What are the symptoms of measles in children?

There are many bacteria and viruses in the environment, and many of them can infect the human body and cause diseases. For example, the measles virus can easily infect infants and young children, leading to the well-known measles. This is caused by respiratory tract infection in children. The incidence of the disease is very high. So what symptoms will children have after they have measles?

First, the symptoms of measles

It takes some time from contracting measles to recovering. During this period, the baby will show different symptoms at different stages. Generally speaking, after suffering from measles, a high fever will occur, accompanied by symptoms such as runny nose and cough. Spots may be found on the oral mucosa on the 2nd to 3rd day of the fever, and a rash will appear after 1 to 2 days. It starts from the head and face and spreads to the whole body within a few days. After the rash appears, the fever will subside. Some children may develop complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, encephalitis, etc.

Incubation period

The incubation period of measles is generally 10-14 days, but can be as short as 1 week. There may be a slight rise in body temperature during the incubation period.

Prodromal stage

The prodromal period of measles is also called the pre-eruptive period, which usually lasts 3-4 days. The main symptoms of this stage are similar to those of upper respiratory tract infection:

1. Fever: seen in all cases, mostly moderate or above.

2. Other symptoms such as cough, runny nose, tearing, pharyngeal congestion, etc., with eye symptoms being prominent, such as conjunctivitis, eyelid edema, increased tears, photophobia, and an obvious horizontal line of congestion on the edge of the lower eyelid, are extremely helpful in diagnosing measles.

3. Some cases may have some non-specific symptoms, such as general discomfort, loss of appetite, lack of energy, etc. Infants may have digestive symptoms.

Rash period

At this stage, rashes will begin to appear on the body around the fourth day of the fever, and this condition will last for 3-5 days. The rash first appears behind the ears and along the hairline, then gradually spreads to the face and neck, and then to the chest, abdomen, back, limbs, and finally to the palms and soles of the feet. In addition to the rash on the body, the child will have a persistent high fever during the peak period of the rash, and the body temperature may suddenly rise to 40-40.5℃. In severe cases, lung lesions and mild enlargement of the liver and spleen may also occur.

Second, home care for measles

There is currently no very effective drug to fight the measles virus. Therefore, after a baby is diagnosed with measles, it is important to provide good home care to help the baby recover smoothly.

1. Isolate sick children

Because the measles virus is present in large quantities in the patient's oral, nasal, eye, pharyngeal secretions, sputum, urine, and blood in the early stages of the disease, the virus is excreted from the body through sneezing, coughing, etc., and is directly transmitted through airborne droplets. The measles virus can also be transmitted through contact with contaminated daily necessities, acting as a mechanical carrier, over a short time and short distance, causing infection.

Therefore, children with measles should be isolated at home unless there are any complications. The isolation period is 5 days, and if there are complications, it needs to be extended to 10 days.

2. Keep indoor ventilation

The measles virus can usually survive for about one day in a closed room, but it will lose its vitality once exposed to air circulation. Therefore, the indoor air should be kept fresh and ventilated during the measles period, but the child should not be exposed to direct wind to avoid catching a cold. After coming into contact with a sick child, parents only need to stay outdoors for 20 minutes to avoid infecting others. Sick child's clothes. Bedding, toys, etc. can be disinfected by drying them outdoors for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Create a quiet rest environment

In order for the child to have a good rest, the room should be quiet and parents should create a good rest environment for them. The eyes of children with measles should not be directly stimulated by strong light. During the day when the sun is strong, the curtains should be drawn to block the strong light outside. At night, you can choose lamps with soft and less intense light and cover them with lampshades.

The sick child should be dressed and covered appropriately. If he is overdressed and covered, he will be covered in sweat and will be easily caught a cold when exposed to the wind, which may lead to pneumonia.

Third, the treatment of measles diet therapy

A reasonable diet can help your baby recover as soon as possible. Here are some dietary therapies for treating measles. Parents may wish to give it a try.

Measles first symptoms

Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, photophobia, swollen eyelids, watery eyes, fatigue and drowsiness, and white rash spots can be seen on the cheeks and teeth. This period lasts about 3 days.

Method 1: Soybeans and daylily: 50 grams of soybeans, 25 grams of daylily, soak the soybeans for a day and night, wash the daylily, cook them together until cooked, take the juice instead of tea, 1 dose a day, take it 3 times, and take it for 3 consecutive days.

Method 2: Coriander, scallion and fermented black bean soup: 15 grams of coriander, 3 scallions, 10 fermented black beans, cook the three ingredients together, add sesame oil and salt to season the soup. Take 1 dose per day for 3 consecutive days.

Rash period

Symptoms last from the appearance of rash to its disappearance, which takes about 3 to 4 days. The child has a persistent high fever and has rose-like papules on the skin, which are the size of a needle tip. They first appear on the hairline behind the ears, neck, head, face, chest, back, limbs, palms and soles of feet, and then all the papules appear.

Method 1: Two-peel drink: 20 grams of pear peel, 30 grams of watermelon peel, wash and chop, boil together, remove the residue and add rock sugar instead of tea, 1 dose per day, for 5 to 7 days.

Method 2: Five-juice drink: 60 ml of sugarcane juice, 30 ml of water chestnut juice, 30 ml each of radish juice and pear juice, and 60 ml of watermelon juice. Steam them together and drink as tea after cooling. Take 1 to 2 doses daily.

Recovery period

The rash disappears in the order it appeared, the scales fall off, leaving brown spots on the skin, the fever subsides, and the appetite gradually increases.

Method 1: Lotus seed and rock sugar soup: 30 grams each of lotus seeds and lilies, 15 grams of rock sugar. Remove the core of the lotus seeds and simmer with the lily and rock sugar over low heat until the lotus seeds and lilies are cooked. Take 1 dose per day for 7 to 10 days. Serve at will.

Method 2: Huaishan and Lily Porridge: 20 grams each of Huaishan and Coix seeds, 30 grams of lily, and 100 grams of polished rice. Wash and cook together. Take the porridge in 3 times after it is cooked. Take it for 7 to 10 days.