Measles is an infectious condition that you get from a virus. The measles virus is spread by contact with someone who has the virus and it lives in the mucus of the nose and throat during the contagious phase. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, they can spread measles to other people. You can be vaccinated against measles, which can help to prevent infection with this virus.
Measles has a long incubation period, and you can be contagious for up to four days before you start to show symptoms. This is part of why this illness is so hard to contain once there has been an outbreak.
Measles infections can last for up to three weeks. During the first 10-14 days after you come into contact with measles, you will be unlikely to show symptoms. The incubation period often ends when the infected person gets a high fever. The fever will last for 4 to 7 days. Other symptoms include:
The measles rash shows up after these symptoms appear. This rash will usually start at the hairline and spread to the neck, the torso, the limbs, and then the feet and hands. When the rash spreads, the patient’s fever might spike up to 40°C.
Measles is highly contagious. Measles is transferred primarily by coughing and sneezing, but it can survive on surfaces for up to two hours as well. If you have been exposed to someone who has measles, and they have coughed or sneezed near you or have touched surfaces that you have come into contact with, you could contract measles.
Risk factors for contracting measles are:
If you have not started to show symptoms of measles, it might not be possible to be diagnosed until you do start showing symptoms. Measles is diagnosed by looking at the rash in most cases. However, your doctor might be able to look in your mouth for Koplik Spots to help verify their diagnosis. If you have a fever and you know that you have been exposed to measles, your doctor might operate under the assumption that your fever is due to contracting measles.
A blood test can also be done to confirm that you do have measles. In most cases, you will be sent home with advice about what to expect if you have not yet started to show the measles rash.
You can prevent measles by getting vaccinated before you are exposed. If you do not have access to vaccines in your area, you can prevent measles by avoiding contact with those who have contracted it. For those who have been exposed, treatment by a doctor and rest at home are often the best courses of action. Measles can last for a few weeks, and you will need to make sure that you get enough fluids and rest during this period.
Treatment of measles is often much like the treatment that is done for colds and flu:
Measles can cause other secondary health conditions. If your measles symptoms have not improved after two to three weeks, you will want to visit your doctor to be examined.