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What is scarlet fever?
How do you get scarlet fever?
What are the symptoms of scarlet fever?
How is scarlet fever diagnosed?
What is the treatment for scarlet fever?
Is there anything else that helps the discomforts?
Where can I buy home test kits for contributing factors of this
condition?
What is
scarlet fever? (top)
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by a bacteria called
group A streptococcus, the same bacteria that causes strep throat.
Scarlet fever is a rash that sometimes occurs in people that have strep
throat. The rash of scarlet fever is usually seen in children under the
age of 18.
How do you get scarlet fever?
(top)
This illness can be caught from other people if you come
in contact with the sick person because this germ is carried in the
mouth and nasal fluids. If you touch your mouth, nose or eyes after
touching something that has these fluids on them, you may become ill.
Also, if you drink from the same glass or eat from the same plate as the
sick person, you could also become ill. The best way to keep from
getting sick is to wash your hands often and avoid sharing eating
utensils.
What
are the symptoms of scarlet fever? (top)
The most common symptoms of scarlet fever are:
•
A rash first appears as
tiny red bumps on the chest and abdomen. This rash may then spread all
over the body. It looks like a sunburn and feels like a rough piece of
sandpaper. It is usually redder in the arm pits and groin areas. The
rash lasts about 2-5 days. After the rash is gone, often the skin on the
tips of the fingers and toes begins to peel.
•
The face is flushed with a pale area around the lips.
•
The throat is very red and sore. It can have white or
yellow patches.
•
A fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius)
or higher is common. Chills are often seen with the fever.
•
Glands in the neck are often swollen.
•
A whitish coating can appear on the surface of the
tongue. The tongue itself looks like a strawberry because the normal
bumps on the tongue look bigger.
Other less common symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Body aches
How is scarlet fever diagnosed?
(top)
Your doctor or health care provider will examine your
child and swab the back of the throat with a cotton swab to see if there
is a streptococcus infection.
What is the treatment
for scarlet fever? (top)
If the swab test (throat culture) shows that there is
streptococcus, you will be given an antibiotic prescription for your
child. Give this medicine exactly as you are told. It is very important
to finish all of the medicine. Never share any of this medicine with
family or friends. Ask your doctor or health care provider about
over-the-counter medicine to lessen sore throat pain.
Is there anything else that helps the discomforts?
(top)
Warm liquids like soup or cold foods like popsicles or
milkshakes help to ease the pain of the sore throat. Offer these to your
child often, especially when he/she has a fever since the body needs a
lot of fluid when it is sick with a fever. A cool mist humidifier will
help to keep the air in your child's room moist which will keep the
throat from getting too dry and more sore. Rest is important.
Click here to buy home test kits for
contributing factors of this condition
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