Scarlet fever: Main Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Index
Several diseases affect us during our life and this is a reality that we cannot avoid. But on several occasions, due to lack of care or even lack of information, we let small complications end up becoming serious illnesses that require more aggressive treatment, such as scarlet fever.
The scarlet fever is a disease that comes exactly a complication in the pharynx. But is it a disease that can be prevented? How to do so that it does not reach you? Let’s talk a little more about scarlet fever, its main symptoms, treatments and what are the complications that it can bring.
What is Scarlet fever?
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by bacteria called streptococcus pyogenes. It is an acute infectious contagious disease, the contagion of which can occur through secretions and droplets of saliva in the air.
The disease presents itself as a complication of other diseases that are caused by the same bacteria, such as tonsillitis and pharyngitis, and even impetigo and spiral, although the development of the disease is more rare in these last two cases.
It occurs as an infection caused by the toxins produced by this bacterium, which end up reaching the person’s skin. Scarlet fever is much more common in children than adults , although they are not entirely out of danger.
Scarlet fever symptoms
The main characteristic of scarlet fever is the appearance of red rashes on the skin, also called skin rash . These rashes usually appear on the neck and back of the infected person, but go down the body with the development of the disease.
These small lesions appear in greater numbers in the folds of the body, as in the armpits, for example. They can also reach the tongue, leaving it swollen and with a “strawberry” aspect. In addition to this, there are other symptoms that should not be ignored, such as:
- Fever
- Headaches
- Abdominal pain
- Sore throat
- Nausea and vomiting
- Increased neck lymph nodes
- Rough skin
- Very thirst
- Difficulty eating
Many of these symptoms are also part of the infection caused by the diseases already mentioned here, but it is necessary to pay attention when they evolve to scarlet fever.
How to prevent scarlet fever?
Since we know that scarlet fever is a communicable disease, there are some steps to be taken so that infection does not occur from one person to another. Some of the main ways to prevent scarlet fever are:
- Avoid agglomerations
- Always wash your hands when you arrive from the street or whenever you have contact with other people
- Avoid sharing cutlery and glasses in places with many people
Although they are simple tips, they can save the person from having many complications due to scarlet fever and other infectious diseases that proliferate many times due to people’s lack of attention.
Scarlet fever treatment
The treatment of the disease is basically done with penicillin-based antibiotics that will directly fight the bacteria that causes scarlet fever. When the treatment is well done, the results begin to appear in a few days.
The rashes, however, can take up to 3 weeks to completely disappear from the person’s body. There are also some things that can be done to relieve the symptoms of the disease, such as:
- Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated
- Take hot liquids like soup to relieve sore throat
- Avoid smoke or products that can irritate your throat
- Eat light, easy-to-swallow foods
- Remain at rest
- Keep the air humidified
ATTENTION: Never self-medicate. This can worsen the case of your illness and even bring other complications. Always take medication after a prescription.
What are the complications that Scarlet fever can bring?
When the treatment is not well done or is not followed accordingly, the disease can generate several complications. The main ones are:
- Meningitis
- Pneumonia
- Arthritis
- Sinusitis
- Kidney problems
- Acute rheumatic fever
Although there are also other complications that scarlet fever can bring, it is important to know that it can cause problems much greater than just an inflammation in the throat and for this reason it is extremely necessary to treat the disease in the right way .
Sore throats are very common in adults and children and are not usually very aggressive for our lives. Even so, it is important to know how to take care of diseases such as scarlet fever and to know the consequences that not treating this disease in the right way can bring.
Although more rare, the complications that scarlet fever brings can make life very difficult for those who have them, especially when we are talking about children. Therefore, always pay attention to the symptoms of sore throats and never fail to consult a doctor so that you have the appropriate treatment.
See Also: Red Spots on Baby’s Skin – What Can It Be?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.