Tuesday, 3 January 2012

When the Kid Is Ill: Rose Rash

Being 11 months of age my little daughter once got up feverish. The 
fever was about 38 degrees. I gave her some antipyratic medicine but it did not help much. She neither coughed nor had running nose so the only thing I did was wiping her face, hands and feet with a wet cloth so that to make the fever go down. The next morning our paediatrician came to see my girl, she prescribed no medicine except for some immunostimulatory suppositories and nasal spray. Besides I was told to make her drink as much as possible since that really helps to remove to remove toxins. So I made some chamomile tea with honey in one of her bottles and filled another one with water. I must admit that it was not that easy to fight the fever since it went up every four-five hours. On the third day the fever finally went down but I noticed that my daughter started being covered with light-pink spots. They were all over her face, her neck, her tummy and the back. It was too late to call the doctor thus I googled the Net and studied the books I had at home. I found out that these were the symptoms of the so called roseola, a contagious disease with kids under two.
This is a short summary:
Roseola (also known as sixth disease, exanthem subitum, and roseola infantum) is a viral illness in young kids, most commonly affecting those between 6 months and 2 years old. It is usually marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.
A child with roseola typically develops a mild upper respiratory illness, followed by a high fever (often over 103° F or 39.5° C) for up to a week. During this time, the child may appear fussy or irritable and may have a decreased appetite and swollen lymph nodes (glands) in the neck.
The high fever often ends abruptly, and at about the same time a pinkish-red flat or raised rash appears on the trunk and spreads over the body. The rash usually spreads to the neck, face, arms, and legs.
Roseola is contagious and spreads through tiny drops of fluid from the nose and throat of infected people. These drops are expelled when an infected person talks, laughs, sneezes, or coughs. Other people who breathe the drops in or touch them and then touch their own noses or mouths can then also become infected.
The viruses that cause roseola do not appear to be spread by kids while they are exhibiting symptoms of the illness. Instead, someone who has not yet developed symptoms often spreads the infection.
Prevention
There is no known way to prevent the spread of roseola. Because the infection usually affects young kids but rarely adults, it is thought that a bout of roseola in childhood may provide some lasting immunity to the illness. Repeat cases of roseola may occur, but they are not common.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor first will take a history and do a thorough physical examination. A diagnosis of roseola is often uncertain until the fever drops and the rash appears, so the doctor may order tests to make sure that the fever is not caused by another type of infection.
Roseola usually does not require professional treatment, and when it does, most treatment is aimed at reducing the high fever. Antibiotics cannot treat roseola because a virus, not a bacterium, causes it.
Home Treatment
Until the fever drops, you can help keep your child cool using a sponge or towel soaked in lukewarm water. Do not use ice, cold water, alcohol rubs, fans, or cold baths. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) can help to reduce your child's fever. 
To prevent dehydration from the fever, encourage your child to drink clear fluids such as water with ice chips, children's electrolyte solutions, flat sodas or clear broth. If you're still breastfeeding, breast milk can help prevent dehydration as well.

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