Three-day fever, which is synonymously called exanthema subitum, Roseola infantum or older the sixth disease, is one of the classic childhood diseases of the first two years of life. Almost all children in the third year of life have had the disease or at least carry the pathogen within themselves. Older children and adults have a low risk of contracting the disease.
Symptoms
The three-day fever has very characteristic symptoms, which makes it easy to diagnose. The main characteristic of this viral disease is undoubtedly the high fever. It usually comes on very quickly and climbs in a very short time.
It can reach up to 41 degrees. With the fever many children, especially when it is so high, have fever dreams and are confused. The fever is usually accompanied by the usual symptoms like chills.
Sweating, fatigue, loss of appetite, paleness and headaches accompany the fever. Unfortunately, febrile convulsions can also occur with the sudden rise in fever. If the little patient should suffer from this, it is absolutely necessary to call the emergency doctor immediately, as this can be very dangerous for the little child.
After about 3 to 4 days, the fever drops back to normal within a few hours. The child is usually completely free of fever afterwards. However, a further symptom, which is typical for the three-day fever, becomes noticeable.
The children get a rash, especially in the trunk area, which in many children neither itches nor hurts and is typical for a rash in three-day fever. After a few days, this rash spreads further and further throughout the body. However, the face is the only area that is spared in some children.
How long the rash lasts varies. However, in most children it is said to last from one to 3 or 4 days, until the rash subsides completely. In many children, in addition to the symptoms mentioned above, swollen lymph nodes can also be seen, for example.
These are swollen because the immune system has to work to remove the pathogens, in this case viruses, from the body. The lymph nodes belong to the immune system. In addition, other, rather untypical symptoms can occur in the course of the viral disease.
These are gastro-intestinal complaints such as diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence but also vomiting. Especially with diarrhoea and vomiting there is always the danger that the child dries out, which is why one must be very careful here and sufficient fluid must be given. Often the throat is also reddened and swollen.
The disease is basically harmless. Only the febrile convulsions that occur occasionally are not without danger. In any case, one should call a doctor. There are reports that children after a bone marrow transplant, often severe infections in the brain and also the lungs can carry away. However, these are exceptions, which occur very rarely.
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