Characterized by red, itchy blisters all over the body, chickenpox is a virus that often infects children and was so common that it was considered a childhood disease.
According to the healthline report, it is very rare to get chickenpox infection more than once, and since the chickenpox vaccine was introduced in the mid-1990s, the incidence of it has decreased.
What are the symptoms of chickenpox?
An itchy rash is the most common symptom of chickenpox. The infection may be in your body for seven to 21 days before the rash and other symptoms appear, while it becomes contagious to people around the condition for up to 48 hours before the rash begins.
Symptoms other than a rash may persist for several days and include:
Fever
Headache
Anorexia
A day or two after these symptoms appear, the classic rash will begin to appear, and the rash will go through three stages before healing, and these include:
Red or pink bumps all over your body.
The bumps become blisters filled with fluid that leak.
The bumps begin to peel off and from here the healing phase begins.
Not all bumps will appear on your body at the same time. New bumps will continue to appear during the course of the infection, and the rash can be very itchy, especially before it crusts over.
The risk of infection for people around the condition continues until the blisters on your body peel off, and the crust areas eventually fall off, which takes seven to 14 days for them to completely disappear.
What causes chickenpox?
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox. Most cases occur through contact with an infected person. The virus is contagious to those around you for one to two days before blisters appear. The virus remains contagious until all blisters have crusted over. The infection is transmitted through:
saliva
- cough
- sneezing
Contact with fluid from the blisters
Who is at risk of getting chickenpox?
Exposure to the virus through a previous active infection or vaccination reduces the risk, as immunity from the virus can be transmitted from the mother to her newborn, and immunity lasts about three months from birth.
What are the possible complications of chickenpox?
Call your doctor at once if:
The rash has spread to your eyes.
The rash is very red (signs of a secondary bacterial infection).
The rash is accompanied by dizziness or shortness of breath.
When complications occur, they often affect:
infant
Elderly
People with weakened immune systems
pregnant women
How is chickenpox treated?
Most people diagnosed with chickenpox are advised to manage their symptoms while they wait for the virus to pass through their system. Parents will be asked to keep children out of school, and infected adults will also need to stay home.
Your doctor may prescribe antihistamines or topical ointments, or you can buy these over the counter to help relieve itching. You can also soothe itchy skin by:
Take lukewarm baths
Apply unscented lotion
Wear light and soft clothes
How do you protect your child from chickenpox?
The chickenpox vaccine prevents in 98% of people who receive the two recommended doses. Your child should get the vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age. Children get a booster dose between 4 and 6 years of age.
Older children and adults who haven't been vaccinated may receive reuptake doses of the vaccine. Because chickenpox tends to be more severe in adults and older adults, people who haven't been vaccinated may choose to get vaccinated later.
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