Measles is a highly communicable viral disease marked by grains of sand like symptoms appearing in the cheeks and proceeding to trunks, palms and soles lasting for about 5 days. Measles is mainly a respiratory infection, even though outward symptoms indicate its presence. Vaccination is the best mode that provides immunity against measles. Once infected it gives lifelong immunity. Vitamin A supplementation during measles significantly reduces risks of morbidity and mortality.

Causes:

Measles is most common in school-age children with outbreaks occurring in the winter and spring.

The occurrence of measles before the age of 6 months is relatively uncommon because of passively acquired maternal antibodies from the immune mother.

This is due to the paramyxo virus that thrives in the air and therefore, the disease is also airborne. There are two three major ways to spread the disease. They are as follow

If a child comes in direct physical contact with another child who has the disease, then the child too has chances to get affected.
The virus of this disease can live in sputum, phlegm and saliva of a child and therefore there are chances to spread if that infected child coughs, sneezes or spits.
Rarely, but there are chances that the disease can spread even if a child is kept in isolation. This could be due to an air, which is also a career of the infection.


Symptoms of Measles:

A mild to severe temperature, which may peak over 38C (100.4F) for several days. After several days temperature may fall, but may go up again when the rash appears.
Characteristic rash, spreading from face to trunk, then to arms and legs. Child's skin starts to peel in two to three days.
Cough and Cold.
Inflammation of the eyes may be there, which will make the eyes sensitive to light.
Poor appetite.
Runny nose.
Sneezing.
Conjunctivitis.
Red eyes.
Watering eyes.

Spreading of Measles:

Measles is spread through droplet transmission from the nose, throat, and mouth of someone who is infected with the virus. These droplets are sprayed out when the infected person coughs or sneezes. Among unimmunized people exposed to the virus, over 90% will contract the disease. The infected person is highly contagious for four days before the rash appears until four days after the rash appears. The measles virus can remain in the air (and still be able to cause disease) for up to two hours after an infected person has left a room.


Home Remedies:

Measles treatment using Orange:
Oranges are very valuable in measles, as the digestive power of the body is seriously hampered. The patient suffers from intense toxaemia, and the lack of saliva coats his tongue and often destroys his thirst for water as well as his desire for food. The agreeable flavour of orange juice helps greatly in overcoming these drawbacks. Orange juice is the ideal liquid food for this disease.

Measles treatment using Lemon Juice:
The juice of lemon also makes an effective thirst-quenching drink in measles. About 15 to 25 ml of lemon juice, diluted with water, should be take for this purpose.

Measles treatment using Turmeric:
Turmeric is beneficial in the treatment of measles. Raw roots of turmeric should be dried in the sun and ground to a fine powder. Half a teaspoon of this powder, mixed with a few drops of honey and the juice of a few bitter gourd leaves, should be given to patients suffering from measles.

Measles treatment using Liquorice:
Powdered liquorice has been found valuable in relieving the cough, which is typical in measles. The child patient should be given half a teaspoon of powdered liquorice mixed with the same quantity of honey.

Measles treatment using Barley:
The use of barley water has proved beneficial for the troublesome cough in measles. This water should be taken frequently, sweetened with the newly-drawn oil of sweet almonds.