Measles is known to be a highly infectious viral disease. This can be transmitted via airborne nasal secretions.  Measles are very common in infants, toddlers, and kids and is best known to cause a rash (oftentimes compared to chicken pox) in them. Sometimes, it can occur in adults, too.  The MMR (Measles/ Mumps/ Rubella) vaccine which is given to babies can significantly reduce the number of cases; however breakouts can still occur even if they were shot with the vaccine.

Apparently there are two types of measles and they are caused by two different viruses – the “red measles” or just commonly referred to as “measles” and the German measles.  The red measles is brought about by the rubeola virus which can lead to pneumonia and encephalitis in a baby. As for the German measles, this is referred to as the “three-day measles”. The rubella virus causes this type, but it is milder compared to the former. But the baby of pregnant women who passes the virus to the unborn child can lead to a couple of birth defects.

Symptoms of measles include small white spots in the mouth, runny nose, dry cough, high fever, and sore eyes. A brown-red rash may be noticed covering the upper part of the body which slowly works towards the lower part after a few days.

Once you’ve notice some of the signs and symptoms of measles in your child, you need to prompt immediate medical treatment. You can also include some of the therapies which can be beneficial on how to treat measles in children. Read on.

How to Cure Measles in Children

• Give the child ample time to rest. Keep the child from doing a lot of physical activities while playing.
• Ensure that your child drinks plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. For fever, you can perform sponging by using tepid water.
• Make sure that the child consumes a healthy and well-balanced diet especially foods rich in Vitamin C to fight off infection and boost the child’s immune system. Vitamins A and E, and zinc should also be added to the diet.
• Add garlic and onion to the child’s diet as they are known to have antiviral properties which fight off the virus causing measles.
• Bathe the child in lukewarm water with mango leaves extract to provide relief from itchiness caused by the rashes.
• Since the child has cough, give him barley water mixed with honey and licorice.
• The herbs Golden Seal can help get rid of runny nose and sore eyes.
• Give the child painkillers or antibiotics as prescribed.

Prevention is always better than cure. Though it may sound a cliché, a child should be immunized at a young age to prevent occurrence of such disease. Keep in mind to seek medical advice if your child develops febrile convulsions, seizure, breathing problems, and eye infections. We hope that we have answered your quest on how to treat measles in children.

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