With recent news of the measles outbreak in California, I thought it might be a good idea to review information about measles.
Measles, also called rubeola, is a disease that mainly affects children but is also common in adults. It is a virus, not bacteria, and once you get the measles it will have to run its course. There is no medicine that will make it go away.
The disease can be serious, and even fatal for small children or people with pre-existing conditions. In 2013, more than 145,000 people worldwide, most under the age of 5, died from measles, according to the World Health Organization.
Measles can almost always be prevented with a vaccine, yet there is controversy in our society over whether children should be immunized. Most children get the vaccineas part of their regular shots. But in recent years an increasing number of parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children, many citing a fear of possible side-effects from the vaccines.
Whatever reason is behind a choice to not vaccinate against measles, many states, are seeing a resurgence of the disease. Some health care providers are limiting their availability to care for patients who choose to put their families and themselves at risk by not being vaccinated. It is too great of risk, in some cases, for other patients in their care to be exposed.
Measlesisa verycontagious infection. While the virus spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or shares food or drinks, it can also travel through the air. This means you can get measles if you are near someone who has the virus, even if that person doesn'tcoughor sneeze directly on you.
You can spread the measles to others as early as four days before the rash starts and as late as four days after the rash has appeared. The virus is most often spread when people first get sick, before they know they have it. If you are suspected of having the measles, you and your family will be put in quarantine.
Symptoms of the disease appear anywhere from 10 to 14 days after you have been exposed. They include what we in the medical field call "The Three Cs: cough, conjunctivitis (pinkeye) and coryza (inflamation, illness in the upper respiratory tract).
Tiny, white spots, called Koplicks spots, may also appear on the inside of your mouth. Then three to five days after these initial symptoms begin, "flat red spots appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet," according to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other symptoms of the measles virus include high fever, dry cough, runny nose and sore throat.
On a good note, once you've had measles you can't get the virus again. Most people born before 1957 have had measles in some form.
The best way to prevent getting the measles is to get vaccinated. While that choice might be a personal one, you should also consider others who you affect if you chose not to vaccinate.
Measles, also called rubeola, is a disease that mainly affects children but is also common in adults. It is a virus, not bacteria, and once you get the measles it will have to run its course. There is no medicine that will make it go away.
The disease can be serious, and even fatal for small children or people with pre-existing conditions. In 2013, more than 145,000 people worldwide, most under the age of 5, died from measles, according to the World Health Organization.
Measles can almost always be prevented with a vaccine, yet there is controversy in our society over whether children should be immunized. Most children get the vaccineas part of their regular shots. But in recent years an increasing number of parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children, many citing a fear of possible side-effects from the vaccines.
Whatever reason is behind a choice to not vaccinate against measles, many states, are seeing a resurgence of the disease. Some health care providers are limiting their availability to care for patients who choose to put their families and themselves at risk by not being vaccinated. It is too great of risk, in some cases, for other patients in their care to be exposed.
Measlesisa verycontagious infection. While the virus spreads when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or shares food or drinks, it can also travel through the air. This means you can get measles if you are near someone who has the virus, even if that person doesn'tcoughor sneeze directly on you.
You can spread the measles to others as early as four days before the rash starts and as late as four days after the rash has appeared. The virus is most often spread when people first get sick, before they know they have it. If you are suspected of having the measles, you and your family will be put in quarantine.
Symptoms of the disease appear anywhere from 10 to 14 days after you have been exposed. They include what we in the medical field call "The Three Cs: cough, conjunctivitis (pinkeye) and coryza (inflamation, illness in the upper respiratory tract).
Tiny, white spots, called Koplicks spots, may also appear on the inside of your mouth. Then three to five days after these initial symptoms begin, "flat red spots appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet," according to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other symptoms of the measles virus include high fever, dry cough, runny nose and sore throat.
On a good note, once you've had measles you can't get the virus again. Most people born before 1957 have had measles in some form.
The best way to prevent getting the measles is to get vaccinated. While that choice might be a personal one, you should also consider others who you affect if you chose not to vaccinate.
