What Does Rubeola (Measles) Look Like?

What is rubeola (measles)?

Rubeola (measles) is a virus infection that grows in the cells that line the throat and lungs. It’s a very contagious disease that spreads through the air when someone with it coughs or sneezes. When someone gets the measles, they might get a fever, a cough, and a runny nose. A rash is the most obvious sign of the disease. Measles can cause problems like ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis if it isn’t treated (inflammation of the brain).

The first signs

After getting the measles, you will start to feel sick between 7 and 14 days later. The first signs feel like a cold or the flu, like a fever, cough, runny nose, and sore throat. Eyes often get red and teary. After three to five days, a red or reddish-brown rash starts at the top of the head and goes all the way down to the feet.

Koplik’s spots

Two to three days after your first measles symptoms, you may start to see tiny spots inside your mouth and all over your cheeks. Most of the time, these spots are red with blue-white centres. They are called Koplik’s spots after the paediatrician Henry Koplik, who in 1896 was the first person to write about the first signs of measles. As Koplik’s other measles symptoms go away, so should the spots on his body.

The measles rash

The rash from measles is red or reddish brown. It starts on the face and moves down the body over a few days, from the neck to the trunk, arms, and legs, until it reaches the feet. In the end, it will have bumps of different colours all over its body. The rash stays for about five or six days. People with weak immune systems might not get the rash.

Time to heal

There’s no real way to treat measles. If you get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine within the first three days after being exposed to the virus, it can sometimes keep you from getting sick.
People who are already sick should rest and give their bodies time to get better. Stay comfortable by drinking a lot of water and taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) for a fever. Children shouldn’t take aspirin because it can cause a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.

Measles complications

The CDC says that about 30% of people who get the measles end up with complications like pneumonia, ear infections, diarrhoea, and encephalitis. Pneumonia and encephalitis are two serious problems that could require a stay in the hospital.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a lung infection that leads to:

fever
chest pain
trouble breathing
cough that produces mucus

People with a weaker immune system because of another illness can get a form of pneumonia that is even more dangerous.

Encephalitis

The CDC says that about one in 1,000 children with measles will get encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain. Some people get encephalitis right after getting the measles. In other cases, it can take months. Encephalitis is a very serious illness that can cause children to have seizures, go deaf, and have trouble thinking. It’s also bad for pregnant women because it can make them give birth too early or have a baby before they’re ready to be underweight.

Other infections with rashes

People often mix up rubeola (measles) with roseola and rubella (German measles), but these are three different diseases. When you have measles, you get a rash that goes from your head to your feet. Roseola is a disease that affects babies and young children. It gives you a rash on your trunk that spreads to your upper arms and neck and goes away in a few days. Rubella is a virus that causes fever and a rash that lasts for two to three days.

Getting over the measles

Most of the time, the symptoms of measles go away in the same order that they showed up. The rash should start to go away after a few days. It may leave your skin with a brownish colour and some peeling. You or your child should start to feel better once the fever and other measles symptoms go away.