Chickenpox Treatment, Symptoms, Causes, And Prevention
What Is Chickenpox And How It Spread?
Chickenpox is called, "Varicella" in medical terms, which is a contagious disease. The disease is caused by a virus called "Varicella-zoster." Chickenpox can spread quickly from one person to another, but can also be spread by coughing and sneezing of an infected person. Chickenpox is not limited to any one region, but is common worldwide, estimated at 14 million cases of chickenpox and "herpes zoster" in 2013 alone. However, since the discovery of the vaccine, there has been a 90% reduction in the disease's spread, especially in the United States.
What Are The Symptoms Of Chickenpox In Children?
A clear symptom of chickenpox is the appearance of red spots on the skin in the form of rashes, which later turn into small itchy watery blisters and pustules. These watery pimples initially appear on the chest, back, and face, but then gradually spread to other parts of the body. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, restlessness, and a headache. These symptoms last for seven to ten days and then gradually improve. Complications of the disease include pneumonia, brain infections, and skin rashes. Chickenpox usually affects children the most.
What Are The Symptoms Of Chickenpox In Adults?
Adults are not immune to the disease at any age, especially if they have not been vaccinated against chickenpox. Chickenpox causes more pain in adults, but this condition only happens once in a lifetime. With recurrence, the symptoms do not appear. The initial symptoms of chickenpox are slightly different in adults and children. For example, in adults, the disease begins with nausea, loss of appetite, muscle spasms, followed by redness and blisters in the mouth, low-grade fever, and drowsiness. In children, blisters are early symptoms of chickenpox.
In adults, red rashes spread to the face, scalp, shoulders, hands, and legs, and within ten to twelve hours they become watery, while pus can also fill if the disease is complicated. Sometimes, pus-filled blisters appear in the navel. Besides, these blisters can be seen in the palate, throat, which can cause severe discomfort. Adults have more headaches than children, while the duration of the fever is longer.
Chickenpox In Pregnancy
In pregnant women, the disease can be so dangerous if a pregnant woman becomes infected with the virus at six months of pregnancy, the unborn child may die or the child may be born with a congenital disability because of Congenital Varicella Syndrome.
For example, fingers and toes may be affected, and the structure of the anus or bladder may be defective. Other defects include swelling of the membranes of the brain, small volume of the head, dehydration of the brain, and loss of vision. If the disease develops in the last days of pregnancy, it will be called congenital varicella, which can lead to premature birth, the baby may suffer from congenital complications and often develop pneumonia.
How To Diagnose Chickenpox In Pregnant Women?
Chickenpox can be easily diagnosed by looking at the symptoms (aforementioned), but it can also be done through pimples, scabs, and blood tests. Sometimes, the doctor may also prescribe a blood test. Also, prenatal ultrasound can check for defects in the baby.
What Is The Treatment Of Chickenpox?
As far as chickenpox treatment is concerned, there is no cure for the disease which goes away on its own in a week or two with no treatment. However, it is possible to prevent the disease through vaccines. The chickenpox vaccine is included in immunizations. The first vaccine is given at 12 months and the second at 6 years of age. In many countries, children are vaccinated first and second before they go to school, after the age of five. This vaccine provides lifelong protection against chickenpox. However, after the vaccine, even if the child becomes infected with the virus, the symptoms are rare. Also, the disease is not likely to be complicated. Patients infected with chickenpox are advised to stay confined to one room of the home so that other family members are not affected.
Chickenpox Cautions
Chickenpox pimples are very itchy. If they are scratched, the chances of infection increase, so it is better to trim the patient's nails and put gloves on the hands, to prevent the pimples from scratching. There is no denying the effectiveness of certain lotions to reduce the severity of itching, which not only creates a feeling of coolness, but the zinc oxide found in them also acts as a disinfectant and protective layer. Bathing with lukewarm water is helpful to prevent the growth of germs in the chickenpox pimples and to protect them from infection, but soap should not be used. Ordinary medicine can be used for pain and fever, while antibiotics are prescribed for secondary infections and pimples.
If the disease is likely to be complicated, a specific injection (Varicella Zoster Immune Globulin) is given. In adults, the severity of the disease is high, so the use of antiviral drugs is beneficial. And the effectiveness of these drugs is further enhanced when antiviral drugs are used immediately after the appearance of the rash (i.e. between 24 and 48 hours), but they are used with caution in children under 12 years of age.
Difference Between Chickenpox And Measles?
Some people especially mothers, consider chickenpox to be a measles disease, but this is not the case. Remember, measles is preceded by a fever, followed by fine, tiny, small, and skinny rashes, while chickenpox is followed by rash and fever. These pimples are very thick, large, filled with liquid, and protruding from the skin. Some mothers are worried when they see black marks of chickenpox on the baby's body, so it does not remain permanent if not, the duration of the disease is two weeks. In the first week, the rash appears and in the second week, it turns black and heals, while in the next two weeks the rash heals and the scars disappear.