Measles is a contagious condition that can be spread from one person to another. Measles starts out as an itchy rash and begins from the head and works its way down to the body. There is no known treatment for measles. The most common symptoms of measles are: fever, runny nose, coughing and conjunctivitis, also known as the pink eye. To prevent measles from occurring in the first place, the MMR vaccine is given, usually starting at the age of at least 12 months. The second dose of MMR vaccine is given right before a child starts kindergarten or the first grade. Vaccination is very important as the first time someone becomes vaccinated, over 95% become immune to the measles, mumps and rubella.
The seriousness of the measles can be dangerous. Six to twenty percent of the people who develop measles will end up with diarrhea, ear infection or pneumonia. Inflammation of the brain occurs in 1 out of 1000 people and 1 out of 1000 will die. If you are an adult and you attend college, work in a hospital or other medical facility, a female of child bearing age or you travel internationally, you should get the MMR vaccination. People who do not need the vaccination are those who have already had the vaccination and have had blood tests to show they are immune to the three types of diseases, pregnant mothers and people who were born before the year 1957 and those who have already had two doses of the MMR vaccination or one dose of MMR vaccination and two doses of the measles vaccination. Most people will not develop any side effects from taking the MMR vaccination, but the 5 to 10 percent of those who do, will normally have a low grade fever and mild rash.
Many parents fear that the MMR vaccine will cause autism in a child if given to them due to the fact that autism usually appears around the time of the vaccination. This is not the case. There have been no links to show that the vaccine causes autism. If the parents are afraid of their child receiving the vaccination due to a fear of the child getting autism, they should consult their family doctor so they can receive educational materials and facts relating to the MMR vaccination.
If you suspect that you or your child has the measles, you should see your doctor so he can take a look at the symptoms and perform some blood tests. Measles usually get better on their own but you can treat the measles yourself at home. Some things that you can do is to take a fever reducing medicine, get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. You will want to stay away from others as measles is a contagious disease that can easily be spread. It usually takes around 8 to 10 days for symptoms to show up once someone has been infected. After two to three weeks, you should see an improvement.
