Scarlet fever
Causes and symptoms of scarlet fever
What is scarlet fever?
Scarlet fever is an infectious disease that is manifested by a state of intoxication, inflammation of the tonsils and is accompanied by a rash and fever. Most common in children from three to nine years.Infants with this condition are very rare. Scarlet fever is transmitted by airborne droplets. The greatest danger to society are the people who get sick in the first few days.
The symptoms of scarlet fever
The incubation period of scarlet fever lasts from one to seven days. Symptoms of scarlet fever are high fever (up to 39-40 °C), severe pain in the throat (sore throat), headache; the patient feels weak, it feels cold. After 12-24 hours after fever a characteristic rash appears bright red in color. Happen also pain in the stomach and intestines.In scarlet fever the throat is red, tonsils increase, blushing, covered with pus. It is also the language of the patient: the tip and edges are red, other parts are white; with the development of the disease the tongue becomes bright crimson.
The skin of a patient with scarlet fever, covered with small red spots, disappearing when pressed and rough to the touch. Most often the body is covered with rash in full, excluding the area around the mouth. By the end of the first week of the disease the rash peels off in small flakes. This is due to the toxin of the Streptococcusthat causes the death of the top layer of skin.
Causes of scarlet fever
Causes of scarlet fever in our time is unclear, but we know that one of them is hemolytic Streptococcus, bacteria which produce a toxin erythrogenic. Often scarlet fever can occur in people with a chronic disease of the pharynx or tonsils, having a weak innate or acquired immunity. What hemolytic group a Streptococcus causes scarlet fever with sore throat and other complications: chronic tonsillitis, rheumatism, etc.
Complications of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever often has serious complications. In the early stages of the disease are inflammation of the middle ear, paranasal sinuses, and lymph nodes. Rarely can cause pneumonia, inflammation of the bone or blood poisoning. Complications can be avoided through proper and timely treatment.
Among the most dangerouscomplications of scarlet fever is inflammation of the tissues of the kidneys, rheumatism, chorea.
Scarlet fever in children
In the autumn-winter period when the immune system of the body most weakened, children are most susceptible to scarlet fever. The patient's General condition of the child deteriorates, he becomes lethargic, apathetic, sick, the temperature rises to 40 °C. a few hours Later the body of a child covered in a rash, the face becomes puffy, there are signs of sore throats, compacted lymph nodes.From three to seven days the rash will stay on the skin and then begins to descend layers, leaving pigmented spots.
Depending on the severity of the disease varies the speed of recovery. Usually the use of antibiotics and proper care will allow the child to recover faster without serious complications.
In addition to treatment with antibiotics, the child needs to anti-allergic medicines and diet.
Scarlet fever in adults
Scarlet fever is considered to be a childhood disease, but it affects everyone, regardless of age. In adults most often found worn and toxico-septic form of the disease.
Erased form has a pronounced character and is quite fast: pale skin rash comes quickly, the pain in my throat is weak, so the patient may not pay attention to the symptoms.
Toxico-septic form of scarlet fever arises exclusively in adult patients and has a very dangerous symptom: severe drop in blood pressure, cooling of extremities, decreased heart rate, a significant temperature increase.
The disease causes many serious complications: kidney and heart failure, necrotic purulent sore throat, purulent otitis media, sepsis.
Adult patients are treated mainly at home, take penicillin for 10 days. In bed with the scarlet fever is at least a week. It is important to follow a healthy lifestyle, diet and strengthen the immune system.
Prevention of scarlet fever
As vaccines from scarlet fever does not exist, the main means of prevention of the disease are General strengthening of the body, increase immunity, and isolation of patients and compliance with quarantine during the week.
To protect yourself and your baby from dangerous disease will help balanced diet, healthy habits, good hygiene, aeration and wet cleaning quality of the premises (inkindergarten, school, home). The use in food SUPPLEMENTS (dietary supplements) also contributes to reducing the risk of Contracting scarlet fever.