Fifth Disease and Croup

[DVCLiz]

My older daughter has Fifth disease and my younger daughter has croup.

Oh, older DD is 20 and younger DD is 15!!! Aren't these supposed to be childhood diseases???

DD15 woke up barking like a seal. Both of mine have been very susceptible to croup long after the usual childhood time period. My older daughter, who is a junior in college, called to say she had had cold symptoms but her cheeks have swollen and turned bright red. She thinks it is Fifth because she has all the symptoms and tested negative for flu at her student health center.

Do any of your older kids still get the "childhood" diseases?

 

[disneymomoftwins]

I'm not sure about older kids with the Fifth Disease but I do know that pregnant women arent suppose to be around children with it. So if there is anyone pregnant that come around your children warn them. My daughter had it when she was young and I knew that the schools librarian was pregnant. I told her teacher to not let her go to the library. The librarian wasnt even aware that she didnt need to be around children with Fifth Disease.

 

[DVCLiz]

I'm not sure about older kids with the Fifth Disease but I do know that pregnant women arent suppose to be around children with it. So if there is anyone pregnant that come around your children warn them. My daughter had it when she was young and I knew that the schools librarian was pregnant. I told her teacher to not let her go to the library. The librarian wasnt even aware that she didnt need to be around children with Fifth Disease.

I don't know of anyone on DD's college campus who is pregnant but I'll mention it to her. She is just going to class and the dining hall so she's not likely to come in contact with anyone who is pregnant unless they are on staff at the college. She's staying away from any shopping centers, etc.

Poor DD15 sounds like a seal still.

 

[Cadiewampus]

My older daughter has Fifth disease and my younger daughter has croup.

Oh, older DD is 20 and younger DD is 15!!! Aren't these supposed to be childhood diseases???

DD15 woke up barking like a seal. Both of mine have been very susceptible to croup long after the usual childhood time period. My older daughter, who is a junior in college, called to say she had had cold symptoms but her cheeks have swollen and turned bright red. She thinks it is Fifth because she has all the symptoms and tested negative for flu at her student health center.

Do any of your older kids still get the "childhood" diseases?

Um not to appeare ignorant but what is Fifth disease?

 

[laughinplace199]

My older daughter has Fifth disease and my younger daughter has croup.

Oh, older DD is 20 and younger DD is 15!!! Aren't these supposed to be childhood diseases???

DD15 woke up barking like a seal. Both of mine have been very susceptible to croup long after the usual childhood time period. My older daughter, who is a junior in college, called to say she had had cold symptoms but her cheeks have swollen and turned bright red. She thinks it is Fifth because she has all the symptoms and tested negative for flu at her student health center.

Do any of your older kids still get the "childhood" diseases?

I got Fifth Disease in my mid-30's. I got it and then my two kiddos came down with it as well.

 

[McKelly]

There is a breakout of Fifth disease in my kid's elementary school right now. The flyer said that once the rash appears, the person is no longer contagious, so maybe your kids don't even have to be in isolation anymore.

 

[james'mommy]

I had fifth disease when I was 12. The dr said it goes around with chicken pox. I got fifth disease because I already had the chicken pox. It was the most miserable week and a half of my life.

 

[pigget74]

I got it as an adult from my kids. It is no fun as an adult as some of the symptons are different.

That being said--I never had chiken pox as a kid.

 

[DVCLiz]

Um not to appeare ignorant but what is Fifth disease?

A viral infection most common in childhood, with a rash and bright red cheeks. DD is 20 so she's a little older than the norm. The rashes I know of are measles and Fifth disease. Apparently there are three that are still seen today in addition to Fifth Disease. There was a Fourth Disease that is no longer seen so it has never been treated by doctors because it was apparently eradicated at some point in history.This is the Wikipedia info:

Fifth disease is one of several possible manifestations of infection by parvovirus B19.[1] The disease is also referred to as erythema infectiosum (meaning infectious redness) and as slapped cheek syndrome, slapcheek, slap face or slapped face. In Japan the disease is called 'apple sickness or ringo-byou' (りんご病）in reference to the symptom of facial redness. The name "fifth disease" derives from its historical classification as the fifth of the classical childhood skin rashes or exanthems.

 

[skw444]

My dd3 had this earlier this year and in children is pretty harmless. However, in adults it can cause joint pain and swelling in addition to the rash which is how it showed up in me when I got it from her. So painful! Once the rash appears though, you are no longer contagious so this spreads easily because you don't know you have it until the rash appears.

 

[phins_jazy]

My 9 year old has fifths disease right now! Once the red cheeks and rash appear she is no longer contageous. My dh is actually at the dr's office for his rash. Dunno if that's fifth's disease too or a reaction to his medication for his cold. Hope your kiddos get to feeling better!

 

[Cadiewampus]

A viral infection most common in childhood, with a rash and bright red cheeks. DD is 20 so she's a little older than the norm. The rashes I know of are measles and Fifth disease. Apparently there are three that are still seen today in addition to Fifth Disease. There was a Fourth Disease that is no longer seen so it has never been treated by doctors because it was apparently eradicated at some point in history.This is the Wikipedia info:

Fifth disease is one of several possible manifestations of infection by parvovirus B19.[1] The disease is also referred to as erythema infectiosum (meaning infectious redness) and as slapped cheek syndrome, slapcheek, slap face or slapped face. In Japan the disease is called 'apple sickness or ringo-byou' (りんご病）in reference to the symptom of facial redness. The name "fifth disease" derives from its historical classification as the fifth of the classical childhood skin rashes or exanthems.

Sounded a lot like Roseola so I looked Roseola up and I was wrong. Roseola is 6th. Maybe we ought to number all the diseases. Easier to pronounce the numbers than some of the names

 

[taitai]

As did my husband. For me, there was no red face, just incredibly painful, swollen joints. At first, my MD thought I might have arthritis or lupus. It was incredibly painful. For my DH, he broke out in hives after exposure to the sun. It was really nasty for both of us. We got if from our kids and all they had was the red face.

taitai

 

[ProudMommyof2]

I'm a nurse practitioner and got it in my mid-30s when my kids got it.

In children the slapped cheek appearance, fever and cough are most common signs. The cough is what spreads it.

In adults, the cough is present, but not usually the red cheeks. Instead, swollen painful joints are the primary complaint. In my area (Northeast) we typically 1st think Lyme, but a savy clinician will recognize the cough and get bloodwork to test for Parvo as well.

It is a self limiting virus (it will go away all on its own) and you are contagious as long as you have the barking cough. Spring is the most common time for outbreaks but it can occur at any time.

 

[2cutekidz]

As did my husband. For me, there was no red face, just incredibly painful, swollen joints. At first, my MD thought I might have arthritis or lupus. It was incredibly painful. For my DH, he broke out in hives after exposure to the sun. It was really nasty for both of us. We got if from our kids and all they had was the red face.

taitai

I'm a nurse practitioner and got it in my mid-30s when my kids got it.

In adults, the cough is present, but not usually the red cheeks. Instead, swollen painful joints are the primary complaint. In my area (Northeast) we typically 1st think Lyme, but a savy clinician will recognize the cough and get bloodwork to test for Parvo as well.

yep - I had it in my early 20's and had no symptoms excapt for the extremely painful joints. All of my joints! My mom freaked out and immediately thought Lyme disease - DH and I would go up north and could have been exposed to ticks. Turns out it was 5ths. I worked at a Day Care at the time, and no one there had heard of it. My nephew had it this past summer and even weeks after he had it when he was out in the sun, or overheated, the lacy red rash would come back.

 

[mjantz]

I had 'slapped cheeks' as a middle-schooler. That was when they kept you out of school. We've had a few cases at my workplace (preschool) but not too many. Its not just a basic 'slapped cheeks' look. In my experience the rash on the cheeks is raised a bit & blotchy.

 

[homedad]

its going around locally in our school district and went to doc today, as said earlier by the time the rash is here its not contagious, they also call it the hungarian measles, nothing to do once they have it

 

[wehavesix]

I know 2 adults who have had fifths disease in the past year. Both suffered for weeks with lingering joint pain, low grade fever, and fatigue. One woman was checked for lupus and a couple other auto-immune disorders before her doctor finally figured it out. Like some other childhood diseases, fifths can be pretty hard on adults. I hope your daughter recovers quickly from her bout with it.

 

[sdoll]

Funny I took my oldest son to my BIL's house today (he's a Dr) to have him write a script for pink eye. I brought my baby with me when my BIL took 1 look at him and said he has fifths disease. I had never even heard of it. My BIL is quite a jerk and all he said was not to worry about it. I do trust him so I asked no more. Thanks for explaining what it is. He said its been going around like crazy right now. I am more stressed about the pink eye right now. I feel guilty we had Thanksgiving on Sunday and all my nieces and nephew were there. I noticed his eyes when he woke up from his nap later that day.

 

[melafive]

I am pretty sure that my 10 year old had croup last week. For a few days he woke up with that bark like cough.