Measles (rubeola)

Measles is a very contagious (easily spread) infection that causes a rash all over your body. It is also called rubeola. The measles vaccine protects against the illness. The vaccine is part of the MMR and MMRV vaccines. Most children get the vaccine as part of their regular shots.

The first symptoms of measles are a high fever, a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, and a cough. The lymph nodes in your neck may swell. You also may feel very tired and have diarrhea and red, sore eyes. As these symptoms start to go away, you will get tiny white spots inside your mouth, followed by a rash all over your body.

When adults get measles, they usually feel worse than children who get it.

It usually takes about 7 to 14 days to get symptoms after you have been around someone who has measles. This is called the incubation period.

If you think you have measles, call ahead and explain your symptoms before you go to a doctor's office. After you've had an exam, your doctor may order a blood test, a viral culture, or both to see if you have measles.

Measles usually gets better with home care. You can take medicine to lower your fever, if needed. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Also, get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Stay away from other people as much as you can so that you don't spread the disease. Anyone who has measles should stay out of school, day care, work, and public places until at least 4 days after the rash first appeared.

Your doctor may suggest vitamin A supplements if your child has measles.

If you have been exposed to measles and you haven't had the vaccine, you may be able to prevent the infection by getting immunoglobulin (IG) or the measles vaccine as soon as possible. Babies who are younger than 12 months, pregnant people, and people who have impaired immune systems that can't fight infection may need to get IG if they are exposed to measles.

• Avoid contact with people who have never had measles and who have not been immunized. Measles is very contagious. You can spread measles to others from 4 days before the rash appears to 4 days after the rash appears.
• Drink plenty of fluids. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
• Get plenty of rest to help your body heal.
• Take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve), to reduce fever and pain. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. No one younger than 20 should take aspirin. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness.
• Do not take two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.
• Try not to scratch the rash.
• Do not smoke. Smoking can make your symptoms worse. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
• Rest your eyes often. If your eyes are sensitive to light, close the window blinds in your room, and limit the amount of time you watch screens.