Everyone has to deal with annoying viruses. Because young children do not yet have the necessary antibodies, they often have to deal with these types of viral infections. That is why we talk about childhood diseases. One of the childhood diseases that your child may encounter is scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina. What is scarlet fever, how do you get it? And: how do you get rid of scarlet fever?
Childhood diseases
Some viruses are very contagious, so most people are exposed to them as children. That is why we talk about teething problems . After you have been infected with such a virus, the body will produce antibodies to fight the disease, i.e. the virus. These antibodies then protect you in principle for your entire life, so that you become immune and do not contract the viral disease in question again.
Virus disease
Below you will see a list of the most well-known childhood diseases.
- The measles
- Rubella
- Chicken-pox
- Mumps
- Fifth disease
- Sixth disease
Nowadays, children are vaccinated against some of these diseases, measles, rubella and mumps, at an early stage, so that these diseases no longer occur much.
Bacterial disease scarlatina or: scarlet fever
Not all diseases are caused by viruses, sometimes bacteria are the culprit. You do not build up immunity against bacteria. One of these bacterial diseases is scarlet fever , the official term is scarlatina . Although scarlet fever used to be a common and serious disease, the disease is now less common and less serious. Although adults can also get the disease, it is most common in children between the ages of three and twelve.
Scarlatina infection
Scarlet fever is caused by your child becoming infected with the streptococcus bacteria . Your child will become ill due to the toxins caused by this bacteria. Your child becomes infected because he has had direct contact with a sick person, or because of droplets that have come his way when coughing or talking. After infection, it can take two to seven days for any of the disease to manifest itself.Typical for scarlet fever: Strawberry tongue (or: raspberry tongue) / Source: Kronawitter, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-2.5)
Phenomena
Scarlet fever starts quite suddenly. Symptoms that may occur:
- Your child no longer feels like eating, feels nauseous and may vomit
- Your child gets a fever, which can sometimes be high
- Your child gets a sore throat, glands in the neck can become painful
- You will see one day after the outbreak of the disease
- Dark red specks appear on the skin, which are sometimes itchy. You mainly see these speckles on warm areas of the body (armpits, groin).
- Noticeably red cheeks
- Whitish triangle around mouth and nose, also called scarlet fever mask
- Tongue is bright red and swollen, this is also called strawberry tongue or raspberry tongue
End of the disease
At the height of the disease, your child has no appetite. In addition, the high fever causes a lot of perspiration. The disease will eventually go away on its own. After three to five days the fever goes away and the spots disappear a few days later. A few weeks after the illness has ended, your child may start to shed a lot, especially on the feet and hands.
Contagious virus
Your child is contagious to others for about ten days. If your child is treated with antibiotics, the recovery period is shorter, a day or two. Not everyone becomes ill from the streptococcus bacteria, sometimes it only causes a sore throat. Anyone who is infected but not ill can infect others.
Medicines against scarlet fever
Treatment with an antibiotic is only useful in the first days after infection. After those few days, the bacteria have already produced the toxins that make your child sick, so the antibiotics no longer have much effect. If your child feels very ill, you can possibly give paracetamol. Your doctor will give you advice about medication use!
What can you do during the illness?
It is important that your child gets enough rest. The combination of two symptoms, loss of appetite and high fever, can mean that your child is not getting enough fluid. So let it drink enough.
Keep an eye on
Your child will usually get rid of the disease after one to one and a half weeks. Going to school does not have to be a problem if your child feels well enough. In rare cases, complications may arise. Inflammation of heart valves, joints or kidneys can then occur. It is a good idea to contact your doctor if:
- your child feels very ill.
- your child becomes pale and lethargic, thick eyelids or pink or red urine a few weeks after the onset of the disease.
- your child will develop swollen red joints for up to five weeks after the onset of the disease.
- your child develops a sudden fever and/or shortness of breath up to five weeks after the onset of the illness.
- you have doubts or questions.
GP
In all cases, if you have any doubts about the course of the disease, or if you wonder whether scarlet fever is present, it is wise to contact your doctor. This can make the correct diagnosis and advise you what can best be done.
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