- Main symptoms
- How to get scarlet fever
- How the treatment is done
- How to care for your baby or child with Scarlet fever
- What to eat during scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a very contagious disease common in children between 5 and 15 years of age that manifests itself through sore throat, high fever, raspberry-shaped balls on the tongue and red itchy spots on the skin.
This disease is caused by the group A beta-hemolytic bacteria Streptococcus and is usually a complication of pharyngitis or bacterial tonsillitis in which the first symptoms appear between 2 and 5 days after contamination. Scarlet fever, although contagious, can be easily treated with antibiotics such as penicillin or erythromycin, which are taken in a single dose or for 5-7 days.
Main symptoms
The most characteristic symptom of scarlet fever is the appearance of tonsillitis with a high fever, reddish tongue, almost raspberry color, and signs of bacterial infection, such as poor appetite, sore throat, headache, prostration, pain in the belly. The fact of sore throat can cause vomiting and dry cough. Reddish spots may appear on the skin, such as a pinhead. About 2-3 days after the onset of symptoms, the skin begins to peel.
Usually the symptoms of scarlet fever disappear 24 hours after the start of treatment and after about a week the red spots disappear. Check out some pictures of scarlet fever.
The diagnosis of scarlet fever is based on the physician's assessment of the signs and symptoms of the disease. In addition, the doctor may order a laboratory test, such as a rapid test for identification of the bacterium, Group A Hemolytic Streptococcus Beta, or a microbial culture from the patient's saliva.
How to get scarlet fever
The transmission of scarlet fever happens through the air through the inhalation of droplets originating from an infected person's cough or sneeze.
Scarlet fever, although more common in children, can also affect adults, and can happen up to 3 times in life, as there are 3 different forms of the bacteria that cause this disease. The times when children are most affected are in the spring and summer.
Closed environments favor the spread of the disease, such as, for example, daycare centers, schools, offices, cinemas and shopping malls. However, although a person may come into contact with the bacterium that causes the disease, this does not mean that they develop it, as this will depend on their immune system. Thus, if one of the brothers develops scarlet fever the other may only suffer from tonsillitis.
How the treatment is done
Scarlet fever is treated with antibiotics such as Penicillin, Azithromycin or Amoxicillin, which can eliminate the bacteria from the body. However, in case of allergy to Penicillin, treatment is usually done using the antibiotic Erythromycin to ensure that no allergic reactions arise.
Generally, the treatment lasts between 7 to 10 days, but after the 2nd dose of the medicine it is expected that the symptoms will alleviate or disappear. Learn about conventional and homemade scarlet fever treatment, signs of improvement, worsening and possible complications.
How to care for your baby or child with Scarlet fever
Babies or children with scarlet fever should not go to school to avoid contaminating other children, it is recommended that they get plenty of rest and avoid contact with other children. As soon as the first symptoms appear, it is important to go to the doctor so that the treatment can be started as soon as possible, and after 24 hours from the beginning of the treatment the child can leave the house and go to school because the disease is no longer contagious.
Other important precautions to control the contagion of the disease, is to regularly wash the child's hands, his clothes with hot water and soap separately, disinfect his objects with alcohol and not share glasses, cutlery or drinks, for example.
What to eat during scarlet fever
In order not to make the sore throat worse, the food during the treatment should be pasty and soft as with porridges, cooked fruits, cereals, soups and purees, to be easy to swallow. In addition, to relieve itchy skin, it is recommended to bathe with raw Mil tea or Eucalyptus leaves and regularly use a moisturizing oil or cream throughout the reddish area. See how the home remedy for scarlet fever is made and how the person with scarlet fever should be fed.
