Scarlet fever: treatment, symptoms, prevention

Scarlet fever refers to acute infectious diseases. It is characterized by fever, general intoxication, a pinpoint rash, which can appear anywhere on the body, sore throat. Almost always scarlet fever is affected only by children. Beta-hemolytic streptococcus, belonging to group A, is its causative agent. Scarlet fever, the treatment and symptoms of which we will consider, is due not to its presence, but to the toxin that streptococci secretes into the blood.

What causes scarlet fever

Patients with sore throat, scarlet fever and carriers of streptococcus are the carriers of the disease. The path of infection - airborne, in rare cases - contact-household. You can get infected through cuts and abrasions.

Symptoms: scarlet fever

The incubation period of this disease lasts from one to twelve days. Scarlet fever, the treatment of which we will consider, begins almost always acutely. It is characterized by sharp temperature jumps. The patient suffers from headache, sore throat, weakness. When examining the throat, you can see a picture, which is very characteristic of sore throat.

The first day of the disease, as a rule, ends with the rash on the patient's body. It appears first on the neck, but quickly spreads through the body. It is most strongly manifested by the armpits and in the area of ​​the elbows. Scarlet fever causes the patient's face to turn red, but there are white rims around the mouth and nose. The papilla begins to protrude in the tongue. He himself acquires a rich red color.

The rash, as well as the temperature, lasts up to three days. In the future, they no longer appear. Approximately on the sixth day begins to peel skin. This happens in those places on which there was a rash earlier. Peeling can last up to three weeks.

Scarlet fever, the treatment of which should be timely, is usually easily diagnosed. The doctor makes a conclusion based on the clinical picture.

Complications of scarlet fever

They can be early and late. In the first case, everything is directly related to how the infection spreads. Here you can call otitis, as well as sinusitis. Late complications are directly related to immune disorders. This glomerulonephritis, rheumatism and so on. The most dangerous are allergic complications. They arise in the event that the treatment of scarlet fever was originally wrong. Allergic effects can be worse than the disease itself.

Scarlet fever: treatment of

The doctor should be called at the first suspicion of scarlet fever. After the diagnosis is made, it is important to accurately follow all of his recommendations and appointments. In most cases, timely treatment starts, causing scarlet fever to retreat quickly enough. Improper treatment causes complications, which are listed above. There are also complications from the use of drugs. This means that they must be taken only a strictly certain time.

While the temperature is holding, the patient must always comply with bed rest. It is necessary to drink a lot of water - this will help to avoid toxic complications. Food should be taken semi-liquid or liquid. Proteins should be limited.

In most cases, treatment is done at home. Hospitalization is subject only to those patients in whom the disease is badly triggered or exacerbated. The hospital can be laid and the one in whose family there are children under seven( especially if they have never had scarlet fever).

Prevention of

The patient should eat from a separate dish. He must be in an isolated room, he must have his own towel. The isolation should last about ten days. In children's institutions, where numerous diseases of scarlet fever were recorded, quarantine should be established.