Measles Health Video

Measles, also called rubeola, is primarily a respiratory infection caused by a highly contagious virus found all over the world. Measles can be serious, especially in small children. Learn about the different causes of, symptoms of, and treatments for measles in this medical video.

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If you experience a rash that covers your body then you must visit your doctor
Avoid spreading the infection by receiving the measles vaccine

About this Author

Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.

SUSAN MCGLADERRY, BM, BCH, MRCP: Hello. My name is Dr. Sue McGladerry. I'm the medical director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest Hungary. I would like to give you a little bit of information about measles. Measles or rubeola is a highly contagious disease but thanks to vaccination it's now a rare cause of respiratory infection. It's due to the measles virus. And how do you know that you've got it? Well, there'll be a distinctive rash all over the body. The first symptoms though are often things like a bad cough, runny nose, high fever, and watery red eyes. The may also be something called Koplik spots. These are small red spots with a bluish white center that appear inside the mouth. Measles infection can be complicated by other problems including bronchitis pneumonia or conjunctivitis. A more rarely more serious problems such as myocarditis which is an inflammation of the heart muscle or encephalitis, which is an infection of the brain. Measles infection can also make the body more susceptible to other problems such as ear infections. How do we treat measles? Well, usually the symptoms would go away on their own without medical treatment. This usually takes about 2 weeks. During that time, it's important to take plenty of fluids and to rest. Simple fever-lowering medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help. It's also important to avoid spreading the infection because it's highly contagious to anyone who is not immune. And is there anything that we can do to prevent this infection? Yes of course, it's very important for children to receive the 2 recommended doses of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine or MMR. And these are usually given at the ages of 12 to 15 months and then again at 4 to 6 years of age.

Measles Health Video

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