Causes and symptoms of scarlet fever in a child

Scarlet fever is a fairly common and dangerous infectious disease, which is accompanied by lesions of the larynx, as well as the appearance of a small rash on the skin. Statistics show that children are more prone to such a disease than adults. That's why many parents are interested in questions about how the symptoms of scarlet fever in a child look and how the disease is treated.

Scarlet fever: the main causes of the disease

As already mentioned, this is an infectious disease, the causative agent of which are streptococci. And before you know what are the main symptoms of scarlet fever in a child, it is worthwhile to ask and by transferring pathogenic microorganisms. In fact, the source of infection is an infected person, and it can be both a sick and a hidden carrier of bacteria. The transmission path is mainly airborne. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to get infected when sharing dishes and cutlery, toys, clothes, bed linen, towels, etc. The incubation period is relatively short - the first signs appear only 3-7 days after the entry of pathogenic bacteria into the body.

Scarlet fever in children: photos and basic signs

Disease, as a rule, begins acutely and unexpectedly. In fact, the symptoms of scarlet fever in a child are very characteristic, they can hardly be overlooked:

• The disease begins with a sharp rise in body temperature to 38-40 degrees. Thus the child complains of a fever, weakness, dizziness.
• A few hours later, rashes appear on the skin. The rash in scarlet fever in children has the appearance of small bright pink blisters. They cover mainly the skin of the cheeks, arms, buttocks, inguinal and axillary folds.
• Scarlet fever also affects the throat, leading to the development of angina of varying severity. Upon careful examination, you can find red swollen pharynx. The kid complains of pain in the throat, refuses to eat and drink.
• The first 3-4 days the child's tongue is covered with a brown coating, which then disappears, exposing tissues of a rich red color - this symptom was called "crimson" language.

What is dangerous scarlet fever?

Noticing the main symptoms of scarlet fever in a child, you should immediately call a doctor or take your baby to the hospital. In no case can you ignore the problem or do self-medication. The fact is that in the absence of therapy, the disease is accompanied by a number of complications. In particular, streptococci often releases dangerous toxins into the bloodstream, which affect the functioning of the immune system, causing an intense allergic reaction and autoimmune disorders. For example, often against the background of scarlet fever, antibodies begin to attack their own cells of the heart and kidneys, leading to various kinds of disorders.

Treatment of scarlet fever

To treat this disease, antibiotics are used, which really effectively cope with the disease. The first few days the baby is shown peace and strict bed rest. In addition, frequent rinsing of the throat with a decoction of chamomile or sage is recommended. Quite often, doctors prescribe appropriate doses of vitamin C and antihistamines. In any case, the sick child should be isolated from healthy people at the time of treatment. Hospitalization is indicated only in severe forms of scarlet fever, which are accompanied by complications.