Measles : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention

Rubeola, or better known as measles, is an infectious infection caused by a virus. Before measles immunization is promoted, measles is one of the endemic diseases that cause the most deaths each year.

This disease is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family which is usually transmitted through direct contact with sufferers or by air. The virus infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.

Specific symptoms of this disease are reddish skin rashes that appear 7-14 days after exposure and can last for 4-10 days. In children, this disease can cause deadly serious complications if not handled properly. Therefore, consult a doctor or the nearest health care provider immediately if you or your child experience this disease.

This disease most often occurs in children. However, this disease can also occur in adults if when your children have never experienced it. You can reduce the chance of getting this disease by reducing the risk factors that exist. Consult your doctor for more information.

Measles Symptoms

Measles symptoms often occur about one to two weeks after someone is infected with the virus. The earliest symptoms of measles appear are high fever up to 40 centigrade, followed by red and runny eyes, runny nose, sneezing, dry cough, sensitive to light, fatigue, and decreased appetite.

Two or three days after the initial symptoms of measles appear, following the symptoms of measles, which appear grayish white spots in the mouth and throat.

After that, a brownish-red rash appears that starts from around the ears, head, neck, and then spreads throughout the body.

This rash appears about four days after the initial measles symptoms appear and can last for 5 to 6 days. While high fever due to this disease will usually start to fall on the third day after the rash appears.

There may be signs and symptoms of measles that are not mentioned above. If you have a concern about a measles symptom, consult your doctor immediately.

If you have signs or symptoms of measles as mentioned above or other questions, consult your doctor. Each person's body is different. Always consult a doctor to treat your health condition.

In addition, contact your doctor immediately if your child shows symptoms as below:

• High fever which is getting worse
• Difficult to wake up
• Confused or delirious
• Difficulty in breathing and complaints do not improve after you clean the nose
• Complains with severe headaches
• Removing yellow fluid from the eye
• Still complain of fever after the fourth day of the rash
• Looks very pale, weak and weak
• Complain with earache

 

Causes of Measles

This disease is caused by a highly contagious virus. Transmission can occur if you breathe in splashes of water in the air from sneezing, coughing, or saliva containing viruses from sufferers. In addition, touching items that are contaminated with viruses can also cause you to experience this disease.

The virus that causes this disease can survive in the air and on the surface for more than 2 hours. That is why, if you touch an object that is exposed to this disease virus splash, then accidentally rubbed his eyes, put his hands to the nose or mouth, you could also become infected.

This disease can also be transmitted by an infected person from 4 days before the onset of symptoms to 4 days after the symptoms have started to subside.

In many cases, if the disease is not treated properly it can become an endemic disease that causes many deaths, especially among malnourished children.
Although this disease more often affects children, you can also be infected with this virus if you have never before been exposed to this disease or have not been immunized.

Treatment of Measles

Basically the principle of handling this disease is supportive therapy. Because the virus that causes this disease is self limiting disease, so that this disease can ideally heal by itself.

However, you still have to control the development of the virus in the child's body, so it does not spread to other vital organs, such as the brain and lungs. Here are the steps you can take to deal with measles in infants and children.

1. Get plenty of rest

The key to overcoming measles in a baby is to get more rest. Therefore, make sure your child reduces physical activity and play for a while.
By getting enough rest, your child's immune system will be stronger to fight viral infections that multiply in his body.

2. Limit contact with the surrounding environment

People affected by this disease must be "exiled" for a while because this disease is highly contagious. Therefore, it is important for you to limit your child from contact with the surrounding environment, so that the disease he is suffering from is not transmitted to his friends. If your child is already in school, ask for permission not to go to school until the fever and rash disappear.

Also separate children affected by this disease from siblings, especially if you have babies who have not yet received measles immunization. For family members or vulnerable contacts, vaccination or human immunoglobulin can be given for prevention. It's also good for children to be given a mask to limit transmission through coughing or sneezing.

No less important, separate all toiletries and eating utensils that your child uses when he is affected by this disease. This is done in order to avoid the transmission of measles in infants and children through indirect contact.

3. Pay attention to food intake

Paying attention to the intake of nutritious food plays an important role in overcoming measles in infants and children. Eat a balanced nutritious diet of fruits and vegetables that contain lots of vitamins.

Unfortunately, measles in infants and children often makes them difficult to eat because the symptoms of this disease can sometimes irritate the esophagus.

Even so do not worry, you can work around this by providing food in the form of porridge. Make sure you also avoid fried foods and cold drinks and drinks for a while.

4. Don't be afraid to shower

Many people believe that measles in infants and children should not be hit by water because it can make red spots on their skin worse. As a result, not a few parents who do not allow their children to bathe.

In fact, after the child is no longer fever, you can bathe your child. This is done to reduce itching due to rashes while providing comfort to your child.

When bathing, use soap that does not irritate the skin that is having problems. After bathing, dry your baby's body with a soft cloth and apply itchy special powder to his body.

5. Drink lots of water

Measles in infants and children raises the initial symptoms of high fever. Now the high fever experienced by children when attacked by this disease will generally drain the body's fluids and electrolytes.

Therefore, give enough drink to maintain body fluids and replace fluids lost if the child also experiences vomiting and diarrhea when they experience this disease.

6. Take pain medication

To reduce fever and reduce pain, your child can take fever-lowering drugs and pain relievers such as aspirin (paracetamol) and ibuprofen.

However, make sure you do not give aspirin if your child is not over the age of 16 years. Giving aspirin drugs to children under the age of 16 years can cause children affected by Reye's syndrome. The use of antibiotics is rarely done unless the doctor finds other infections experienced by the child.

Besides vitamin A supplementation is also able to help speed up the recovery of the condition if you or your child experience this disease. The dose of vitamin A given is:

• Infants younger than 6 months 50,000 IU / day PO is given 2 doses.
• Age 6-11 months 100,000 IU / day PO 2 doses.
• Age over 1 year 200,000 IU / day PO 2 doses.
• Children with signs of vitamin A deficiency, the first 2 doses according to age, followed by the third dose according to the age given 2-4 weeks later.

Always consult a doctor before taking additional supplements. The reason is the dosage and rules of use of each supplement may be different.

Measles Prevention

The most effective way to prevent this disease is by administering mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) immunization. If you are an adult who has never received measles immunization or has never contracted this disease before, it is important for you to get this immunization immediately.

While women who are planning a pregnancy but have never received measles immunization should consult a doctor first, because the vaccine cannot be given during pregnancy. Keep in mind that measles in pregnant women can harm the fetus.

MMR immunization can be given to all children aged 9 months to less than 15 years through injections with a dose of 0.5 milliliters.

In general, immunization is safe for everyone. However, pregnant women, people who have a weakened immune system due to leukemia, tuberculosis, and those who are allergic to certain components in the vaccine, are not recommended for immunization.

If you have questions, consult your doctor for the best solution for your problem.

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