Sore throat, bright red spots on the skin, fever, reddish face and red, inflamed tongue with a raspberry appearance are some of the main symptoms caused by scarlet fever, an infectious disease caused by a bacterium. This disease, especially affects children up to 15 years of age, and usually appears 2 to 5 days after the contamination, because it depends on the response of the individual's immune system.
Main symptoms of scarlet fever
Some of the main symptoms of scarlet fever include:
- Pain and infection in the throat; High fever above 39ºC; Itchy skin; Bright red spots on the skin, similar to the pinhead; Reddish face and mouth; Red and inflamed tongue with raspberry color; Nausea and vomiting; Headache; General malaise; Lack of appetite; Dry cough.
In most cases, after starting treatment, symptoms begin to subside after 24 hours, and at the end of 6 days of treatment the red spots on the skin disappear and the skin peels off.
Diagnosis of Scarlet fever
The diagnosis of Scarlet fever can be made by the doctor through a physical exam where the symptoms are observed. Scarlet fever is suspected if the baby or child has a fever, sore throat, bright red spots and blisters on the skin or a red, inflamed tongue.
To confirm suspicions of scarlet fever, the doctor uses a quick lab kit to perform a test that detects Streptococcus infections in the throat or can take a sample of saliva for analysis in the laboratory. In addition, another way to diagnose this disease is to order a blood test to assess the levels of white blood cells in the blood, which, if elevated, indicate the presence of an infection in the body.
How to treat and relieve symptoms
The treatment of Scarlet fever is done with antibiotics such as Azithromycin, Erythromycin, Penicillin or Amoxicillin for example, which eliminate the bacteria Streptococcus Beta Hemolytic from group A responsible for causing this disease, this usually lasts between 7 to 10 days.
In addition to the use of antibiotics to cure the disease, other precautions are also recommended to help relieve the symptoms experienced, such as:
- Eat pasty, soft or liquid foods like boiled fruits, soups, purees, porridges, scrambled eggs, yogurts, jellies or mashed potatoes for example, which are easy to swallow and won't make your throat sore; Add garlic to meals whenever possible, as it is a food with anti-inflammatory properties; Regularly use Mil tea, chamomile or Eucalyptus on the skin to refresh and relieve itching and discomfort; Use moisturizing oils or creams to hydrate, reduce redness and prevent peeling skin; drinking pomegranate or clove tea that help treat sore throat as they have antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties; drinking ginger tea to relieve nausea and vomiting; add propolis layer to water or tea because it helps to treat pain and throat; put cold compresses or a wet towel with cold water on the forehead and armpits to help lower the fever; drink chamomile tea or chopped leaves bulb to relieve pain and headaches.
Scarlet fever is a highly infectious disease and that is why it is very important that the baby or child does not go to school, that they get enough rest and that they avoid contact with other children or adults. See how to take care of the baby or child with Scarlet fever.
