Measles Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment: A Complete Health Guide

Measles is a childhood infection which is caused by a virus. Nowadays almost everyone is vaccinated to protect themselves from it. You may also know it by another name which is rubeola, this is a virus which spreads very easily and fast. 

This virus proves to be very dangerous for children. It is mostly given to children to reduce the worldwide child death rate. Still the number of children dying from this is quite high, which is more than approximately 2 lakhs. Now recently some measles cases have come to light in the US and it is being said that these cases were from outside the country. And these occurred in people who were unvaccinated or did not know about the vaccine.

Symptoms: How can you identify the Measles 

Measles causes rashes that appear on the body, these are red rashes, first they appear on your face, then slowly they appear behind your ears, then it spreads downward towards the chest and finally it spreads to your feet.

You can see the symptoms of this virus in 10-14 days and some other important symptoms are given below –

-Dry cough

It takes 8 days for the virus to spread inside a person who has measles and starting 4 days from the first rash and ending 4 days when you will start seeing the rash

Cause: In what ways can this happen

Measles is a highly contagious illness. It can be spread very easily. The reason for getting measles is the virus which first infects the nose and throat of people and children. If any person who has this virus coughs, sneezes or talks, then infectious droplets spread in the air and if a person who does not have this virus inhales this air, he can also get this virus. These droplets can remain in the air for about 1 hour. If a person after touching an infected surface puts his finger in his nose or rubs his eyes with his finger then the virus can pass on to that person.

About 90% of people who do not have measles and are vaccinated can also get infected if they come in contact with someone infected with the measles virus.

Risk Factor for Measles

What are the risk factors for getting measles?

1. Being unvaccinated: If you have not had the measles vaccine, you are more likely to get measles.

2. Travelling International: If you travel to a country where measles is very common, your risk of getting measles increases.

3. Vitamin A deficiency: If your diet is severely lacking in vitamin A, this could be a reason for getting measles.

Prevention for Measles

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children’s hospitals be vaccinated to prevent measles.

Vaccine in children

Usually children are given the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. This vaccine is also given for chicken pox. Health care providers recommend the MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age and between 4 and 6 years of age before entering school.

Vaccine in adult

The risk of malls increases in a way similar to standing college, traveling internationally, and working in a hospital environment.

Diagnosis for Measles

Your health care provider basically diagnoses it by its characteristics such as small bluish-white spot with bright red background rash on body.

Your health care provider may ask you if you have recently come in contact with someone who has a rash and fever or if you have traveled internationally.

Here even many providers do not know what measles looks like and the rash can create confusion that it could be another illness until we can confirm with a necessary blood test that the rash is indeed measles.

Treatment for Measles

There is no specific treatment yet that can identify this. Treatment includes rest treating and preventing complications.

Post exposure vaccination:  Some people whose immune system is not very good including infants, if they have come in contact with this virus are given the Measles vaccine within 72 hours. If Measles still develops then these symptoms usually appear and some last for a short time.

Immune serum Globulin. To protect pregnant women, infants and people whose immune system is weak from this virus, they are given antibody injection beforehand. Within 6 days the antibodies start preventing measles and reduce its symptoms.

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