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Avoiding Measles
This post is a follow up to my other post on Measles that covers a little different information than this post.
Measles continues to be in the news with new cases popping up around the country.
When you already have a serious illness like Pancreatitis, whether it is acute or chronic, that is already beating up your body and stressing your immune system it is important that you avoid other diseases so avoid measles.
This year is already on track to be one of the worst for measles in more than a decade since Measles was declared conquered in the United States.
Herd Immunity or Herd Effect
Health officials are laying the blame for this outbreak at the feet of people who are refusing to vaccinate their children. The reason is called Herd Immunity or Herd Effect.
Even though there are many concerns about children being vaccinated we are now seeing the flip side of the problem that is caused when parents don’t vaccinate their children.
- In the first box in the below graph, most of the people are not immunized so when someone gets sick almost everyone else is going to get sick as well.
- In the second box in the graph it demonstrates that even if some of the people get immunized most of the people are still going to get sick.
- But as the last box in the graph shows, if most of the people are immunized, even the people who aren’t won’t get sick because they are less likely to meet the people who are sick and get sick themselves.
So what happens with herd effect is that any disease that is contagious like Measles , the larger the percentage of people that are immunized the more likely the chain of infection is going to be broken.
Measles Are Very Contagious
Measles is highly contagious even before the symptoms start to show up so part of the problem when you want to avoid measles is that the people who are infectious probably won’t even know that they are infectious for at least 4 days before they begin to show any symptoms.
Then it’s also natural in our busy world to ignore the first symptoms once they do appear. No one wants to go to their Doctor and pay for the visit for something that might go away.
I’m sure that I’m not the only one who hopes that whatever is making me sick will just go away if I ignore it long enough.
Who gets Measles
Anyone who has not been vaccinated is at a risk of getting them. This includes children who haven’t been vaccinated and those that are under the age of 12 months since they can’t be vaccinated yet.
The problem for those of us suffering from Pancreatitis though is that it can also infect people who have compromised immune systems so you’ll want to avoid measles.
Doctors have also discovered that many who were vaccinated can still get infected because the vaccine will loose its ability to ward of the disease over time.
Especially people who were vaccinated before 1968 can get infected because these early vaccines fail to give lasting protection.
Symptoms of Measles
Measles is a highly contagious disease that will cause fever and rash.
If you or someone around you gets infected the first signs will look and feel just like a normal cold.
The person getting measles will commonly:
- have a cough
- run a high fever
- have a runny nose
- get red, watery eyes
- have a sensitivity to light
- and white spots inside the mouth
Its only a few days later that the red, blotchy rash starts. It shows up first on the face, then spreads to the rest of the body.
How Is Measles Spread
This is one of the most contagious illnesses known to man so it is important to avoid measles. It can also spread easily to anyone near an infected person.
The virus that causes measles lives in the nose and throat of infected people. When someone who is infected sneezes, coughs, or even talks they can spray the virus into the air around them.
The virus can then live in the air or on any objects where the mist settles for up to two hours.
If a person who coughs into their hand, then touches something like a doorknob or faucet, it can easily spread the virus to others.
This means that public areas where large numbers of people congregate could be a place where you could get infected.
The CDC says the virus is so contagious that 90% of people who are not immune and come close to someone with measles will also become infected.
Many of us that are dealing with pancreatitis make regular visits to the Doctors office or need hospital stays and that is where people go when they are sick.
But the ease that this virus spreads means that it could be spread anywhere that there is a large number of people gathered.
Complications Associated with Measles
It is important to have an up to date vaccine to avoid measles because it can lead to life-threatening complications if you get sick.
Things such as pneumonia and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) can occur. In the United States about two in 1,000 people die from measles annually.
Other complications that are associated with measles can include:
- ear infections
- bronchitis
- miscarriage or preterm labor
- decrease in blood platelets
- blindness
- and severe diarrhea
How Can You Avoid The Measles
If someone in your household has measles you should take these precautions to help vulnerable family and friends avoid measles:
Isolate them: Because Measles is so highly contagious it is important for anyone that could get measles to avoid someone who is sick with the virus.
Vaccinate: Check to make sure that you were vaccinated and if you were born before 1957 make sure that you get a new vaccine.
How To Avoid Measles
Since many of the people that carry the virus don’t know yet that they have measles it is important that you are pro-active to avoid measles.
Wash Your Hands: Make sure that you wash your hands often during the day and try to avoid bringing your hands to your mouth or eyes.
When You Use A Public Restroom: Use a towel to turn off the faucets after you wash your hands and use the towel to open the door before you dispose of it.
If You Are at the Doctors Office: Don’t be afraid to ask for a face mask to avoid breathing in any virus when people sneeze. It seems that more people are sneezing right now because of the flu so turn and close your eyes if possible.
If You Are In The Hospital: Make sure that anyone that comes in your room uses the disinfectant spray by the door for their hands before they touch you.
It may seem like you are being a hypochondriac but that is better that getting measles.
Conclusion to Avoid Measles
The bottom line here is the importance of being pro-active and understanding where Measles comes from and how you can avoid Measles.
If you have Pancreatitis you already have enough problems without getting any new ones so be safe and be careful!