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Chicken pox/Chickenpox

Chicken pox | Chickenpox

goodtoknow says: Chicken pox is a very common viral infection. Most children get chicken pox and make a complete recovery within seven to 10 days, although the spots may take longer to fade. Your child may have been feeling under the weather for a couple of weeks before the first spots appear, usually on their stomach. This is called the incubation period. Chicken pox spreads quickly and can affect anywhere on the body, even the mouth and eyes. Your child will develop fluid-filled blisters that are extremely itchy and look awful. But don't worry, just cover the spots with calamine lotion to calm the itching.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of chicken pox from patient.co.uk, read on.

Chicken pox causes a rash and can make you feel generally unwell. Symptoms tend to be worse in adults than children. Treatment aims to ease symptoms until the illness goes. Full recovery is usual. Serious complications are rare, but are more common in adults than children and are more likely to occur in people with a poor immune system such as those on chemotherapy.

What is chicken pox?

Chicken pox is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The immune system makes antibodies during the infection. These fight the virus and then provide lifelong immunity. Therefore, it is rare to have more than one bout of chickenpox.

Most people have chicken pox as a child. About 9 in 10 people have had it by the age of 15. It is uncommon for adults to have chickenpox.

- Read more: What are the symptoms of chicken pox?

More help and advice

- Why it's good to have chicken pox young
- Tips on relieving the symptoms of chicken pox
- Make sure your child doesn't dread injections

Find out more

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13 days

kelly mudie

my 4 year old son has came out in a rash on his chest and is spreading down his belly, they are not blisters they look like a normal spot but little, im really worried cause when he gets ill and gets a high temp he fits and stops brething, i dont no wot to do, i have took him to the chemist and they said its looks like chicken poxs but they are not sure i dont no wot to do i need some help.

18 days

nikki faulkner

I`m eight wks pregrent and my daughters have chicken pox and i at risk? I had chicken pox when i was younger can i catch them again?.

28 days

jessica stanton

im 18 years old and about 3 days ago i came out in a breakout of painful red itchy bumps and spots on my stomach, in my throat, legs, arms, back, scalp and all on my face. they are starting to scab over slowly its just i really dont want this for much longer. i cant spend time with my boyfriend of two years because we dont want him catching it, i feel really ill with it such as fever, very sore throat, cant sleep cant face anyone coz i just look so embarassing. i would never wish this on any older person becuase they get it worse than in children xx

about 1 month

Jeanette

My daughter has also woken up this morning with spots! A friend of mine told me that sucking ice lollies helps, especially if they have them in the mouth.

about 1 month

NICOLA GREENMAN

MY DAUGHTER HAS CHICKEN POX AND ITS EVERYWHERE MOUTH,ARMS,FEET,LEGS YOU NAME IT. IM QUITE WORRIED BECAUSE SHE HAS ECZEMA ONTOP OF THE CHICKENPOX WHICH MAKES IT WORSE, MY FRIEND SAYS TO USE THE E45 CREAM ON HER SKIN WHICH IV'E BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS WHICH HARDLY WORKS! MY MOTHER SAID I HAD IT WHEN I WAS 10 BUT IT WENT IN A ABOUT A MONTH.I REALLY NEED HELP FAST BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW,PLUS IT LOOKS LIKE ITS GETTING WORSE EVERY DAY!?

about 1 month

vickie

my 6 yr old had chicken pox 2 weeks ago and now my 2 yr old has it. he was ok in general, but i changed his bottom half an hour ago and his poo was like dead bloody colour. is this ok or do i need to be concerned?????

about 1 month

Sarah Berry

My 5 year old has just come out in chicken pox spots this morning and I'm 8 weeks prehnant am i ok????????????

about 1 month

louise bernhardt

my five year son has chicken pox but somehow the blister have became infected and i was wondering what may have cause this and how to treat him

3 months

JANE GERRARD

MY SON DEVELOPED CHICKEN POX JUST BEFORE HIS THIRD BIRTHDAY. HE IS NOW FREE ALTHOUGH THE SPOTS ARE STILL FADING. MY SIX YEAR OLD HAS JUST COME DOWN WITH IT. WE WERE WAITING FOR OUR 19 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER TO FOLLOW, BUT NO, IT WAS ME AT THE AGE OF 40!!!! I CALLED THE DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED SOME MEDICATION. THIS SPEEDS UP THE PROCESS BUT CAN ONLY BE GIVEN TO ADOLECENTS AND ADULTS. I HAVE NEVER FELT TO ILL IN MY LIFE.

3 months

Mandy Smith

Can chicken pox be caught twice ie: five years after being infected?

3 months

bethanii

i have a 2 year old son, that has chicken pox. Thankfully it doesnt seem to be bothering him. My sister in law has just had a baby, and she has asked her midwife if it is ok to go see her. Her midwife has said that it is fine just keep my son away until the spots have crusted over. Thankfully adults cant catch shingles from Chickenpox. I have found it so much easier applying the calomile lotion with my hands. I have been advised that doing it this way is fine, as chicken pox can only be caught with the mucus or saliva!!!

3 months

tanya

please could uyou advice please , my freiends daughter as chicken spots and there is a 11 weeks pregnant woman livin with her, she is now worrying aboutthe effect on the unborn baby

4 months

Emma

My daughter is just 4months old and has got chickenpox, I dont know anyone who has it at the moment and cannot for the life of me think where she has been as she is to young for nursery and any classes or anything. She came out in the spots on saturday and we had to go to hospital as they thought it was something else (menengitis). She is absolutely fine and not bothered in the slightest, my doctor also said it was the youngest case he had ever seen.

5 months

Shirley McKenna

My 10-year-old son has chicken pox. He has had the spots since this morning. At what stage are you infectious with chicken pox and for how long?

5 months

Too Melville

Sorry Dan. My neighbour had chickenpox at 9 months pregnant, went into labour and gave birth to a lovely girl who was soon covered in spots too.

5 months

nikki thompson

my daughter had chicken pox when she was abou 14 months old. at that point i was 8 weeks pregnant. i was told by my midwife that this was the most dangerous time for her to get them as it could seriously damage my baby. thankfully my son was born with no ill effects but it was really frightening not knowing whether he would be affected by it.

6 months

Claire Turner

My 4 year old son has just recovered from chicken pox and now my 13month old has it. My 4 year old was fine with it, bit of a fever and sleepy. I tried calomine lotion but personally i found this pritty much done nothing so i tried this medicine called Piriton which was fantastic. I gave it to him once and he never itched again!!! Even better is that you can have it from the age of one years so my 14month old wont have to suffer too much as he has it quit bad!
You can buy it from any chemist and costs around £4. I would highly recommend this too anyone who reads this.

6 months

Dan

I had chickenpox at the age of 2 months old, the doctor told me it was the earliest case of chickenpox he had ever seen.

I'd like to know what the earliest age you can have chickenpox is, if anyone knows.

6 months

ruth danemann

My daughter had chickenpox when she was 12months old. She had them in her mouth, everywhere, she looked like the Elephant man. I made a point of mixing her with other children that had chickenpox when she was very young to get it over with. Two years ago (aged 8) she came out in blistery spots again so i took her to the doctors who confirmed that she had got it again. Suprisiing last week we were at the doctors again only to find out she had contracted it again. The last two times have only been mild but i was under the impression you could only contract it once. The docs were baffled and were looking on the internet for information. Has any body else heard of this ???????

7 months

Miss Brown

Should i stay off school if i have chicken poxs From Miss Brown Aged 13

7 months

sarah waugh

i have never had them and hopefully i dont xxx

8 months

jemahodgson

my daughter has just come down with chicken pox she is 20 months and woke up this morning with LOADS of spots. she is doing really well with it actually. She has been moany for the last two weeks and i thought she was getting into the terrible two's early but now i know it was this but she has had no temperatue or anything and she is eating really well. i have put bicarbonate soda in her bath as i was told this is good as she went to bed really well so i hope the next 7 days are as good as this for her.

8 months

alana charlton

not every child gets chicken pox. i am 17 years of age and i havent had it yet. i am just dreading the day when i eventually do get it. becuase i have heard i can be so embarrasing.

8 months

shaukath

Need one clarification.If I borrow some material from a friend who had suffered due to chicken pox 2 months ago,Is ther any chance that still that virus is alive and can pass to my childrem.

8 months

Lindsey Mc Donagh

I'm 17 years old and2 days ago started developing chicken pox! they are very itchy and are leavin sore bumps in my scalp is there anything i can do to stop the itching except from using calomine lotion? they are also causin me not to sleep very well and i keep going hot and cold is this normal? please help! thanks

8 months

Mhairi Taffs

I had chicken pox 10 years ago when 17 weeks pregnant with my daughter. It was so bad that I was admitted to an infectious diseases unit of a hospital for 6 days and put on oxygen. On day 2 the doctor decided it was so bad that he gave me an injection to halt the spread of the infection. I looked like I had been covered in green bubble wrap! However, the good news is my baby was perfect and suffered no problems. They did think she may have lifelong immunity but caught it two weeks ago and has just recovered, not before she passed it on to my younger daughter though.
Good luck with your pregnancy and don't worry.

8 months

Paul Richards

I have just got the chicken pox but it is interesting to know that I may have had it for a week or so. I started to feel ill in the stomach and had a headache about a week ago, then last night i started getting spots showing up on my body. Immediately i thought Chicken pox because it is something I have never had before. I am 16 and find that the itching is particularly bad around the scalp, but a gentle wash in luke warm water sooths it. What ever you do you should not scratch as this irritates the spots and causes them to spread and can leave you with very nasty and obvious scars.
Follow the instructions on this site as I have found that so far it has helped tremendously.

8 months

Carole robertson

My 2 year old grandaughter developed Chicken pox while away on holiday in a motorhome with me.she was covered in lesions and was very uncomfortable.Not having access to the home medicine cabinet with calpol,calamine etc was a worry but cool bathing in salt water seemed soothing and gentle patting of her skin through a thin cotton dress was something she requested ,I wonder was this just a nice repetitive movement she felt comforted by or did it help healing in some way ?information on this site very helpful and reassuring as Chicken pox looks so dreadful and possibly damaging to the skin.

8 months

june wightman

did you get any response on this, did nhs help you in way. iam 21 weeks now, caught it at 17 weeks until 19 weeks

9 months

teresa jackson

i was woundering my family has chicking pox im 6 months pregrent im cover in spot what will it do to my unborn if i have it also thankyou

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