As a parent, all you want is the safety and health of your children.
That’s why you likely do everything you can to keep them safe from dangerous diseases.
One that you should be keeping your eye out for is scarlet fever, an illness that has been recently coming back to haunt the population in the form of the strain.
Originally rampant in the Middle Ages, scarlet fever can be fatal, and it can stay in someone’s system for a long time.
Luckily, though, modern medicine means that these cases are much less deadly than they used to be and that with proper treatment, scarlet fever can pass quickly.
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What Causes It?
Scarlet fever is caused by a bacteria known as Streptococcus, which you may be familiar with, as it is the main culprit behind strep throat.
Scarlet fever is just one of the few diseases that can occur from the bacteria.
The disease begins with a rash that starts to form across the back, face, chest, and neck, typically avoiding the mouth area and appearing like a sunburn.
Six days later, more symptoms may crop up, and the skin might start peeling.
Symptoms Of Scarlet Fever
Some symptoms to look out for are:
- Flushed face
- Abdominal pain
- Red rashes
- Itchiness
- A fever above 101°F
- Sore throat
- Swelling in the glands of the neck
Do note that scarlet fever is highly contagious.
If your child develops the condition, make sure their siblings and even friends do not become infected.
Ensure separate toothbrush and silverware usage, and keep all kids indoors while the fever runs its course.
A child will need to take antibiotics for around 10 days in order to remove the fever’s effects, with the symptoms slowly fading away as time progresses.
Even after symptoms have vanished and the antibiotics are done, you should allow a further 24 hours before allowing your child to return to school.
Treatment via antibiotics is necessary to avoid organ damage.
Treatments
There are some natural products you can give a child with scarlet fever to relieve discomfort, including the following:
- Use a vaporizer or a humidifier to prevent further throat irritants.
- Apple cider vinegar can ease sore throats when consumed and applied to the skin with a cloth to ease a rash.
- Give your child the nutrition they need with soups, soft foods, and honey lemon tea.
- Lavender oil can be applied (after dilution with almond oil or olive oil!) to the skin to help provide moisture and ease rashes.
- Provide constant hydration so your child does not suffer further throat discomfort.
- Steep mint, raw honey, and raspberry leaves in hot water and give it to your child to drink for sore throat relief.
- Do not use cleaning products and do not smoke around your child, as this may irritate their throat further.
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Always speak to a doctor if you suspect scarlet fever, and follow their orders well!
It’s tough to watch your child in such a sick condition, but if you listen to your doctor, they should recover soon enough.