Measles

Many types of diseases spread in humans due to coughs and sneezes of infected persons. Syphilis is one of these types of disease which affects the skin of the whole body. This disease can spread via direct mouth contact or through running nose secretions. Measles is a disease that is extremely contagious and infectious. It can show its symptoms in 10 to 14 days after exposure to an infected person. It remains in the human body and lasts for 7 to 10 days. As it is an airborne disease it can easily spread through the coughs and sneezing particles released from the infected people. The rate of spreading of this disease is very high as 90 % of people who share the living space with an infected person can get affected. It is a good sign of this disease that it happens only once and people do not get affected by this disease again.

Measles is caused by ?

The primary cause of the spread of measles disease is airborne particles of coughs and sneezes. Measles virus is the cause of spreading the disease. Generally, it is an illness of childhood but this can happen to the person of any age. There are other names of the disease like red measles, rubella (German measles), English measles and morbilli.

Because of this virus, major illnesses occur to small children, below 5 years. Sometimes it becomes fatal. It may even cause the death of an infected child if not properly treated in a timely manner. Though the rate of deaths is falling as compared to the recent decades nearly 100,000 children die due to this virus per year. To date, there is no specific vaccine for this disease but the combinations of medicines can reduce the infection and help to get rid of this disease.

In the early ages, between 1 to 1.5 years of age, the measles vaccine (combination of medicines) can cure the child of this deadly disease. Because of this dose, antibodies develop in the child to shield him/her from disease. Mothers who are immune to measles transfer the antibodies during pregnancy but after the birth, the antibodies are lost, somehow, during the initial period of nine months therefore the vaccination within a year or so can reduce the chance of infection.

Lots of diseases come from animals to humans and this disease is not the exceptional one. The virus attacks humans, especially children, and replicates itself in the nose and throat area of humans. When the infected person coughs, sneezes or talks the infected droplets spread in the living space of the healthy people and he/she may affect them.

Measles Symptoms

The symptoms of measles start to appear from 10 to 14 days after the infection. The common symptoms include fever, running nose, sore throat, red patches, rash, coughing and red eyes (conjunctivitis). It starts with a running nose, sneezing and coughing. Fever starts to come from 5 to 7 days and goes to very high \(104 \degree F)\ and lasts within one week.

During this, rashes also start to develop throughout the body (start from the back of the ear) and itching on the rashes begins. These red patches, sometimes slightly raised, on the skin begin from the back of the ear and moves to the head, neck, chest and trunk. Over the few days, these red rashes spread on the other parts of the body like thighs, lower legs and feet.

These red patches become red to dark brown before disappearing and leave, sometimes, behind the black marks on the body. But these black marks are also getting disappeared in due course of time. Another symptom is the appearance of koplik’s spots or white spots on the inside of the cheeks. If these marks of infection are determined in the early stages of the disease the treatment can be started early and can reduce the spread of this deadly virus.

Measles leads to other diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia if not treated in the initial stages. This makes the disease complicated to treat. Fever and other symptoms of measles reduce the immune system of the body by some weeks or months and make the body vulnerable and prone to other infectious diseases.

Measles Treatment

Humans are the host of many viruses and measles is also one of them. The virus is ineffective in the airspace or nearby space for two hours so if the periodic clearances of space near the infected person by disinfectants or through sprays can reduce the rate of spreading of infection. If somebody is affected by this disease, try to isolate them and avoid any public gathering to spread it further.

The infected person can infect other persons once the rashes start to come. People with low immune systems like pregnant women, children below 5 years, patients of HIV/AIDS or leukaemia and those who are malnourished are very prone to this virus. They should take care of themselves and avoid the situations or circumstances to get infected with this disease.

People who have taken the vaccine in the near past and come in contact with the infectious person and get infected with this virus may experience a modified type of measles with mild symptoms like discrete red rashes or mild fever for a short duration. Oral medicines or other vaccines, prescribed by a specialist, can cure it within a short time.

Internationally travelling persons should take measles doses as per the suggestion from the specialist. They must also increase the intake of vitamin A in their diets to immune themselves from this disease.

FAQs on Measles

Q.1: How measles can occur?

Answer. Measles is a contagious infectious disease. The infected person coughing or sneezing in the public space can spread the disease. This can also occur due to kissing mouth to mouth with the infected person.

Q.2: How measles can be treated? Please provide some names of medicines that are in use for the treatment.

Answer: Treatment of measles starts with ibuprofen or paracetamol to reduce the fever and pain. Also, Vitamin A tablets can reduce the chances of blindness. Good and Vitamin A rich food must be provided to patients.  Maintenance of hydration at sufficient level can increase the rate the recovery of the body. Malnourished children are mostly affected by this disease so to avoid this disease in children; they should be given good and healthy food and clean drinking water.

Here it is noted that there are no home remedies available for the treatment and no over-the-counter treatment is recommended. It is very much recommended to take the medicines under the supervision of a specialist.

Q.3: Is there any vaccine available for the cure of measles?

Answer: No, there is no such vaccine is, currently, available for the treatment of measles. But there is an MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine which is given to children within 12 to 18 months from birth. This vaccine boosts the immune system of infants and reduces the chance of such types of infections at early ages when the immune system is weak.

Q.4: What are the chances of death due to measles?

Answer. In the earlier ages, the rate of death occurrence was very high. This was so as the awareness and treatment about the disease were little known. Nowadays, awareness about the disease is more in the general public. Also, treatments are available ranging from food to medicines.