Chickenpox is highly contagious, but benign. Chickenpox is accompanied by blisters on the skin and itching. Almost all children go through this disease, and once you’ve had it, you can’t get it again. Chickenpox is usually mild in children.
How is it caused?
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The virus is transmitted through the air (by coughed-up moist droplets) or by direct contact with the blisters. The incubation period (the time between the time of infection and the formation of the first blisters) is two to three weeks. Your child will remain contagious until all blisters have dried up. This period lasts 10 to 12 days. The varicella zoster virus is the same virus that causes shingles (herpes zoster).
What do the symptoms look like?
The first symptoms you will notice are red spots that soon develop into blisters filled with a clear liquid. After a few days, the blisters will dry out, forming scabs. These scabs disappear on their own, but sometimes they will leave a scar. The blisters can appear anywhere on the skin. A characteristic of chickenpox is that blisters can also form on the hair-covered scalp.
Another common phenomenon is itching. A throat inflammation can also occur, and sometimes even a mild fever. Incidentally, children are usually not really sick. Sometimes bacteria will settle in the remains of the blisters, especially after scratching. This may cause greater localized inflammation and often larger scars.
Who is bound to catch it?
In many countries, it is common to vaccinate children against chickenpox. A vaccination against chickenpox provides around 83% protection against chickenpox and 95-100% protection against serious complaints of chickenpox. Chickenpox mainly occurs in children between one and six years old. Once a child has had chickenpox, their bodies generate antibodies against the virus, and, in principle, the disease cannot strike again, when the child contracts the virus again in future. However, this may happen to people who suffer from reduced immunoresistance: for them, a chickenpox infection can be even very dangerous. Avoid contact with babies, persons with reduced immune systems and pregnant women during the infection.
How to treat chickenpox?
Chickenpox will pass on its own, so treatment is not necessary. Sometimes the itching may become very intense; in this case treatment with a zinc oxide suspension is recommended. If the blisters turn into a bacterial infection, you can apply a topical disinfectant or antibiotic cream.
If severe symptoms of the disease and/or a high fever occur, your child’s immune system may not function properly, or a complication has occurred: in this case, consult your physician without delay.
Keep a record of the fact that your child has had chickenpox and keep this information safe: it may be important for your child to know for sure at a later stage in life whether he or she has actually had the infection.
Who may be at risk from chickenpox?
Adults (and children over the age of 14) who contract chickenpox will usually become much sicker than young children.
Especially pregnant women and people with reduced immune defenses can also develop more serious complications such as encephalitis and pneumonia. Babies (especially of mothers who have not had chickenpox themselves and therefore have no antibody protection via the mother) are also at risk of a more serious course of the disease. These cohorts usually require treatment with antiviral drugs. Because this treatment must be started quickly in order to be optimally effective, you should contact your doctor without delay in this case.
Source: www.huidinfo.nl
