What are the "three reds and three pains" of scarlet fever?
Aug 04, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Jiang Weimin
Introduction
In general, the "three reds" of scarlet fever should refer to redness of the face, neck, and chest, while the "three pains" should refer to headache, back pain, and pain around the eyes. Scarlet fever is an acute respiratory infectious disease, clinically characterized by fever, pharyngitis, and a diffuse, bright red rash over the entire body. Typically, the rash appears within 24 hours after the onset of fever, initially presenting as redness of the face, neck, and chest.
Under normal circumstances, the "three reds" of scarlet fever should refer to redness of the face, neck, and chest, while the "three pains" should refer to headache, back pain, and orbital pain. Specific details are as follows:
Scarlet fever is an acute respiratory infectious disease characterized clinically by fever, pharyngitis, and a diffuse, bright red rash over the entire body. Typically, the rash appears within 24 hours after the onset of fever, initially presenting as redness of the face, neck, and chest, then rapidly spreading to the rest of the body. This redness is generally caused by capillary rupture, and the rash usually begins to fade in reverse order of appearance after approximately 48 hours. Patients may also experience pain symptoms, commonly including headache, back pain, and orbital pain. Headache is typically due to dilation of blood vessels in the head; back pain often results from perirenal or retroperitoneal edema; and orbital pain is generally caused by edema of the tissues surrounding the eye socket.
It is recommended that patients seek medical attention promptly when experiencing discomfort and receive standardized treatment under the guidance of a physician, which helps promote recovery.
