Viral infectious diseases such as measles, rubella, chickenpox, three-day fever or ringworm can only be treated symptomatically, whereby, in addition to fever-reducing measures and sufficient fluid intake, extensive isolation of the sick person (e.g. no kindergarten or school attendance) is particularly advisable so that the highly contagious disease is not transmitted to others. Bacterial diseases such as scarlet fever or impetigo contagiosa must be treated with antibiotics for this purpose, since scarlet fever can otherwise lead to late complications such as changes in the heart valves, and in the case of grind lichen to infections of the eyes or paranasal sinuses.
Treat allergies, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis.
For allergies, avoidance of the triggering allergen is the main therapy. Many allergic exanthems occur in infancy as soon as the first foods are supplemented. By adding just one new food at a time to your child’s diet, you can quickly identify intolerances and easily eliminate the offending food. Prevent contact with the allergen and your child’s skin will thank you.
In the case of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, your dermatologist will educate you on possible skin care regimens – however, you may need to try different products until you figure out the skin care regimens that suit your child’s skin. In addition, skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis often respond to certain triggers such as stress (illness, special events such as starting school, birthdays), diet, or sun exposure: being sensitive to these triggers will help limit skin damage.
Porphyria and pemphigus diseases usually involve not only local care measures, but permanent systemic therapy with substances such as cortisone that inhibit the immune system.
Vaccination protects against viral infectious diseases
There are effective vaccinations against viral infectious diseases in particular, which are offered as part of preventive medical checkups. The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) currently recommends that children be vaccinated at least once against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, among other diseases, before the age of 14 months. The use of combination vaccines reduces the number of unpleasant procedures, and modern vaccines are generally well tolerated.
Although increasing vaccination fatigue has been noticeable in Germany over the past twenty years, vaccination coverage rates for diseases such as hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenza, and pertussis have increased over the past five years. For measles, unfortunately, the increase in vaccination rates has not yet led to nationwide elimination of measles viruses – vaccination rates are still below 80 percent because of the often-missed second vaccination.
