About 50 percent of people infected with rubella develop related symptoms. When symptoms of rubella do occur, they can include:
- Mild fever
- Swollen lymph glands behind the ears and/or neck
- Rash (see Rubella Rash or Rubella Pictures)
- Joint pain and swelling
- Tiredness
- Muscle and body aches
- Headache
- Testicular pain
- Red, watery eyes (pinkeye).
In order to make a rubella diagnosis, the doctor will ask a number of questions about a patient's medical history and perform a physical exam to look for signs or symptoms of rubella.
Diagnosing rubella can often be done just based on a person's symptoms and findings on the physical exam.
Several other medical conditions can have signs or symptoms that are similar to those of rubella. The doctor will consider these conditions and rule them out before diagnosing rubella. Some of these conditions include:
There is currently no treatment that can kill the
rubella virus. Because rubella is caused by a virus, antibiotics are not effective. Therefore,
rubella treatment focuses on providing relief of
rubella symptoms as the body fights the virus. This is called supportive care. Supportive care can include rest, fluids, and medications (such as
acetaminophen or
ibuprofen) to control fever or pain.
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