Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus, more common in children. Vaccinated people may still develop a mild case. Symptoms include fever, headache, and red spots that become blisters. Treatments include medication and topical solutions. Complications can include bacterial infections and shingles. Adolescents, adults, pregnant women, and people with medical conditions are at an increased risk of serious complications.
Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. It is more common in children than adults. A child who has been vaccinated may still develop a mild case of chicken pox, which may go undetected by her caregivers. Some signs of chickenpox can include fever and headache or stomach pain, followed by an outbreak of red spots on the skin that eventually form blisters. The disease can usually be treated at home and only in the rare case of a major outbreak does anyone need to seek professional medical treatment.
The chickenpox vaccine was introduced in the United States in 1995. Some vaccinated people sometimes experience a mild case of chickenpox, while most remain immune. Severe chickenpox tends to be more likely in people, including teenagers and adults, who haven’t been vaccinated. Individuals with certain immune system problems may also have difficulty fighting off such infections.
Infected people are normally contagious for a day or two before noticing a rash, until the chickenpox blisters have crusted over. The disease can be spread by breathing, coughing or sneezing and by direct contact with the blisters once the rash has developed. Some initial signs of chickenpox may include a general feeling of sickness or lethargy, fever, sore throat, headache, stomach pain, or loss of appetite. Those with mild chicken pox, however, may not show any noticeable symptoms.
Within a few days of observing their symptoms, a person usually develops a red rash that tends to appear on the face, scalp, or trunk. Over the next few days, the spots become fluid-filled blisters that eventually dry out and form scabs. New red spots can continue to appear for up to ten days.
Home treatments for mild chickenpox may include medications to treat fever or the itching caused by the blisters. To help soothe the skin, many doctors also recommend using topical solutions, such as anti-itch creams and lotions and oatmeal baths. They strongly warn against taking aspirin or ibuprofen, due to possible adverse reactions. Acetaminophen, however, has been approved for the treatment of fever and headaches.
Common complications of chickenpox can include bacterial infections, from scratching the blisters or not keeping the area clean. In very rare cases, someone can get chickenpox more than once. This is referred to as a rupture infection. Additionally, even someone who has only mild chicken pox is at risk of developing shingles in the future. The varicella zoster virus can lie dormant in the body until a period of stress causes it to later reappear as shingles or shingles.
Unless they’ve been vaccinated, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, and people with specific medical conditions are at an increased risk of serious complications. Some birth defects in babies can be caused by chickenpox in early pregnancy. Also, newborns can develop the disease if the mother contracts it within days of delivery. Chickenpox in babies younger than 12 months is rare, however, because antibodies in the mother’s uterus usually protect against it.
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