How to Treat Measles

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Measles is a highly contagious childhood viral disease. The infection causes a severe rash, and complications within the respiratory system. The development of a vaccine in the 1960s has helped to minimize the impact of the virus. The vaccine is given to children before they are school-aged. There is no cure for measles, which makes the vaccine even more important. If measles are contracted, the symptoms will include a high fever, rash and persistent cough. Treat measles with rest and pain relievers, and consult a physician as soon as symptoms occur.

Steps

1. Seek medical attention. Make an appointment with a doctor to receive a proper diagnosis. Describe the symptoms and try to get in for an appointment as soon as possible. Follow any instructions given by the doctor.
2. Quarantine the measles. Because it is highly contagious, a person with measles should be kept away from other people, especially young children who have not been vaccinated against the disease yet, and those with compromised immune systems such as the elderly or individuals with HIV.
3. Bring the fever down. Use over the counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Follow the directions on the bottle for the correct dosage and timing. Pain medicine will also help to relieve aches and pains associated with the virus.
4. Rest. Anyone suffering from measles will require a lot of rest to recover. Allow for plenty of sleep and restrict all physical activities.
5. Keep lights dim. People with measles can be sensitive to light. Use heavy curtains on windows and keep overhead lighting off or dim.
6. Use a humidifier. Running a humidifier in the room will keep the air moist and will treat the cough that accompanies the measles virus. If a humidifier is not available, just place a large bowl of water in the room to increase humidity.
7. Keep eyes clean with cotton and water. Conjunctivitis often accompanies measles. Wipe away crustiness from eyes by using a separate cotton ball for each eye. Wipe from the corner of the eye outward.
8. Hydrate. It is important to maintain fluid levels when treating measles. Children especially may be reluctant to eat, but it is important to continually drink water and other clear fluids to keep the body strong enough to fight the infection.

Tips

• Become informed about the importance of getting a measles vaccine. The controversy over whether the vaccine may cause autism has been diffused, and there is currently no medical evidence that supports the idea that the measles vaccine may be responsible for autism in children.

Warnings

• If symptoms get worse or do not improve in 5 days, go to the hospital or follow up with a physician.
• Do not give cough medicine to children younger than 6 years old. Do not give aspirin to children younger than 16 years old. Consult a doctor if there are questions about what medications to give someone suffering from measles.

Things You'll Need

• Doctor
• Pain relievers
• Curtains
• Humidifier or bowl of water
• Cotton
• Water and other fluids