Duration of the rash
Usually the rash slowly subsides after one week and accompanying symptoms such as fever and sore throat also subside. The reddening of the skin is often followed by scaling, which manifests itself mainly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. These scaling can persist for some time, but will heal on their own.
Treatment of the rash
If you suffer from scarlet fever, a visit to a doctor is strongly recommended. If the disease is detected early, treatment with antibiotics can alleviate symptoms and prevent possible late complications. The risk of infection is also significantly reduced under antibiotic therapy.
A 10-day administration of penicillin is often prescribed, which must be adhered to despite rapidly decreasing symptoms. In addition, symptomatically oriented antipyretic drugs, e.g. paracetamol, or painkillers can be given. Even without antibiotic therapy, the disease usually leads to complete recovery with rest and protection. However, the duration of the disease is much longer and the occurrence of late effects, such as rheumatic fever or acute kidney inflammation, is more frequent. There is currently no vaccination against scarlet fever.
Differences between children and adults
Adults and children react very differently to infection with the scarlet fever pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes. In children, the disease occurs significantly more frequently and usually shows the typical symptoms, albeit with varying degrees of severity. In adults, only flu-like symptoms often occur.
Fatigue, sore throat, fever, etc. are not necessarily associated with scarlet fever, but are attributed to a cold.For this reason, visits to the doctor are often avoided and a diagnosis and concrete treatment are not made right at the beginning of the disease. However, even in adults during the course of the disease, the strawberry tongue often appears or secondary diseases of the pathogen, such as inflammation of the middle ear, occur.
In most cases, a late diagnosis of scarlet fever then occurs. One reason why the disease shows a different course in adults than in children is, among other things, a certain (partial) immunity in case of an infection that has already occurred in childhood. However, since there are different scarlet fever pathogens, this immunity is only specific for the pathogen known to the body and does not necessarily prevent a new disease. One reason why the disease has a different course in adults than in children is, among other things, a certain (partial) immunity in childhood infections. However, since there are different scarlet fever pathogens, this immunity is only specific for the pathogen known to the body and does not necessarily prevent a new illness.
