How to Treat Measles

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease which usually causes a full-body rash and respiratory inflammation. Measles is relatively easy to prevent with a vaccine, which is usually given at about 1 year of age and again at age 4-6. [1] In the event that measles is contracted, the best treatment plan involves plenty of rest and the attention of a trained medical professional. It's also wise to treat the symptoms, which can include a high fever, rash, and persistent cough, to make recovery easier.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

At-Home Treatment

  1. As soon as you think that you or someone you know may have measles, make an appointment with your doctor to receive a proper diagnosis. Describe your symptoms and try to schedule your appointment as soon as possible. Follow any instructions given by the doctor. [2]
    • Since measles can appear similar to chicken pox, it's important to get a definitive diagnosis from your doctor so they can treat you properly.
    • Your doctor will likely recommend you stay home and avoid contact with other people. Measles is very contagious, so isolation is key to preventing an outbreak.
    • Be aware that your doctor may ask you to take special precautions when you come to the office, like wearing a mask or using a back entrance, to prevent the spread of measles. In some cases, the doctor may come out to your car rather than have you come into the office. This is to prevent the spread of the infection to nurses and patients, particularly those who are pregnant.
    • The rest of the instructions in this article are not intended to replace the guidance of a doctor or a trained medical professional. When in doubt, always defer to your doctor's advice .
  2. Measles is often accompanied with a fever that can peak at 104 °F (40 °C). [3] Use over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen (paracetamol, Tylenol) to help keep your temperature at a manageable level. Follow the directions on the bottle for the correct dosage and timing. [4]
    • As an added bonus, these pain medicines will also help to relieve the aches and pains associated with the measles virus.
    • Note: Do not give aspirin to children unless instructed to by your doctor, since it could cause a serious but rare condition called Reyes' syndrome. [5]
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  3. Almost everyone who gets measles will require plenty of rest to recover. Measles is usually a serious viral infection that takes much of your body's energy and resources to fight. On top of this, the symptoms of measles can leave you feeling more drained and fatigued than you normally would. Be sure to allow for plenty of sleep and restrict all physical activities while you are sick. [6]
    • People who have measles are contagious from 1-2 days before they show symptoms until about 4 days after symptoms begin. However, the disease incubates for 14 days, so you may be contagious for that entire time. Since the disease is spread by coughing and sneezing, it's important you stay home during this time. Plan to rest at home for about a week. [7] It may take a while for the rash to heal, but you usually aren't contagious after 4 days of symptoms.
  4. The facial rash that causes measles can produce conjunctivitis—a condition involving inflamed, watery eyes. [8] This can make people with measles sensitive to light. Use heavy curtains on windows and keep overhead lighting dim when suffering from conjunctivitis to ease your irritated eyes. [9]
    • While you won't generally want to leave your house when you have measles, if, for some reason, you are forced to, try using a pair of shades to protect your eyes.
  5. If you get conjunctivitis with the measles, you’ll likely experience a lot of gooey discharge from the eyes. This discharge can cause the eyes to become "crusty" or even stuck shut (especially after sleeping). Remove the crustiness from the eyes by dipping a cotton ball in clean, warm water and wiping from the corner of the eye outward. Use a separate piece of cotton for each eye. [10]
    • Conjunctivitis can be very serious, so it's best to prevent it. Maintain good hygiene to prevent the spread of germs to the eyes. If you're caring for a child who has measles, keep their hands washed and put gloves on their hands to decrease the likelihood that they'll scratch their rash then put their hands to their eyes.
    • Press very gently when you are cleaning your eyes—since your eyes are already inflamed, they will be extra-sensitive to pain and damage.
  6. Humidifiers increase the amount of moisture in the air by evaporating water to create vapor. Running a humidifier in the room with you while you are sick will keep the air moist, which can help soothe the sore throat and cough that accompany the measles virus. [11]
    • If a humidifier is not available, just place a large bowl of water in the room to increase the ambient humidity.
    • Note that some humidifiers allow you to add a medicated inhalant to the water vapor. If your humidifier lets you do this, pick a cough suppressant, like Vick's.
  7. Like many illnesses, measles drains your body's supply of moisture faster than usual, especially if you have a fever. [12] For this reason, it' very important to stay well-hydrated to keep the body strong enough to fight the infection until you feel better. As a general rule, clear fluids, especially clean, clear water, are best for sick people. [13]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Prevention and Control

  1. By far the quickest and easiest way to prevent the spread of measles is for every person who can safely get the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine to do so. The MMR vaccine is 95-99% effective at preventing infection and almost always gives immunity for life. [14] Healthy people are generally able to receive the vaccine after they are about 15 months old, making vaccination a must for most families. Typically, you’ll need 2 separate MMR vaccines to be properly immunized.
    • Like any vaccine, the MMR vaccine can have some side effects, though serious side effects from the measles vaccine are very rare. The measles virus itself is much more dangerous than any of these side effects. The side effects may include: [15]
      • Mild fever
      • Rash
      • Swelling of lymph nodes
      • Sore or stiff joints
      • Very rarely, seizure or allergic reaction.
    • The MMR vaccine is not known to cause autism—the single study that claimed this was a deliberate fraud, and all further studies have shown no link. Children should receive the vaccine twice unless they're allergic to it. It's often given at the ages of 1 and 4-6. [16]
  2. Because the disease is highly contagious, a person with measles should be kept away from other people, with very few exceptions. Infected people should not leave the house except for medical emergencies. School and work are out of the question—a single case can disable an entire office for more than a week if it’s allowed to spread. Infected people should stay at home as long as needed to stop being contagious. Since this usually happens about 4 days after the rash forms, it's wise to plan for a week or more of absence. [17]
    • Be aware that it is unsafe for unvaccinated people to even be somewhere that a person with measles has been recently. The measles virus can remain in tiny droplets in the air for up to 2 hours after someone with measles leaves the area. [18]
    • If your child catches the measles, notify their daycare and childcare provider immediately, especially if their childcare provider is pregnant. Remember, your child was contagious for up to 14 days before they started showing symptoms, so they may have already infected others.
    • Your local public health department will probably contact you to get information about where you’ve been so they can reach out other people who may have been exposed. They may also let you know how long you need to quarantine.
  3. An effective quarantine is extremely important for the safety of certain types of people who are especially vulnerable to the virus. While measles is usually a prolonged inconvenience for healthy people, it can be a serious health risk for these at-risk populations, which include: [19]
    • Children who are too young to get the vaccine
    • Young children and infants in general
    • Pregnant women
    • The elderly
    • People who have an impaired immune system (for example, due to HIV, cancer, or medications that affect the immune system)
    • People suffering from a chronic disease
    • People suffering from malnutrition (especially vitamin A deficiency)
  4. As noted above, people with measles should come into contact with other people as little as possible—ideally, not at all. However, in situations where contact can't be avoided (such as when an infected person requires a caretaker or needs to receive emergency medical treatment), wearing a surgical mask can reduce the chance of infection. The infected person, the people they are coming into contact with, or both may wear masks. [20]
    • Masks are somewhat effective because the measles virus transmits itself via tiny droplets of water that are thrown into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. [21] For this reason, putting a physical barrier between the lungs of an infected person and the lungs of a healthy person can help prevent infection. However, a mask is not a substitute for proper quarantine.
    • Wear your mask around the person for at least 4 days after symptoms begin showing. When in doubt, always check with your doctor. They can tell you how long to wear the mask.
  5. 5
    Wash your hands often and thoroughly. It's easy to spread the disease, both to other people and to other parts of your body, such as your eyes. The best way to prevent the spread is to scrub your hands for several minutes under warm water. Use soap and running water, and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds to remove germs. [22]
    • If you're caring for a child who has measles, cut their nails very short and help them wash their hands often. At night, put soft gloves over their hands.
  6. Measles is usually not a serious health threat to healthy people. However, in rare cases (and in cases when measles infects someone with a compromised immune system), the disease can be much more serious—even sometimes lethal. In 2018, over 140,000 people died of measles globally (mostly un-vaccinated children). [23] In the rare event that someone infected with measles begins to exhibit symptoms beyond the ordinary ones described above, rapid medical care is necessary. These include: [24]
    • Severe diarrhea
    • Serious ear infections
    • Pneumonia
    • Impaired vision/blindness
    • Encephalitis, a rare condition that can cause seizures, confusion, headache, paralysis, or hallucinations [25]
    • In general, a rapidly declining overall physical state that shows no sign of improvement
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      Tips

      • Wear long sleeves to prevent scratching.
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      • The MMR vaccine has some side effects. For example, about 1 in 6 children develop a fever 7 to 12 days after immunization, and about 1 in 3,000 develop febrile seizures. Some parents think that MMR is unsafe because it has some adverse effects, but this is not the case. These side effects, most of which are benign, are acknowledged by members of the medical profession. The benefits of MMR far outweigh the risks of these recognized side effects. The vaccine has an excellent safety record. Hundreds of millions of children have safely received the vaccine worldwide.
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      • Calamine lotion can be used to help prevent itching from the measles rash.
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      Warnings

      • If symptoms get worse or do not improve in 5 days, go to the hospital or follow up with a physician.
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      • Do not give cough medicine to children younger than 6 years old. Do not give aspirin to children younger than 16 years old. Consult a doctor if you have questions about what medications to give someone suffering from measles.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/by-disease/index.html
      2. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8584-measles
      3. ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/measles.html
      4. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8584-measles
      5. ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/reye.html
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8584-measles
      7. ↑ https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/healthaz/infectious-diseases/measles/
      8. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/measles/symptoms/signs-symptoms.html
      9. ↑ https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/measles
      1. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/
      2. ↑ https://www.drugs.com/cg/measles-in-children.html
      3. ↑ https://familydoctor.org/hydration-why-its-so-important/
      4. ↑ https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/measles#treating-measles
      5. ↑ https://www.immunize.org/wp-content/uploads/catg.d/p4209.pdf
      6. ↑ https://www.immunize.org/wp-content/uploads/catg.d/p4209.pdf
      7. ↑ https://www.unicef.org/montenegro/en/stories/mmr-vaccine-does-not-cause-autism
      8. ↑ https://www.immunize.org/wp-content/uploads/catg.d/p4209.pdf
      9. ↑ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles
      10. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/index.html
      11. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/measles/index.html
      12. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8584-measles
      13. ↑ https://globalhandwashing.org/measles-and-handwashing-fact-sheet/
      14. ↑ https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles
      15. ↑ https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles
      16. ↑ https://www.encephalitis.info/types-of-encephalitis/infectious-encephalitis/measles-infection-and-encephalitis/

      About this article

      Article Summary X

      To treat measles, see your doctor as soon as you notice symptoms, like a rash that looks similar to but more severe than chickenpox coupled with a fever and cough, since measles are a highly contagious disease. If it's confirmed that you have measles, your doctor may recommend using ibuprofen or acetaminophen to bring your fever down. Additionally, run a humidifier and drink plenty of fluids to soothe your sore throat and cough. For more tips from our Medical co-author, including how to avoid conjunctivitis while you have the measles, keep reading!

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