Chickenpox
A frequent and mild infection that can afflict people of any age, chickenpox primarily affects youngsters.
Why people get chickenpox
The varicella-zoster virus is the culprit behind chickenpox, also referred to as varicella in medical terminology. It spreads swiftly and readily from an infected person.
Children under the age of ten are most commonly affected by chickenpox. Chickenpox typically strikes children in the winter and spring, especially from March to May.
The signs and symptoms of chicken pox
The rash of chickenpox consists of red, itchy patches that develop into blisters filled with fluid. After that, they start to crust over and form scabs, which finally fall off.
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The spots typically occur in groups and have a tendency to be:
- the back of the ears
- in the visage
- above the scalp
- on the belly and chest
- on the limbs and lower body
However, the spots may appear anywhere on the body, such as:
- within the mouth and ears
- across the hands’ palms
- the foot soles
- within the diaper section.
First, there are tiny, irritating red spots on the skin. After 12 to 14 hours, these blister on top and get really irritating.
The blisters start to become hazy and start to dry up and crust over after a day or two.
The skin that is crusting will gradually peel off after one to two weeks.
After the rash starts, new spots may continue to form in waves for three to five days. As a result, various clusters of patches can be blistering or drying out at different rates.
Prior to the appearance of chickenpox spots
You or your child may experience mild flu-like symptoms prior to the rash developing, such as:
- feeling unwell
- a fever with a peak temperature of 38C (100.4F) or higher
- tense, hurting muscles
- headache
- feeling overall ill
- appetite decline
Adults typically experience these symptoms—particularly the fever—more frequently and with greater severity than children.
Calling your physician regarding chickenpox
The majority of children’s cases of chickenpox are minor illnesses that resolve on their own.
Adults often experience more severe cases of chickenpox than children do. Adults are more likely to experience difficulties.
Treatment for chickenpox
The chickenpox has no known cure. However, your pharmacist has medications that can ease your discomfort. Among them are:
- using paracetamol to lower a fever
- To relieve itching, use cooling gels and calamine lotion.
Most children’s blisters crust up and eventually fall off on their own in one to two weeks.
If adults with chickenpox are discovered early enough, antiviral medication may be helpful.
Putting an end to the chickenpox epidemic
Children should not go to daycare or school until all of their spots have crusted over. This will lessen the spread of chickenpox.
Adults who have chickenpox should avoid going to work until all of the lesions have healed.
A person can contract chickenpox one to two days prior to the rash appearing. The moment all of the blisters have sealed up, it ceases to spread. Usually, this occurs five to six days after the rash first appears.
Try to keep your child away from public places if you or they have chickenpox. They will be able to stay away from those who might not have had it thanks to this.
In particular, you should avoid those who could pose a major risk, like:
- infants who have just been born
- expectant mothers
- someone taking steroid tablets or receiving cancer therapy, for example, who has a compromised immune system
Who is most susceptible to chickenpox?
If they contract the chickenpox, certain adults and children are particularly vulnerable to major complications. Among them are:
- expectant mothers
- infants who have just been born
- individuals with compromised immune systems
As soon as these individuals become infected with the chickenpox virus or exhibit symptoms, they should consult their general practitioner.
To determine whether they are immune to or protected from chickenpox, they could require a blood test.
pregnancy-related chickenpox
Sometimes, having chickenpox during pregnancy can lead to difficulties.
Approximately 3 out of every 1,000 pregnancies result in chickenpox.
Pregnancy increases your chance of pneumonia slightly, especially if you smoke. The risk of pneumonia seems to increase with the length of your pregnancy.
Pregnant women who contract chickenpox run a little but real risk of endangering their unborn child.
Fetal varicella syndrome (FVS) is a disorder that can affect your unborn child if you contract chickenpox within the first 28 weeks of your pregnancy.
It is uncommon to have this syndrome.
Serious consequences resulting from FVS may include:
- damage
- defects of the eyes, like cataracts
- reduced length of limbs
- brain injury
After week 20, there are still additional dangers associated with contracting chickenpox.
Your kid might be born before week 37 of pregnancy, which is a possibility.
A more severe form of chickenpox may affect your newborn if you contract it seven days before or seven days after giving birth. This particular kind of chickenpox can be lethal in a few severe cases.
Shingles and chickenpox
After contracting chickenpox, you often build antibodies against the virus and become resistant to getting it again.
However, the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, remains dormant in the nerve tissues of your body. Later in adulthood, this may resurface as the shingles virus.
Someone with shingles can potentially contract chickenpox from that person, but not the other way around.
Learn more about Shingles.
Is a vaccine available to prevent chickenpox?
Although there is a vaccine for chickenpox, it is not included in the standard children immunization schedule.
The vaccination will only be made available to adults and children who are more susceptible to the complications of chickenpox.
It is possible for the infection to resurface following vaccination. Additionally, if a person who has had the vaccination comes into close contact with someone who has shingles, they may get chickenpox.
