Measles: Symptoms and treatment
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Symptoms of measles
Symptoms can appear 7 to 21 days after being infected with the measles virus.
Initial symptoms include:
- fever
- cough
- runny nose
- red, watery eyes
About 3 to 7 days after symptoms begin, a rash appears. This rash looks like red spots and blotchy patches that start on the face, and then spread down the body, arms and legs.
The rash can last 4 to 7 days.
Most people recover from measles within 2 or 3 weeks.
Complications of measles
Common complications from measles include:
- ear infection
- pneumonia
- diarrhea
Measles infection can result in hospitalization. Severe complications, while rare, can also result from a measles infection, such as:
- respiratory failure
- inflammation and swelling of the brain (encephalitis)
- death
Long-term complications of encephalitis can include:
- blindness
- deafness
- brain injury
It's also possible to develop a neurological condition called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis 7 to 10 years after recovering from measles. It affects the brain and can develop even if it looks like you've fully recovered from the initial infection. The condition is rare, but fatal. The risk of developing this condition may be higher if you have measles before 2 years of age.
People who get measles while pregnant may:
- have a miscarriage
- go into premature labour
- give birth to an infant with low birth weight
If you become ill
If you're infected with the measles virus, you can spread it to others. This is possible from 4 days before the onset of the rash to 4 days after the rash begins.
If you develop symptoms of measles, isolate at home and call a health care provider immediately. They will advise you on what to do.
Before going to a health care facility, ensure the facility knows that you might have measles. This is so that they can take appropriate precautions to prevent spread to others as soon as you arrive.
Do not go to a health care facility or office without calling ahead first.
Diagnosing measles
It's very important to diagnose measles early to help prevent it from spreading to other people.
Health care providers may suspect measles based on your symptoms and your possible exposure to the virus. For example, they may ask you if:
- you're aware of transmission in your community or had an exposure to someone with measles
- you've been vaccinated against measles or previously infected with measles
- you've recently travelled to a place where measles is present
A health care provider will likely collect a sample to confirm the diagnosis with a lab test, which may include:
- swabs from your nose or throat
- a blood test
- a urine test
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Contact tracing
If you're diagnosed with measles, a health care provider or laboratory will report it to your local public health unit. Your local public health unit will contact you to try to figure out:
- how you became infected
- who you've been in contact with to determine if they could have been exposed
This is called contact tracing and helps prevent spread to others. They will also provide you with advice on how you can reduce the spread to others. For example, they will likely tell you to stay home and avoid contact with others until 4 days after the rash first appeared.
Treating measles
There are no specific antiviral treatments for a measles infection. Medications are available to help relieve symptoms and manage complications if they develop. Most people with measles recover at home, but people with severe measles may require hospitalization.
A health care provider will likely:
- recommend medication to reduce your fever
- tell you to drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest
If your symptoms worsen and you need to seek urgent health care, call ahead. This way, a health care provider can arrange to see you without spreading the infection to others.
Most people fully recover from measles within 2 or 3 weeks if they don't develop complications.
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