Measles - Measles In Adults: Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Symptoms and treatment of measles in adults

Measles is a common highly contagious infectious disease; its causative agent is an RNA virus that has a specific form. The microorganism quickly dies outside the human body under the influence of disinfectants and physical factors. At the same time, measles can spread over long distances in cold weather. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. The transferred disease contributes to the formation of strong immunity, therefore, cases of re-infection are very rare.

The entrance gate of the infection is considered to be the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, after which the virus spreads through the bloodstream throughout the body. Having fixed itself on the internal organs, the virus promotes the formation of infiltrates in this place with the further formation of multinucleated giant cells.

Despite the fact that measles is considered a childhood disease, adults sometimes suffer from it. Those at risk are those who have not been vaccinated in childhood and have not had measles. Increasingly, there are massive outbreaks of the disease in Russia. Therefore, it is imperative to know the symptoms of measles.

Before the invention of the measles vaccine and its introduction into the masses, children under 16 years old in 95% of cases had this infection. After the vaccine was introduced into the national vaccination calendar, the incidence rate dropped sharply. Nevertheless, in recent years, measles outbreaks have increasingly begun to be recorded in certain regions of the Russian Federation.

In 70% of cases, vaccinated people get sick. At risk are adolescents with chronic diseases, students serving in the ranks of the Russian army and schoolchildren. Scientists attribute this to the fact that many parents refuse to vaccinate their children against measles, as well as to a drop in immunity, which becomes weak 10-15 years after the introduction of the vaccine. Moreover, general immunity in humans is reduced.

Content:

• Measles symptoms in adults
• The severity of the disease
• Measles in adults and children - what's the difference?
• Complications of measles
• Diagnostics
• Measles treatment in adults

Measles symptoms in adults

The incubation period for measles infection lasts one to two weeks in adults. In a typical course of the disease, three successive stages can be distinguished: catarrhal, the stage of rash and convalescence.

The catarrhal period begins with acute manifestations of the disease. The patient complains of general malaise, headache, loss of appetite, loss of sleep. With a severe course of the disease, the body temperature rises to 40 ° C Celsius, the patient suffers from a dry cough, a runny nose with profuse mucous or purulent discharge, wheezing in the lungs is heard during a medical examination, and harsh breathing is noted. The characteristic symptoms of measles in adults include swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

After 3-5 days, the fever becomes less pronounced, and the patient's well-being improves. However, after a day, intoxication increases again and the patient's body temperature becomes high again. During repeated deterioration of well-being, white spots with a reddish border appear on the mucous membrane of the cheeks.

The period of rashes. It is characterized by the appearance of maculopapular exanthema, individual spots merge over time. First of all, the rash appears behind the ears, then covers the scalp, over time it can also be seen on the face, neck and chest area. The rash then gradually covers the patient's entire torso, as well as the upper and lower extremities. This period is also characterized by increased runny nose, cough and profuse lacrimation.

Convalescence period. In the final period of the course of the disease, the patient's well-being improves: the patient's body temperature returns to normal, rashes pass.

The severity of the disease

Depending on the intensity of the symptoms of the disease, it can be mild, moderate, or severe. Also, the disease can give a typical and atypical clinical picture.

The atypical form of the disease is manifested by the following disorders:

• Mitigated or erased infection. Thus, measles occurs in people who have been injected with the vaccine or gamma globulin. The symptoms are erased, there are very few of them.

• Hemorrhagic measles. Multiple bruises form under the skin, blood is found in feces and urine. Bleeding of internal organs may develop, which can lead to the death of a person. It is important to diagnose measles on time and place the patient in a hospital.
• Hypertoxic infection. The patient's condition becomes difficult, he suffers from severe intoxication of the body. Heart failure, meningitis, encephalitis may develop. Such patients should be urgently admitted to a hospital.

Measles in adults and children - what's the difference?

In adults, all the so-called "childhood" diseases have a severe course. Measles is one of these diseases.

In adults, the body temperature always rises to the extreme marks of 40-40.5 ° C. The patient feels very bad, he has to stay in bed all the time. The rash will be very intense and will cover the entire body.

Almost always, adult patients are diagnosed with bronchitis, laryngitis. There are frequent cases of inflammation of the brain and lung tissue. Adults recover from an infection longer than children. Most often, such patients are hospitalized, since it is not possible to cope with the complications of the disease at home.

Complications of measles

Complications of measles develop due to the fact that bacterial flora joins the viral infection. The lower a person's immunity, the higher the likelihood of a severe course of pathology.

Complications of measles include:

• Damage to the upper respiratory tract and hearing organs: otitis media, sinusitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis.
• Lower respiratory tract involvement: pneumonia or bronchitis.
• Damage to the digestive system: diarrhea, intestinal inflammation.
• CNS damage: encephalitis, meningitis, polyradiculoneuritis, multiple sclerosis.
• Kidney damage with the development of pyelonephritis.
• Liver damage with the development of hepatitis.

The most common complication of measles is pneumonia. It often develops in older people, whose immune systems are weakened. Measles is no less dangerous for pregnant women. It can lead to the development of abortion or early labor.

Diagnostics

To make a diagnosis, an external examination of the patient is often sufficient for the doctor. However, laboratory tests will be required to confirm it.

A complete blood count indicates an increase in the level of neutrophils with a decrease in the number of leukocytes. If a patient develops a bacterial complication, the white blood cell count begins to rise. ESR also increases.

Measles can be confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Its use allows detecting an infection at the earliest stage of its development. Antibodies specific to the disease begin to circulate in the human blood. Immunoglobulins of class M increase from 1-2 days from the onset of the disease, and immunoglobulins of class G increase from 10 days of measles.

Immunoglobulins are proteins that are produced by blood cells. They bind to infectious agents and then neutralize them.

Less commonly, virus microscopy, RIF and other virological techniques are used to detect measles.

Of particular difficulty is the diagnosis of measles in the first phase, when the patient develops exclusively catarrhal symptoms. In this case, it is necessary to differentiate measles from whooping cough, influenza, rubella, adenovirus infection, and an allergic reaction of the body.

An important symptom of measles is conjunctivitis, as well as an increase in catarrhal symptoms starting from the 4th day after their onset. You should pay attention to the Belsky-Filatov-Koplik spots.

Measles treatment in adults

Treatment for measles in adults is most often directed at relieving symptoms. When bacterial complications appear, antibiotics may be prescribed. Mild forms of pathology do not require hospitalization. Inpatient treatment is recommended for severe illness or epidemiological indications. In any case, the patient should be kept to bed during the manifestation of intoxication.

The patient does not need to adhere to a specific diet, it is only important for him to increase the amount of fluid consumed.

The mouth and eyes require special care during measles. The patient should be protected from bright sunlight and artificial light, as photophobia often develops during illness.

To reduce body temperature, to relieve headaches and relieve general intoxication from the body, drugs from the NSAID group should be taken: Nimesil, Aspirin, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, etc. Doctors also prescribe antihistamines to adult patients. In order for the sputum to better drain from the respiratory tract, drugs with a mucolytic effect, for example, ACC, should be taken.

If the skin begins to itch, it is recommended to wash it with Delaskin's solution. It is equally important to keep the oral cavity clean. To do this, rinse it with a solution of chlorhexidine, a decoction of chamomile or oak bark.

To relieve the symptoms of inflammation from the organs of vision, use eye drops: Levomycetin, Sulfacyl sodium, etc. You can wash your eyes with a solution of Furacilin or baking soda.

Antihistamines, symptomatic drugs, interferon may also be recommended. When treating measles encephalitis, prednisolone and antibiotics are needed. It is important to remember about the high risk of developing complications in adults, which can be avoided by constant monitoring by a specialist.

Vitamin A in high dosages can be recommended as a prophylactic agent.

Serious patients are placed in the hospital. There they are prescribed detoxification, anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".