What are the signs of scarlet fever in adults?

If the disease scarlet fever breaks out in an adult, it usually begins 2-4 days after infection with fever and a general feeling of illness. Inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils and swelling of the regional lymph nodes in the neck is also common. As the disease progresses, various accompanying symptoms may occur, which are discussed in the next section.

In contrast to children, scarlet fever is generally less severe in adults. Symptoms can also be completely absent or altered.

The symptoms of scarlet fever

Associated symptoms

Scarlet fever is when, in addition to fever and in most patients, tonsillitis, another of the following accompanying symptoms occurs: Reddened cheeks with a pale area around the mouth Fine spots on the cheeks Fine spots on the soft palate Fine spots on the neck, trunk and extremities (sandpaper-like) Scarlet tongue/raspberry tongue Scaly skin detachment

Reddened cheeks with pale area around the mouth
Fine spotted reddish soft palate
Fine spotted rash on neck, trunk and extremities (sandpaper-like)
Scarlet tongue/Raspberry tongue
Scaly detachment of the skin

Very characteristic for scarlet is the so-called raspberry or strawberry tongue. A few days after the onset of the disease, a whitish coating appears on the tongue with the red papillae of the tongue protruding. The papillae are small elevations in the mucous membrane of the tongue, which swell in scarlet fever.

As the disease progresses, the white coating recedes and the tongue appears strongly reddened. This often happens at the same time as the rash and continues to show swollen papillae on the tongue.

Scarlet tongue

In the classic case, the skin rash is also an important clinical feature for the diagnosis of scarlet fever.If infection and outbreak of the disease occurs, after another 48 hours the rash appears with reddening of the cheeks, small spots on the soft palate, small red spots on the trunk, the extremities and the groin.

In adults, a weakened or atypical course of scarlet fever is much more frequent and therefore the risk of overlooking the disease is higher.

Scarlet skin rash

If a rash occurs, it is important to study the onset and course of the rash in detail, as this can be important for proper diagnosis. Also, any recent changes in factors such as diet, detergents, medications or infections around you must be reported to your doctor.

A similarly small spotted exanthema can occur, for example, in the case of an allergy to an antibiotic or so-called Infectious Mononucleosis (Pfeiffer’s glandular fever). The exanthema in rubella begins in the face with garland-shaped spread to the trunk and extremities. Measles, rubella, three-day fever or other viral skin rashes are also typical childhood diseases with rashes.

Skin rash after taking antibiotics

Coughing is one of the typical symptoms of scarlet fever. Due to the infection and swelling of the pharyngeal tonsils, the upper airways can quickly become constricted. Swallowing difficulties are also a common problem with scarlet fever.

In the early stages, the cough often occurs with other specific symptoms of the disease, such as headache and vomiting. Simple remedies for coughing can be tried out first, such as sufficient drinking water, lozenges or inhalations. If difficulty in swallowing and coughing up becomes a growing problem, cortisone can help against severely swollen tonsils.

In some cases the skin rash is accompanied by severe itching, which patients then find very disturbing. Since the skin flakes off over a period of several weeks, the rash can be treated with moisturizing creams that contain no fragrances. These additionally irritate the skin.

If itching is present, Fenistil cream or Imiquimod cream can be applied to the affected areas of skin. Care should be taken to prevent scars caused by excessive scratching. Another unspecific symptom of scarlet fever is diarrhea, often in combination with nausea and vomiting.

In this case, care should be taken to ensure an adequate fluid intake with water, unsweetened tea and, if necessary, electrolyte solutions. Some people also react with diarrhoea to the antibiotic that fights the bacteria that causes scarlet fever. This does not mean that you are allergic to the drug and should therefore not take it. It is recommended, however, to discuss this with the treating physician and to use another antibiotic in case of further complaints.

Home remedy against diarrhea