Prevention methods must be started as soon as possible to reduce the illness, and the risk for complications. Prevention methods may include antiviral medication, an injection of varicella zoster immune globulin or the varicella vaccine.
In most cases, chickenpox is a mild illness. If you have chickenpox, you should rest but you do not need to stay in bed. The most helpful things you can do are those that make you or your child feel more comfortable. Some steps you can take are to:.
The same virus that causes chickenpox causes shingles. For some people who have had chickenpox, the virus can become active again later in life and cause a painful rash with blisters called shingles. Symptoms of shingles include headache, fever, nausea and chills. People may feel itching, tingling, or extreme pain in the area where a rash develops several days later.
It takes 2 to 4 weeks for the blisters to heal, although some scars may remain. A person with shingles who feels well does not need to stay away from work or other activities, as long as the rash can be completely covered. Shingles can not be passed from person to person.
However, a person who has not had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine can get chickenpox from someone with shingles. This is uncommon and requires direct contact with the fluid from the shingles blisters. Skip to main content. While they are triggered in the same way as those on the skin, the oral lesions will often look like tiny grains of white sand surrounded by a red ring.
Chickenpox enathem can be extremely painful when they erupt, making eating difficult. They can be treated with a topical oral analgesic as well as a bland, soft diet with cooling foods such as ice pops, milkshakes, and smoothies.
Spicy or acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus should be avoided. The speed by which chickenpox blisters develop can be truly astonishing.
The rash will start as tiny red dots on the face, scalp, torso, and upper arms and legs. Thereafter, the blisters will rapidly spread, covering most of the body within 10 to 12 hours. Many of the vesicles will begin to quickly consolidate and form into larger, cloudy blisters. The itching by this stage will often be intense.
In some cases, an oral antihistamine may be prescribed to relieve itching and aid with sleep. Chickenpox can spread to parts of the body that are not usually affected by infections, including the palms, soles, scalp, eyelids, anus, and genitals. Treatment options are limited and are not considered necessary in most cases. Some healthcare provider may prescribe an oral antiviral drug called Zovirax acyclovir to people with compromised immune systems to reduce the risk of complications and pregnant mothers to avoid fetal harm.
As the infection progresses, the immune battle can lead to the formation of pus in the blisters. Pus essentially consists of dead white blood cells and bacteria combined with tissue debris and body fluids. While many of the blisters will erupt on their own, due to friction and abrasion with clothing, every effort should be made to avoid scratching.
This not only reduces scarring, but it prevents the spread of infection even after an erupted lesion has crusted over. Strategies to reduce itching include:. Only use mild soap when bathing and blot, rather there rub, the skin dry with a towel. After four to five days , as the erupted vesicles start to crust over, those that haven't done so will harden and form little indentations, called umbilication.
This is the stage during which the contagiousness of the disease will gradually wane and healing will begin. It is also the time to remain vigilant as the open, ulcerated sores are vulnerable to infection. This most commonly involves staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria.
While uncommon, a secondary infection can sometimes spread into the bloodstream, causing a potentially life-threatening condition known as sepsis. A secondary skin infection may be treated with a topical, oral, or injected antibiotic, depending on its severity. Cellulitis may require hospitalization and the administration of intravenous antibiotics and fluids. You can reduce the risk of a secondary infection by washing your hands regularly with soap, trimming your nails, and avoid touching any open or crusted lesions.
Most chickenpox infection will fully resolve within two weeks. While most chickenpox infections are uncomplicated and readily managed at home, call your healthcare provider if your child experiences any of the following:. Chickenpox can be easily prevented with the Varivax vaccine. The two-shot series is recommended as part of a child's routine vaccination series and can provide complete protection in 98 percent of cases. You'll be glad that you did if chickenpox starts making its way around your school!
Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Chickenpox? People who get the virus have: a fever a rash of spots that look like blisters They also might get a runny nose, cough, and stomachache.
What Are the Signs of Chickenpox? How Does Chickenpox Spread? Itchy-Itchy, Scratchy-Scratchy If you are that unlucky person, how do you keep your chickenpox from driving you crazy? These tips can help you feel less itchy: Keep cool because heat and sweat will make you itch more. You might want to put a lukewarm washcloth on the really bad areas. Trim your fingernails, so if you do scratch, you won't tear your skin. Soak in a lukewarm bath. Adding some oatmeal to your bath water can help relieve the itching.
Have your mom or dad help you apply calamine lotion, which soothes itching. Chickenpox progress within 24 hours through the next 5 stages: Small red bumps Thin-walled water blisters Cloudy blisters Open sores, and finally Dry brown crusts.
Rash is all over the body. Most often, starts on the head and back. Repeated crops of new chickenpox keep appearing for 4 to 5 days. Therefore, all 5 stages are present at same time. Sores ulcers can also occur in the mouth, on eyelids, and on genitals. Fever is most often present. The more the rash, the higher the fever. Known contact to a child with chickenpox or shingles 10 - 21 days earlier Main related problems: skin infections from scratching.
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