Introduction
Ode to Measles
Measles is an acute childhood infectious viral disease
It is an infection that mainly affects children but can occur at any age.
Measles is an air-borne virus that infects the throat and lungs cells
Once infected the child is usually miserable and unwell
Many people with Measles feel very sick and weak.
There is vomiting, loss of appetite and fatigue
There is also fever, conjunctivitis and runny nose
Together with a maculopapular rash that spread from neck to toes
Measles may be passed through coughs and sneezing
Or from close contact with rashes on their skin
Diagnosis is made on the Koplik's spots appearance
It can also be confirmed by raised Measles-specific IgM presence
Most people with Measles will recover from their illness.
Measles patients seldom get any serious sickness
Bed rest, oral fluid and carbohydrate diet will help recovery
Recovery is usual within 10-14 days with no damage to the body
-An original poem by Kenneth Kee
Interesting Tips about the Measles
A Healthy Lifestyle
1. Take a well Balanced Diet
2. Supportive care is normally all that is required for patients with measles.
a. Hospitalization may be indicated for treatment of measles complications (e.g., bacterial super infection, pneumonia, dehydration, croup).
b. Secondary infections (e.g., otitis media or bacterial pneumonia) should be treated with antibiotics;
c. Patients with severe complicating infections (e.g., encephalomyelitis) should be admitted for observation and antibiotics as appropriate to their clinical condition.
d. Occasionally IV rehydration is required;
Patients may be markedly febrile and consequently may become dehydrated.
e. Fever management with standard antipyretics is appropriate.
f. Airborne precautions are indicated for hospitalized children during the period of communicability (i.e., 3-5 day before the appearance of a rash to 4 days after the rash develops in healthy children and for the duration of illness in patients who are immunocompromized).
Susceptible health care workers should be excused from work from the fifth to the 21st day after exposure.
3. Keep bones and body strong
Bone marrow produces our blood
Eat foods rich in calcium like yogurt, cheese, milk, and dark green vegetables.
Eat foods rich in Vitamin D, like eggs, fatty fish, cereal, and fortified milk.
Eat food rich in Vitamins B and C such as green vegetables and fruits
Zinc and other minerals are important to the body
4. Get enough rest and Sleep
Avoid stress and tension
5. Exercise and stay active.
It is best to do weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or lifting weights for 2½ hours a week.
One way to do this is to be active 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week.
Begin slowly especially if a person has not been active.
6. Do not drink more than 2 alcohol drinks a day for a man or 1 alcohol drink a day for a woman.
Alcohol use also increases the chance of falling and breaking a bone.
Alcohol can affect the neurons and brain cells.
7. Stop or do not begin smoking.
It also interferes with blood supply and healing.
Chapter 1
Measles
Recently in January 2014 there were 23 unvaccinated Singaporean children who developed Measles while staying in the Philippines.
Measles are seldom seen today unlike in the 1970 and 1980 as result of measles vaccination
My 2 daughters had measles at the ages of 5 and 3 years.
The older daughter caught the measles from her kindergarten friends
She had very high fever and kept on vomiting the medicine after taking them
We had to force the medicine down her throat and sponged her head to cool the brain
Eventually after rashes appeared the fever started to subside
She made a complete recovery
Measles is an infectious paromyxovirus disease
Introduction
Chapter 1 Measles
Chapter 2 Interesting Facts of Measles
Chapter
