Roseola's childhood disease is an infection caused by viruses from the well-known herpes family. Most often, this infection affects children up to two years. Adults and adolescents are much less likely to get roseola. The disease has a few more names, but the most common are roseola and pseudo-rubella. The second name came from the fact that even experienced specialists often confuse the infection with rubella.
general characteristics
As already mentioned, childhood roseola disease is most often found in children from six months to two years. Significantly less sick older children and very rarely adults. Some of us do not even suspect that in childhood they suffered from such a disease. This is due to the fact that at the age of two roseola passes almost imperceptibly.
Most often, this infection affects children in the fall and spring. Kids get sick regardless of gender. It is important to know that if once a child has already had this virus, then antibodies are produced in his blood, and he will never be able to catch this infection.
The disease spreads very quickly, because it is transmitted by airborne droplets and through bodily contact. Children most often receive this virus from adults who themselves do not get sick, but are carriers. But it’s difficult to speak unequivocally about the mechanisms of transmission of the virus, since even now it’s difficult for scientists to establish ways to spread roseola.
The incubation period can last from five to fifteen days. At this time, the disease does not manifest itself, the virus simply multiplies in the body. After this time, the first symptoms of the disease appear, which recede within ten days.
Herpes of the sixth and seventh type
The causative agent of roseola is a herpes virus of the sixth type, less often in this role is the herpes of the seventh type. It enters the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and gradually enters the bloodstream. During the incubation period, active reproduction occurs in the lymph nodes, as well as in urine, blood and respiratory fluid. The incubation period ends, and the person's body temperature rises rapidly, which is caused by the entry of virus particles into the systemic circulation. To get from the blood to the skin, the virus needs no more than four days.
Course of the disease
A day after the temperature ceases, a small red rash appears on the child’s body - a roseola for children, the photo of which is presented below. It passes on its own for a week. So, conditionally the course of this disease can be divided into four stages:
- At the first stage, the human body temperature rises sharply and can reach forty degrees. Most interestingly, no other manifestations such as a runny nose or cough are observed.
- At the second stage, the temperature completely returns to normal, and after a while the body begins to become covered with a small red rash. Also, in some patients there is an increase in lymph nodes.
- After three to four days, the rash begins to pass and after a week completely disappears from the body.
- The fourth stage is characterized by the complete recovery of the patient and the formation of antibodies to the disease in the body.
Diagnosis of childhood roseola is based on the symptoms that are observed in humans. The most obvious sign of infection is considered to be a temperature that rises for no reason and, after holding for several days, disappears without a trace. Treatment can be safely called conditional, since doctors do not prescribe any treatment. It is enough only comfortable conditions for the patient and the presence of a plentiful drink. During high temperatures it is recommended to use antipyretic drugs.
How to diagnose a virus
It is widely known that baby roseola is a fairly common disease among babies. But there is a paradoxical phenomenon in modern medicine. It consists in the fact that the doctor extremely rarely writes exactly exanthema on the child’s medical record. Why it happens? Most likely, due to the fact that the disease is quite interesting, and not every doctor can say with confidence that your baby is sick with roseola.
Most often, the treatment of the virus occurs according to the traditional scheme. Parents find a sharp increase in body temperature in the baby and immediately turn to specialists. They do not find anything better than diagnosing ARVI, although no symptoms are observed. Thus, treatment is prescribed aimed at getting rid of the flu virus or other habitual disease. Fulfilling all the doctor’s recommendations, after three to four days, parents begin to notice that the child’s body is covered with a rash, and again go to the doctor. Finding a rash, doctors say that this is a reaction to drugs that were prescribed for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections.
Here we can not talk about the poor education of doctors or their carelessness. Just modern universities rarely introduce students to such a disease. And so it turns out that roseola completely disappears from the field of view of modern doctors. Most likely, this topic would be given more attention if the infection were really serious. But since it does not pose any threat to human life, its treatment is carried out in a similar way.
How is the virus transmitted?
The herpes virus, which causes the baby roseola, can be transmitted by airborne droplets and through touch. But the main problem is that infection can occur not only after contact with a sick person, but also due to communication with the carrier. A carrier of the disease is almost every adult.
Yes, antibodies to the virus remain in the human blood, and he will never get roseola again, but the virus itself also remains in the body. That is why anyone who has had childhood roseola as a child is not only protected from this disease forever, but can infect his own child.
Periodically, the virus in the blood of an adult is activated, but cannot manifest itself, thanks to previously developed antibodies. However, it can be transmitted to those who have not yet had a roseola. And such people most often become children under two years of age. Any adult who does not even suspect about this can infect the baby. This is not to say that this fact is negative, because the disease is calm and goes away on its own. But good is not enough, because parents have to be pretty nervous.
Symptoms
Roseola infant symptoms are not numerous. Conventionally, they can be divided into only two stages. Next will be described in more detail about them and shown children's roseola (photo) in children.
As already mentioned, at the first stage, the main symptom of the disease is considered to be a sharp increase in the body temperature of the child. Cases were recorded when the thermometer had an indicator of forty degrees. But the average body temperature with roseol is 39.7 degrees. But besides this, there is increased irritability, the child is falling asleep, he is rather whiny and lethargic. And also there is a risk that the baby will completely lose his appetite.
But all these are not the main symptoms, but simply the reaction of the child's body to the virus. There are a number of symptoms that are less common, but are also a signal for concern:
- Lymph nodes may be enlarged.
- The eyelids swell and significant redness appears on them.
- In addition to the eyelids, edema appears on the mucous membrane of the nose and mouth.
- A sore throat may appear, in such cases, doctors confidently diagnose SARS.
- In some cases, a slight nasal congestion appears.
- On the soft palate and tongue, a rash may appear in the form of small vesicles.
Symptoms of the second stage
The temperature lasts several days, and a day after its normalization, the body begins to become covered with a very small red rash. It may take the form of small specks or bubbles. They do not have a specific color or size, they are not located in one place, but throughout the child’s body. If you press on one of these bubbles, it will instantly turn white, but if you remove your finger, then the stain will regain its usual shape and color.
The first rash appears on the body, and after a few hours it covers the neck, face and limbs. Rashes do not bother the wearer in any way and begin to disappear after four days, and after a week the body becomes completely clean. Such spots do not leave any traces. Even if some redness may linger on the body, after a while they will leave the skin. So the second stage of the disease ends, and the child becomes completely healthy. And the body acquires antibodies. We examined the baby roseola and photos. Symptoms, it turns out, are not so easy to recognize.
Rash
An eruption almost never appears if the temperature still holds. This is possible only in individual cases. Traditionally, the body becomes stained only when the body temperature is fully normalized. The rash stays on the body for only a week and after this period completely disappears from the body, as if it did not exist at all.
In general, a rash is numerous spots that cover almost all parts of the body. They have several colors from pink to bright red. The average size of one spot is 3 mm, but some can reach five mm in diameter. The rash does not bother its carrier, and therefore the treatment of infant roseola does not require the use of any medication. It passes by itself and leaves no traces.
Conclusion
As you can see, roseola is a fairly common disease, which is more often manifested in children. Parents do not have serious reasons for panic, since the virus is easily transmitted by children and passes by itself. The only serious symptom is considered an elevated body temperature, which can be controlled with antipyretic drugs.