A typical childhood disease in children chicken pox
is very notorious for being contagious. A kid infected
with chickenpox virus will develop numerous itchy
blisters which are filled with fluid. These blisters
burst later, which lead to crusts formation. Children
get approximately five hundred such blisters which grow
over a red skin spot. They show up on the face first and
then spread to the trunk, scalp and the rest of the
body. After a day of appearance, the fluid filled
blisters become cloudy and later on, scabby.
The itchiness caused due to chicken pox is really
intense and irritating. And the crust, if not treated,
can leave marks for life. Within forty eight hours of
getting infected, the symptoms begin to surface. It is
only after ten to twenty days after contamination, that
the pox appears. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain,
headache, loss of appetite and finally the pox rash. The
condition can be confirmed by testing the pox blisters
and by even taking blood test. The medical history of
the child can be helpful in determining the severity of
the condition.
The virus blameworthy for infecting a person with
chicken pox is varicella-zoster or simply, varicella.
The virus spreads through airborne transmission, droplet
transmission and direct contact. Not only the infected
carry these viruses and should be avoided, also people
or kids who have taken the vaccination recently should
also be avoided. Since the invention of chicken pox
vaccine, there has been a decline in the chicken pox
cases. Children who are under the age of ten should be
highly prepared as they are more prone to getting
infected by this virus. But on the contrary, when older
children or adults catch chicken pox, they become sicker
when compared to young kids.
A child or a person who has been infected by chicken pox
virus becomes host to the virus for lifetime. But the
number is kept under control by the body’s immune
system. Infants, sometimes, get partial immunity from
the blood of their mother, if the mother was already
infected by chicken pox. Kids of mothers, who haven’t
been infected by chicken pox, tend to get severe
chickenpox. Children who have been administered with
chicken pox vaccination get mild chicken pox. Skin
condition of children with skin problems like eczema or
sunburn can worsen. Such kids can be getting above one
thousand and five hundred poxes. Children who have taken
steroids can also face bad situation.
Along with the application of the prescribed lotion and
intake of oral medication containing antihistamine, the
itchiness can be eased by bathing the child in lukewarm
water and oatmeal. The antiviral medications should be
started within the first day itself. Other people living
in the same household as of the patient should also take
antiviral medicines recommended by a doctor. It is a
must for everyone to take chicken pox vaccination as a
part of immunization routine schedule. There is a
hundred percent chance of not developing moderate to
severe chickenpox and nearly ninety percent chance of
not developing mild chicken pox. Chicken pox vaccine is
the only vaccine which doesn’t demand a booster. But a
higher dose can be given to adolescents so as to avoid
shingles or herpes zoster. But a doctor should be
consulted before opting for the higher dose.
