaths among children under the age of 5 years every year across the world.
Symptoms
The symptoms in measles mostly start appearing after about a period of 10 to 14 days of exposure to the rubeola virus. The most common signs and symptoms are:
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Conjunctivitis
- Tiny white spots in the mouth
- Rashes
- Watery eyes
- Body aches
- Sneezing
Causes
Infection caused by the rubeola virus is the cause for this disease. It is highly infectious and replicates in the nose and throat. The infection spreads very easily because the virus is released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. About 90 percent of the people who come in contact with an infected child or adult get infected themselves, if they have not been vaccinated. A person with measles is usually contagious from about 4 days before the rashes appear till 4 to 5 days after the rashes go away.
Treatment
For measles, there is commonly no specific treatment. Antibiotics are often not prescribed because it is a viral infection and not a bacterial one. Normally, the viral infection and the symptoms go away after two to three weeks on their own. But in case a person who has not been vaccinated for measles is exposed to the virus, doctors may prescribe some intervention to prevent the infection or to lessen the severity by giving a measles vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, or in case of pregnant women and people with weak immune systems, give a dose of immunoglobulins (it is a dose of proteins which can be taken within six days of exposure). The doctors usually prescribe the following to help with symptoms and to recover faster:
- Rest
- Plenty of fluids
- Medicine to help reduce the fever
- Vitamin A supplements
- A humidifier to help with the cold and cough
It is easy to prevent this highly contagious disease by getting vaccinated against it. If one gets measles once, then the body builds the immune system to fight against it and the person does not get measles again.
Disclaimer: The information in no way constitutes, or should be construed as medical advice. Nor is the above article an endorsement of any research findings discussed in the article an endorsement for any of the source publications.
Sources-
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37135.php#treatment
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/measles/symptoms-causes/syc-20374857
- https://www.healthline.com/health/measles#catching-measles
The post Measles: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment appeared first on Scientific Animations.
