Fifth Disease Symptoms

Common Symptoms of Fifth Disease

Fifth disease is called so because it is one of the five common contagious skin diseases that affect mostly children ranging between the ages of 5 and 15. It is also described medically as parvovirus infection or eythema infectiosum. It is also sometimes referred to as the slapped cheek disease because the rashes that appear on the face in this condition look like the marks left behind by hard slaps on the skin. Usually, the prominent red marks appear on both cheeks while the area around the mouth looks relatively pale. After a few days the slightly raised, flaky rashes start appearing on the upper parts of limbs and slowly spread to the thighs, buttocks and trunk too. This may be accompanied with itching, mild fever, headache, upset stomach, exhaustion and sore throat. The patient may also experience a dull pain in the body joints, which may take a few weeks to go away completely. The virus that causes this condition spreads through droplets of moisture expelled by an already infected person while coughing or sneezing. The virus takes 4-14 days to incubate and makes rashes appear on the skin, and thereafter it ceases to be infectious. Exposure to direct sunlight, emotional stress or trauma and excessive physical exertion may intensify the symptoms or lead to their recurrence. Though this infection is not of a very serious nature and gets cured naturally, it may lead to complications in pregnant women and anemic or chronically ill patients with weakened immune systems.

There are a few general rules that help in preventing fifth disease. Maintaining good personal hygiene is the key to keeping this infection at bay. Ensure that your child washes his or her hands frequently, especially before and after meals. You should keep the child away from a person who is already suffering from the symptoms of this disease. In case the child has a fever, soak a piece of cloth in chilled water and wipe his or her forehead with this repeatedly for 15 minutes to bring down the body temperature. This will help reduce the ancillary symptoms like joint aches and headache. Dabbing the rashes with a cotton ball soaked in cold water is also helpful in relieving the itchiness. It is also advisable that the patient should be allowed to rest in a well ventilated room and should not be covered up with too many warm clothes or blankets.