Distinguishing measles and rubella in children

Many parents are often unable to tell the difference between a medical condition and rubella disease in a young child. This is extremely not good for the care and treatment of the baby.

Measles and roseola have quite similar symptoms, so most parents often confuse them. Here are some helpful facts to help people distinguish between rubella and measles in children exactly.

Rubella

Roseola in young children , also known as sudden rash, is a viral illness that is common in children between the ages of 7 and 13 months. 90% of cases occur in children under 2 years of age.

Rubella is most often caused by the herpes virus type 6 (not the type of herpes that causes herpes).

Children with roseola usually have a high fever (up to 104 degrees F - about 39 degrees C) and usually lasts 3 to 7 days.

Rubella is also known as baby measles because it occurs only in children between the ages of six months and three years. About 90% of children have been exposed, with 33% actually infected with the virus. Although very rare, there are already records of older people such as teenagers or adults infected around the world.

Causes of rubella disease

Most rubella is caused by a virus. Although the disease does not spread through the air, it can spread through human contact through saliva or exhalation of an infected individual. If your child has rubella sharing personal items with others without the disease, rubella can be transmitted to these people.

Rubella cannot cause flare-ups and it doesn't have a certain season either. Children can get this disease at any time of the year.

Symptom

The incubation period for roseola is 5 to 15 days. Symptoms include a sudden high fever, seizures (high fever), a red throat and runny nose. When the fever begins to disappear around day five, a rash appears with flat, pale pink patches or dotted spots spread throughout the body. The rash usually begins in the child's back, chest, and then on to the child's legs and arms. The rash usually lasts only three days after which it goes away on its own. In particular, this disease rarely has complications.

Diagnosis and treatment

The doctor will perform a blood and urine test to diagnose if your baby has roseola. Rubella can be treated with ibuprofen, acetaminophen or sponge. Note, you should never give aspirin to a child while having roseola because this can cause further illness in the child.

Prevent

Preventing this scarlet fever is difficult because there is no vaccine or sure way to prevent it. However, the general assumption is that a childhood illness can provide lifelong immunity since the disease is unlikely to occur a second time in the same person.

Measles

Measles is a common infectious disease caused by a virus. Up to 20 million people worldwide get it every year. It is considered a common childhood illness although adults may have the disease. For children, this disease is considered a serious and sometimes even potentially fatal disease.

Reason

Measles is a disease caused by a virus in the air. It can be spread through contact with mucus, saliva or air droplets (such as sneezing or coughing).

Symptom

The incubation period is 7 to 18 days. Symptoms include high fever, diarrhea , sore throat, white spots inside the mouth, red eyes, muscle pain, and runny nose. The rash will appear 3 to 5 days after the fever appears. The rashes are very small, causing the skin to become red and red and appear to be connected. The inside of the cheeks may appear white spots called Koplik spots.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your doctor will confirm the diagnosis by examining the rash, examining the symptoms and doing blood tests. There is currently no clear treatment for measles. However, doctors recommend taking acetaminophen because when you have a fever and muscle aches, vitamin A in acetaminophen will help replenish the body to prevent complications. In addition, when your baby has measles, you should let your baby rest, provide water for the baby's body by giving him plenty of water and use a humidifier for his throat to avoid coughs. Complications of this disease can arise and even be fatal. Some of the most common are pneumonia, low platelet encephalitis, ear infections , and bronchitis .

Prevent

Protect your child from measles by getting them vaccinated. The measles and mumps (MMR) vaccine can be given to babies 12 months old for the first time and with a second dose between ages 4 and 6 years. Adults who have never been immunized can order MMR vaccine from their doctor.

In general, both scarlet and measles viruses are found in the air and people can become infected by contact with infected fluids such as sharing spoons and spoons. In roseola, the rash appears only when the fever is over, while a rash appears in measles while the child is still in fever. Besides, measles can be prevented by vaccine (MMR) while rubella is not a clear preventive.

Parents should differentiate themselves to have the right treatment and prevention for their baby.