What is the difference between measles and chickenpox

Whether it is measles or chickenpox, it can cause great harm to the human body. Moreover, chickenpox has a latent function and will only be triggered when the human body's immunity is reduced. The latent period of measles in the human body is very short, only about fifteen days at most. The patient will also have a fever after the onset of the disease. Therefore, there is a big difference between measles and chickenpox. Let us take a look at the difference between measles and chickenpox.

First, the symptoms of chickenpox: After being infected with the varicella-zoster virus, there will be an incubation period before the disease occurs. This period ranges from ten to twenty-one days, with an average of about two weeks. One or two days before the child develops a rash, there will be some cold-like prodromal symptoms, followed by the most typical symptom of chickenpox, which is a rash on the skin.

Second, in the first few days of chickenpox, we can see various types of rashes on the sick children, which is a unique characteristic of chickenpox, including papules, vesicular rashes, and scabs formed after the blisters break. The rash on the skin will feel itchy, so children often scratch involuntarily. Once the blisters are scratched, it is easy to cause bacterial infection. Parents must be especially careful to take care of them.

Third, the symptoms of measles. The incubation period of measles is generally around 8 to 14 days, and can be as short as 6 days. It can be extended to 3 to 4 weeks for those who have received immunization injections. The onset of the disease includes fever, cough, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, conjunctival congestion, tearing, photophobia, swollen eyelids, lack of energy, irritability and crying, loss of appetite, and sometimes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can easily be confused with upper respiratory tract infection. By the second or third day, the oral mucosa becomes congested and rough. Grayish-white spots the size of a needle tip appear on the cheek mucosa, surrounded by a red halo. They are sometimes also found on the gums and lip mucosa. They are medically called "measles mucosal spots" and are the earliest and most reliable basis for diagnosing measles. Generally, small bright red or rose-colored maculopapules will appear on the 4th day. The rash first appears behind the ears, neck, and hairline, and gradually spreads from top to bottom to the forehead, face, trunk, limbs, palms, and soles of the feet. The rashes may merge into patches, fade when pressed, and the skin between the rashes is normal.

What is the difference between measles and chickenpox? The rash will appear in 2 to 5 days. When the rash appears, the body temperature can rise to about 40℃. The symptoms of poisoning will worsen, with mental fatigue, worsening cough, red and swollen eyes, hoarseness, and sometimes diarrhea. There are increased breath sounds in the lungs, enlarged cervical lymph nodes, liver and spleen. As the body temperature gradually returns to normal, the rash disappears in the order in which it appeared, leaving behind bran-like flakes and light brown pigmentation.