More adults suffer from teething problems

Mutation of teething troubles: More and more adults get infected

04/10/2013

Teething troubles are on the rise and are causing problems for some adults. Whether measles, mumps, chickenpox or rubella - the so-called teething troubles are increasingly developing into adult diseases. For measles, for example, one first has to deal with typical symptoms of a bad cold before the reddish spotty rash can no longer be overlooked and now no doubt even as an adult.

Ten years ago, only 8.5 percent of all measles patients were older than 20 years. Today it is already almost 40 percent. "For whooping cough we see a similar development," says Jan Leidel, chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko). "Here, the median age of those affected is already 42. The character of teething troubles is more and more lost.“ This is a problematic development in that the principle applies to most childhood diseases: the older you are with the disease, the greater the risk. A brief overview of the most common childhood illnesses is designed to help you diagnose in order to act as early as possible.

measles
Measles are among the extremely contagious teething troubles. Anyone who has once received remains immune to them in the future. The virus is by no means to be underestimated, it can have serious consequences. Tracheal and laryngeal infections as well as lung and otitis media have a strong cold character. If it comes to a brain or meningitis, the consequences could be fatal. "Children's disease is by no means harmless," says Leidel. All people who have not yet been infected with the measles virus, the Stiko recommends a vaccine.

A study by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) shows that around 80 percent of those born after 1970 do not know this recommendation. Another positive effect is that you get equal protection against mumps and rubella

whooping cough
The risk of recurring whooping cough is, even if one was already sick in childhood, as an adult did not survive. Even if you do not have to fear the bacteria for about 15 years, vaccination is advisable.

As with measles, there are increasingly older patients who are affected: "77 percent of those who have had whooping cough in 2013 are over 20 years old," says Leidel. Between 2006 and 2012, Barmer GEK recorded an increase of 50 percent. "The symptoms in adults are similar to those of children: they mainly suffer from a persistent cough with often staccato-like seizures," says Winfried Kern, chairman of the German Society of Infectious Diseases (DGI). "Although there is no complication of encephalopathy in adults, that is, the pathological change in the brain, however, whooping cough often affects chronic diseases and worsens them." Since 2009 Stiko recommends to be vaccinated every ten years. This is usually associated with the vaccine against tetanus and diphtheria, since a single substance against whooping cough is not available.

mumps
Mumps is also the first to suspect a cold. Fever and swelling of the ear glands are typical of the mumps virus. Men can also get a painful orchitis, which can lead to infertility in rare cases. "It also often causes meningitis, which can lead to permanent neurological damage." Rarely, it also leads to pancreatitis, "says Kern. As with the other two childhood illnesses, the older the patient, the higher the complication rate. "In the past, when mumps broke out almost exclusively in kindergartens and elementary schools, more and more schools are moving to secondary schools, as well as universities, with 73 percent of those who contracted mumps in 2013 older than 20," says Leidel. Again, Stiko recommends to be vaccinated.

rubella
In addition to headache and pain in the limbs and swelling of the lymph nodes on the back of the head, an elevated temperature usually occurs before blotches on the face and on the body appear in the form of a rash. Rubella has been notifiable since March 2013 and must be reported to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). This must also be done with the two previous teething troubles. Caution is required for the expectant mother. The virus can severely damage the embryo or cause death, premature birth or miscarriage. The rubella is particularly critical in the first three months of pregnancy: only about ten percent of unborn children do not suffer any damage in this case. "We're trying to prevent rubella epidemics with a blanket vaccine," says Leidel.

chickenpox
Chickenpox suffers from a few adults in comparison. The tendency is also rising here. In 2002, not even one percent of the patients were over 20 years old. This number climbed in 2010 to five percent. So far, this year, as many as 29 percent of chickenpox patients were older than 20 years. Chickenpox can be recognized by the small red bubbles on the trunk and face

"The rate of complications is significantly increased in adulthood," says Kern. These include pneumonia or infection of the central nervous system. This can sometimes lead to permanent paralysis. Stiko recommends vaccinating children against chickenpox. For some experts, however, the vaccine is controversial. "Although the data are quite good, there is criticism and concern that the vaccine will only spread the disease to adulthood, and that later shingles could occur more frequently," explains Kern.

scarlet
A red tongue, sore throat, fever, chills and a patchy itchy rash are the hallmarks of scarlet fever. In general, an antibiotic will move from the doctors. Without this drug, it can lead to serious consequences in childhood illness. These include rheumatic fever, or a heart or kidney infection. There is no vaccine against scarlet fever. In addition, even if one has been infected once, the risk of another illness remains. One reason for this are the many different types of pathogens. (Fr)