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.
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.
- Symptoms of chicken pox
- Treatment for chicken pox
- Complications of chicken pox
- Is chicken pox infectious?
- Fast facts about chicken pox
- 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
Symptoms are usually more severe in adults than in children. You can expect to have a few uncomfortable days.
The fever and generally feeling unwell can last several days. The blisters gradually dry up and scab. They slowly fade over a week or so, but may take 2-3 weeks to go completely. A dry cough may persist for a while after all the other symptoms have gone.
Treatment aims to ease symptoms whilst your immune system fights the virus.
Antiviral medication is used in special circumstances where chickenpox can be more serious. For example, people who have a poor immune system, newborn babies, and in some cases of chickenpox in pregnant women.
See a doctor urgently if you become breathless, confused, or if you have any unusual or severe symptoms. Also, pregnant women have a higher risk of developing complications. See a doctor urgently if you are pregnant and develop chickenpox.
Yes, it is very infectious. The virus travels in the air and then settles on clothes, bedding, etc. It takes 11-20 days to develop symptoms after catching the virus (the 'incubation period').
A person with chickenpox is infectious from 2-4 days before the rash first appears until all the spots have crusted over (commonly about 5-6 days after onset of the illness). You can usually return to work after this time if you feel well enough. Whilst you are infectious, keep away from people who may get a severe illness if they get chickenpox. These are:
Healthy people who have not had chickenpox may also want to avoid catching it. So, friends and family who have not had chickenpox may wish avoid you whilst you are infectious. However, most healthy adults and many children have already had chickenpox, and so are immune.
© EMIS and PIP 2006 Updated: June 2006 PRODIGY Validated