- What is chicken pox
- Diagnosis of chickenpox
- Pictures of chicken pox
- Treatment for chicken pox
- Contagion and prevention of chicken pox
- Possible complications of chickenpox
- Chickenpox vaccine
Symptoms of chicken pox usually appear up to 20 days after contact with someone with the disease, with small round blisters filled with liquid and itchy skin.
In the beginning, the first symptoms are usually low fever, around 38ºC, and the appearance of several small blisters on the side of the abdomen. After the first day, these blisters spread and start to appear on the face, scalp and legs and spleens, where they appear in lesser quantities. Other symptoms of chicken pox are lack of appetite and general malaise, which can leave the child tired and unwilling to play or even more agitated, as if he were uncomfortable, but for no apparent reason.
In addition, chicken pox blisters may appear at different stages and, therefore, it is common to see blisters with liquid, while others are already healing, with crust. As long as the bubbles have liquid, the patient can contaminate others and therefore should not go to school or work.
The symptoms of chickenpox in the baby are the same as mentioned above, however cough and nasal discharge may also appear before the appearance of blisters. In infants under 1 year of age, symptoms are usually mild, causing only a few skin wounds.
What is chicken pox
Chicken pox, also called chickenpox, is a disease caused by the highly contagious Varicella Zoster virus, which manifests itself through red spots on the body and intense itching. Its treatment is done in order to control the symptoms.
Chickenpox especially affects children, but it can affect individuals of all ages, in which case it is more severe.
Diagnosis of chickenpox
The diagnosis of chicken pox is made by the general practitioner or pediatrician based on the evaluation of the symptoms presented, the blisters in the body and, if necessary, he can also order a blood test to confirm the infection.
Pictures of chicken pox
Treatment for chicken pox
Chicken pox treatment is usually done to control symptoms. The doctor may indicate the following precautions:
- Take Paracetamol to lower the fever; Use an anti-allergic ointment, such as Polaramine, on the wounds to relieve itching; Apply Povidine on the blisters to prevent infection and facilitate the healing of the blisters; Take 2 or 3 baths a day with cold water and a soap with calamine, which soothes the itchiness; Cut the nails very short to avoid aggravating skin lesions; Wash your hands 3 times a day with an antiseptic soap, such as Protex, for example; Avoid salty and acidic foods if there are wounds inside the skin. mouth.
Some doctors recommend bathing with potassium permanganate to keep your skin clean, free of microorganisms and to help heal wounds from chicken pox.
In cases of people with weakened immune systems, such as pregnant women, HIV patients and during cancer treatment, the doctor may recommend using the anti-viral Acyclovir to help the immune system eliminate the chicken pox virus more quickly. See examples of home remedies for chicken pox.
Contagion and prevention of chicken pox
The contagion of chicken pox occurs through:
- Contact with saliva droplets, coughing or sneezing of the infected individual; Direct contact with the liquid from the wounds.
The individual can transmit chicken pox to others about 1 to 2 days before the rash until all the blisters are already crusted. During this period, you should keep your distance from others and not go to schools, workplaces or shopping malls, cinemas or churches, for example. Here's how not to get chicken pox from your child.
Anyone who has had chicken pox once is protected from the disease and cannot get chicken pox again. However, in some cases contact with an individual with chickenpox can lead to the development of herpes zoster if the individual has a compromised immune system, as in AIDS and cancer treatments, for example.
Possible complications of chickenpox
The most common complication of chicken pox is one of the blisters becoming infected, causing pain, swelling and redness around the wound, as shown in the last image.
It can be suspected that one of the blisters of chicken pox is infected when it takes a long time to heal, it looks wet when it is already without the "cone" and the area around it becomes swollen, red and hardened. In this case, the doctor may recommend taking an antibiotic, such as Amoxicillin for 8 days.
Usually, this complication occurs when the child takes off the cone and the place is not properly cleaned. Other possible complications of chicken pox are:
- Encephalitis; Pneumonia; Reye's Syndrome; Myocarditis; Transient arthritis; Cerebellar ataxia.
These complications can arise when the individual scratches the skin or when the most severe form of the disease develops, has a compromised immune system and was not treated with antivirals when necessary.
Chickenpox vaccine
The chickenpox vaccine attenuates the virus and prevents the most severe form of the disease. Thus, if the individual is vaccinated and catches the chicken pox, he will develop a very mild form of the disease, presenting even less typical blisters of chicken pox, which sometimes is not even diagnosed.
The first dose of the vaccine should be administered at 12 months of age and the second between 15 and 24 months of age. This vaccine is part of the basic vaccination schedule and is offered free of charge at Basic Health Units.
