Are They Measles Symptoms?
Your child has spent several days with a fever and runny nose. He has been listless with no appetite. You are sure it is just a simple cold. That evening you notice that your child's eyes are a little pink and watery. After going to bed, he gets up to complain that he is all itchy. You look over his body and discover a red rash. Your child has measles.
What Exactly Are Measles?
The Rubeola virus, which causes measles, is the most contagious virus known to man. It is a respiratory virus, meaning it spreads rapidly from person to person when infected people cough and sneeze.
An outbreak of measles is characterized by the appearance of a rash. Generally the rash will start on your child's face and spread to the torso and then the arms and legs. The rash is made up of small red bumps that begin to blend into each other as more and more appear. From a distance it looks just like a uniform rash; not until you look closely can you see the individual bumps.
What Are the Symptoms of Measles?
Measles is a virus that at first mimics a cold. The following symptoms appear about 10 to 14 days after exposure:
Then the red eyes or conjunctivitis appears and with that comes the rash. The rash appears two to four days from the initial symptoms. The rash spreads from the cheeks to the rest of the body. Thankfully, it is not an itchy rash, but it can cause the skin to peel as the rash dries up, similar to peeling after a sunburn. Some children with Measles develop small gray spots inside their cheeks. These are called Koplik spots.
Measles makes a child more susceptible to pneumonia and bacterial ear infections. Infants in particular can get pneumonia as a complication of measles. Around once in every 1,000 cases, a child gets inflammation of the brain, or encephalitis, which can be fatal.
Treatment of Measles
Children with Measles should be put on bed rest. They should also be isolated from other household members for five days after the rash first appears.
Some children are very sensitive to light due to the conjunctivitis. It that happens to your child, keep her room dim.
If your child is experiencing eye secretions, carefully remove them with warm saline or water. Do not let your child rub his eyes. The rash may itch. If it does, you can give your child oatmeal baths or slather him with over-the-counter anti-itch medication.
Have Your Child Vaccinated
A vaccine is available to prevent measles. It is part of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are necessary to become immune. The first vaccination is given after the first birthday, and the second one between the ages of four and six.
 | With many common childhood illnesses, by the time symptoms appear, the contagious period has passed. Although complications from these illnesses are rare, it's good to know how to treat them and how to spot signs of serious complications. |
 | If you will be pregnant during flu season, you should get a flu shot to prevent a bout of the flu. |
Your 8-year-old arrives home from school with a fever, a headache, a hacking cough and a look of misery on his face. Is it a cold or the flu? |
Don't fret if your child gets one of many common child viruses. Kids get sick. It's a fact of life, but that doesn't make it any easier on us parents. Our battle to make it better begins with the first cough, sniffle or sneeze. And the enemy? A nasty little thing called a virus, the cause of most childhood illnesses. |
Learn how to get rid of head lice to ensure that your child does not unintentionally spread the lice to others. |
