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Arthritis symptoms
Patients with measles often experience muscle aches and joint pain as a part of the prodromal symptoms and during the 3-day rash. However, sometimes this joint pain becomes severe, and there might even be swelling in the joints with a change of appearance, redness in the affected joint, warmth and tenderness to the touch. This is a mild form of arthritis, and it is more common in women than men, especially during adulthood.
Arthritis symptoms are often self-resolving, and the only treatment they require is directed to relieving the pain. This type of arthritis does not cause a deformity in the articulations, and it is not likely to cause long-lasting side effects either.
When rubella causes arthritis in infected adults, it should be reported to a health professional because it will be more likely to experience other side effects such as thrombocytopenia. This is a low level of platelets in the blood and might lead to bleeding. An infection of the brain called encephalitis is another rare complication usually appearing in adults infected with rubella. Therefore, it is important to look for medical help if you are experiencing other symptoms than just a skin rash and the prodromal syndrome we have mentioned above.
