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Dr. Sabita Malla, MD, FACP

Medical Information on What Measles Can Do to You

Measles

Why is Measles Important?
Measles virus is a highly contagious airborne virus that spreads through the air even after the patient has departed and/or is not even symptomatic with a rash yet.
This virus lives in the nose and throat.
The virus spreads easily through the air when a sick person coughs or sneezes.
Approximately 9 out of 10 non-immune persons will develop measles upon exposure.

Communicability

  • Infectious 4 days before to 4 days after rash onset.

Symptoms :

  • High Fever (over 101°F)
  • Red watery eyes
  • Cough
  • A rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body

Complications

  • Otitis media, bronchopneumonia, dehydration, convulsions, laryngotracheobronchitis and diarrhea.
  • Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare but fatal degenerative disease develops 7-10 years after measles infection.

Treatment

There’s no specific antiviral agent available

Prevention

  • Best prevention is timely vaccinations. See vaccine schedule.
  • Persons with measles must remain isolated for 4 days after rash onset.

Sore throat

Most sore throats are just a part of a cold. The presence of a cough, hoarseness, or nasal symptoms points to a viral infection. For local pain relief for patients can gargle warm water with a little table salt or gargle solution. For severe symptoms give acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce discomfort or fever >102 degrees. Sore throats typically last between 3 to 4 days. Call your doctor if the sore throat is the main symptom and it last more than 24 hours, fever last more than three days.

Constipation

Most constipation can be treated from home with basic diet changes, foods with higher fiber content twice a day (peas, beans, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums, spinach, etc), increase whole grain foods, and decrease constipating foods such as: milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt, or cooked carrots. Call your doctor if there is any acute rectal pain or abdominal pain after these treatments

Diarrhea

Diarrhea commonly results from gastroenteritis caused by viral infections,parasites or bacterial toxins. In sanitary living conditions where there is ample food and a supply of clean water, an otherwise healthy patient usually recovers from viral infections in a few days. Symptomatic treatment for diarrhea involves the patient consuming adequate amounts of water to replace that loss, preferably mixed with electrolytes to provide essential salts and some amount of nutrients. For many people, further treatment is unnecessary.

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