Measles (rubeola) treatment available online

The measles infection is highly contagious. The measles virus can spread quickly from one infected person to the next through vapor droplets when a person sneezes or coughs, saliva, or drool. The measles virus can stay active on a surface for a few hours. This means you can easily contract measles via:

• Close or direct contact with an infected person

• Exposure to vapor droplets of an infected person

• Touching objectives and surfaces that contain the virus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the following progression of symptoms of measles with time after exposure to the virus.

The first symptoms of measles usually involve the following:

• High fever (can go over 104°)

• Runny nose

• Cough

• Sore throat

• Eyes that are red and watery (conjunctivitis)

Next, about 2 to 3 days after the symptoms of measles begin, tiny white spots (also known as Koplik spots) can appear. The Koplik spots usually appear inside the mouth.

Next, a rash starts to break out about three to five days after symptoms of measles begin. The rash typically starts out as red spots on the face. The measles rash then spreads downwards to the rest of the body (neck to feet) from the face and hairline. As it spreads, the following characteristics can also be observed:

• During the appearance of the rash, a fever can go over 104° Fahrenheit.

• The small red spots start out flat but can develop raised bumps with time.

• The spots (with raised bumps) may join together as they spread downwards to the rest of the body (neck to feet).

The measles rash typically lasts about seven days. Similar to how it starts and spreads, the rash typically starts to fade first from the face and downwards to the rest of the body, fading last from the feet.

Measles can lead to severe complications and tend to affect people who belong to the following groups:

• Pregnant women

• Children less than 5 years of age

• Adults older than 20 years of age

• Patients who have weakened immune systems due to HIV infection or leukemia

Common complications of measles include:

• Diarrhea

• Ear infections: These can occur due to secondary infections.

More severe complications can come about due to weakened immune systems and include:

• Pneumonia: This is a severe lung infection. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death in children suffering from measles. 1 out of 20 children suffering from measles develops pneumonia.

• Encephalitis: This is brain swelling that can cause convulsions and lead to intellectual disability.

• Complications during pregnancy: Premature births or low birth weight newborns can occur if the pregnant woman is not vaccinated against measles.

• Death: Measles can be fatal due to complications that develop.

• Meningitis: Meningitis is when the meninges, a protective tissue of the brain is infected. If the infection is caused by a virus, it is called viral meningitis. Meningitis causes a stiff neck, fever, and headache. There is no treatment for viral meningitis. It will go away on its own.

There is no specific treatment or medication for measles because it is caused by a virus and not bacteria. Therefore, the measles vaccines are the primary method of preventing measles.

For patients that have been diagnosed with measles, the primary treatment is to relieve symptoms of measles, with methods such as fever reduction and prevention of dehydration. The infected person should also be quarantined to try and prevent the spread.

Measles is caused by a virus. This disease is highly contagious. You can easily contract measles via:

• Close or direct contact with infected person

• Exposure to vapor droplets of infected person

• Touching objectives and surfaces that contain the virus