- Scarlet fever - threatening complications
- How do you get scarlet fever
Scarlet fever - a bacterial infection, the main symptom of which is the vast red-pink skin rash. Nowadays, this disease is relatively rare and occurs in a mild form.
Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever
The first symptoms of scarlet fever usually appear within 4 days after infection.
Covered with scarlet fever rash skin of the patient to the touch may resemble sandpaper. The rash appears, usually in one place and then distributed to other parts or even the entire body. Often the rash is accompanied by itching.
The patient's face in most cases not covered by rash, but it becomes a scarlet, wherein the skin around the mouth remains white. Hardest rash of scarlet fever affects the skin on the ears, neck, chest, elbows, inner thighs and groin.
Usually the rash persists for six days, and then gradually begins to decline, since the upper torso. At the mildest forms of the disease rash is the only symptom of scarlet fever. In other cases, observed symptoms such as headache, inflammation of the lymph nodes in the neck, lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain; damage to delicate blood vessels in the skin folds, for example, armpits, because of which the skin appear red band - the so-called line paste; White patches on the tongue (a few days later he will come down, leaving the language even more red than usual, and swollen); malaise.
If in addition to these symptoms you experience severe muscle pain, you were diarrhea and vomiting, see your doctor to rule out or as soon as possible to identify streptococcal infections such as toxic shock syndrome. In the early stages of these diseases are treated fairly easily.
The upper layers of the skin, usually on the hands, peel away within six weeks after the eruption took place.
How is scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is highly contagious. It is transmitted by airborne droplets when physical contact with an infected person, and also at the joint with the patient using towels, toilets, bathtubs, clothes and bed linen.
Some people are carriers of scarlet fever - that is, they do not have symptoms of the disease, but it can infect other.
Ill with scarlet fever can any man, but it occurs most often in children aged four to eight years. Symptoms of scarlet fever appears only those who are susceptible to the toxins formed streptococcus. Most children over ten years of developing immunity to streptococci, and children up to two years still protected by antibodies they received from their mother.
The complications of scarlet fever
Complications from scarlet fever are rare. Sometimes patients who have had a disease that develops an ear infection, abscess
Abscess - why it is so dangerous ulcers?
throat, sinusitis, inflammation of the kidneys, pneumonia, acute rheumatic fever, accompanied by severe pain in the joints. In extremely rare cases, scarlet fever gives complications such as meningitis
Meningitis - an inflammation of the meninges
, Acute renal failure
Acute renal failure - causes and consequences
, Sepsis, necrotizing fasciitis, toxic shock syndrome (a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection), osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis: severe inflammatory disease
(infection of the bone).
Treatment for scarlet fever
In most cases, scarlet fever passes untreated for approximately one week. However, when symptoms of scarlet fever are advised to contact a doctor. He prescribe treatment that will not only speed up recovery, but also reduce the risk of side effects.
The most common treatment for scarlet fever is prescribed ten-day course of antibiotics, such as penicillin. If the patient is allergic to penicillin, may be used instead of erythromycin.
The patient need to stay at home for at least a day after treatment. When properly receiving medication symptoms disappear after a few days, but the treatment should be brought to the end in order to avoid recurrence and complications.
During treatment, try to drink plenty of fluids to maintain in the room where you are, the temperature below 20C, eat right. For headaches and high temperatures can take paracetamol. Calamine lotion can help relieve itching and relieve inflammation of the skin. Before the end of a course of antibiotics should refrain from drinking alcohol.
