A bacterial disease that develops in people who have strep throat is known as Scarlet Fever. Scarlet Fever is also known as Scarlatina, a bacterial illness that features a bright red rash. The rash is so big that it covers more than half of the body. The disease is always accompanied by a sore throat and a high fever of more than 100. A common fact about scarlet fever is that it mostly attracts children age 5-15 years. In the past decades, the disease was considered as one of the most dangerous illnesses for children.
But, over time, science continued to develop and several methods were concluded to treat the illness. And today, the disease has become a common trend and is quite easy to diagnose and treat. The bad thing about it is that if it is left untreated, it can result from mild symptoms to more serious conditions. These conditions may badly affect your heart, kidney and other parts of the body.
Streptococcus Pyogenes is the bacteria that causes Scarlet Fever. It is also known as group A streptococcus, which is usually found on the skin and throat. Even though the disease isn’t that much famous and dangerous nowadays than it used to be before, but still, its signs and symptoms must be kept in mind and treated.
Symptoms of Scarlet Fever
Symptoms of Scarlet Fever are usually mild and they often last for several days. However, if you have a strong immune system, the symptoms can reduce a bit. One of the common symptoms of Scarlet Fever is a red rash on the body. Including this, sore and strep throat and high fever are other symptoms of Scarlet Fever. It usually follows a sore throat or a skin infection, such as impetigo, caused by particular strains of streptococcus bacteria. It takes two to five days to show the following signs and symptoms in a person:
- Flushed Face
- Strawberry Tounge
- Chills
- Headache
- Swollen Tonsils
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Abdominal Pain
- Swollen Glands Along the Neck
- Pale Skin Around the Lips
- Yellow or White Patches on Throat.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing Scarlet Fever is very easy to do. The doctor will first do some physical examination of the victim’s child. This will help to check signs of scarlet fever. During this, the child’s tongue, throat, and tonsils mostly care. For the sample of cells, a swab, called as throat swab, is used to create throat culture and collect cell samples for analysis. These samples are sent to the laboratory for further tests.
After the results are obtained, it is confirmed that if you are suffering from Scarlet Fever or not. And if yes, the treatment is started. Scarlet Fever is treated with antibiotics. These antibiotics kill the bacteria and help the body’s immune system to get stronger. Making the immune system strong helps the immune system to fight with the bacteria on its own. You can also take over-the-encounter medications like acetaminophen ( for fever and pain).
