How to prevent Measles causing eye damage or blindness?

Measles, also known as rubella, is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. This disease affects all ages. Children under the age of 5 and adults over the age of 20 are more likely to suffer from complications.

It is spread through direct contact with an infected person or through airborne droplets.

Symptoms of measles appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus and include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. The outbreak of measles occurs 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms.

Vitamin A deficiency is especially severe in children with measles. Vitamin A supplementation reduces mortality and complications caused by measles. Measles can increase the body's use of vitamin A, possibly due to the rapid destruction of epithelial areas. Vitamin A is a necessary basis for maintaining the integrity of the epithelial cell and plays a role in the evolution of the immune system.

Measles is a leading cause of childhood blindness. The vision-related effects of measles vary from case to case and range from normal, harmless symptoms to abnormal, life-threatening injuries. Measles can make the eye work in different ways.

Conjunctivitis:

Possible in almost all patients with measles .it is also called pink eye. Redness and watery eyes Almost all measles patients have symptoms of conjunctivitis in the early stages of the disease, in addition to a runny nose, fever, and other cold symptoms.

While therapeutic eye drops can help with conjunctivitis, the symptoms often resolve on their own as measles progresses. Wearing a cold, wet washcloth can help with the discharge and discomfort that you often experience.

Keratitis:

Keratitis is an infection of the cornea where inflammation of the cornea occurs.

Keratitis can be easily treated with medical eye drops, but keratitis can worsen and lead to vision loss if not treated immediately.

  Corneal Scars:

The corneal injury occurs when the cornea is damaged, and in the case of measles, corneal scarring is the result of a corneal ulcer or keratitis. In severe or untreatable cases of keratitis, the corneal tissues are damaged and replaced with scar tissue.

Corneal implants may remove red tissue and restore clear vision, but prevention is a simple and inexpensive method.

Treatment  with vitamin A:

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. Vitamin A is important for normal vision, immune system, and reproduction.

Vitamin A supplements have been associated with reductions of approximately 50% in morbidity and mortality and appear to help prevent eye damage and blindness.

For children with severe cases (including those requiring hospitalization), the World Health Organization suggests treatments of vitamin A on the day of diagnosis and day after to prevent vision loss from eye complications:

Amax oral drop is mostly used.

Conclusion:

This treatment restores low levels of vitamin A during measles that occurs even in malnourished children and can help prevent eye damage and blindness.