Measles is considered as a very infectious airborne virus that was known to infect a large population. The condition rarely occurs in developed countries. The symptoms of this condition manifest in phases over a span of about four days. A doctor should be consulted for proper assessment and diagnosis if you suspect that a toddler has measles.
Fever
Mild or moderate fever can manifest sometime during the initial four days along with other symptoms among toddlers and can last until after the rash manifests. Once the rashes appear, the fever will increase as high as 105 degrees F. The fever will later on subside as the rash starts to spread. By enrolling in a first aid course, you can properly manage the fever.
Cold symptoms
One of the first indications of measles among toddlers appears as cold symptoms that can last around four days. These include cough, runny nose, malaise, sore throat and fatigue.
Koplik’s spots
The Koplik’s spots manifest in the mouth of the toddler 2-3 days after the cold symptoms manifest, before the rash occurs. These small white-colored spots with bluish centers on a red background are the hallmark indication of measles. The Koplik’s spots start at the rear of the interior cheek and eventually spread to cover most of the interior of the cheek and lower lip
Rash
The rash of measles will manifest around the 4th day of illness. The rash that is reddish-brown in color appears first at the back of the ears and in the hairline of the forehead. The rash later on spreads from the head down over the following three days. The face, neck, trunk, buttocks and extremities are affected which can start as single spots and then blend together. The rash can be slightly itchy. Do not forget that measles is transmissible four days before up to four days after the rash appears.
How measles is diagnosed
The doctor can confirm measles by assessing the skin rash and observing for symptoms that are distinctive of the disease particularly the white spots in the mouth, cough, fever as well as sore throat. If a diagnosis could not be determined based on the assessment, the doctor might request for a blood test to check for the presence of the measles virus.
Treatment of measles
At the present, there are no prescription medications to manage measles. The virus as well as symptoms usually disappears within 2-3 weeks. Nevertheless, the doctor can recommend the following measures.
- You can provide acetaminophen to help relieve fever and the muscle aches
- Encourage the individual to rest to help boost the immune system
- Provide the individual with plenty of fluids to drink at around 6-8 glasses of water in a day
- A humidifier can be used to help ease the coughing and sore throat
- Provide the individual with vitamin A supplements
These measures can help ease the symptoms of the individual as well as provide comfort during the course of the illness.