Chickenpox is a contagious disease. It is a common disease of children but adults are also susceptible. Having a chickenpox victim around you is very dangerous because the virus spreads easily through air when the infected person coughs or sneezes. You can also get chickenpox if you touch the blisters of the infected individual. People who are not vaccinated against chickenpox are always at the risk of developing it.
How can you or your baby be victim of Chickenpox?
Everyone should have basic information about chickenpox symptoms; especially mothers nourishing babies must have knowledge of it. Your baby can be infected if he is touched by the infected person. Moreover, if chickenpox patient is sneezing closer to the baby or living in his room, this may also be cause of infection to your baby. Remember infants also suffer the same symptoms as do the adults such as fever, headache, nausea, aches and pains and loss of appetite. If you observe spots on the skin of your baby, take him to your physician immediately for treatment.
There are a few more significant things to be noted. If person get infected with chickenpox in life, he has no chance to develop it again. Remember also that if the mother hadn’t been victim to chickenpox before, she has every chance to get infected by her baby. A would-be mother also needs to be careful, especially if she hadn’t suffered from the disease earlier.
This contagious disease takes 10 to 21 days to develop fully in adult patients. A person suffering from chickenpox remains contagious for 10 to 14 days, until all his blisters are scabbed over. During first 5 days of the disease, a child should be kept at home and if the disease prolongs, he should not be allowed to mix up with other children until his blisters gets dry. Make sure that he may not be the cause of spreading the disease to other kids. Varicella-zoster virus, the cause of chickenpox, spreads rapidly from infected person to others through contact. The following are the very common chickenpox symptoms and need immediate treatment.
10. Rashes
Chickenpox symptoms appear about 10 to 21 days after exposure to the virus. Rashes are the most predominant symptoms of the disease. However, there are other symptoms that appear about 2 days before rash. But those symptoms are not conclusive; rashes are the characteristic sign that ensures the presence of the disease.
9. Fever
Fever appears about 1 to 2 days before the appearance of rashes. It is usually 100.4F or over. Fever is the most common of all the secondary symptoms of chickenpox and it is worse in adults than in children. Anti-pyretic drugs can be given to treat fever. Paracetamol is commonly used to alleviate fever in chickenpox. However, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist in order to choose the appropriate medicine. Research has shown that of all the anti-pyretics, ibuprofen should specifically be avoided as it worsens the disease.
8. Painful Muscles
Painful muscles are accompanied by tiredness and irritability, if you are suffering from chickenpox. This is also experienced about 2 days before rashes. You may also have joint pain along with muscle pain. This however, is not necessary. Some people only get the muscle pain and some have both. Pain-killers are used to ease this symptom.
7. Loss Of Appetite
As the virus invades the body, patient feels discomfort and refuses to eat. Patient should be given plenty of fluids in order to avoid dehydration. Sugar-free ice lollies are a good way of getting fluids into children. Loss of appetite is not very severe and wears off soon. This is also a secondary symptom that appears before rashes.
6. Cough Or Runny Nose
Flu like condition is common both in adults and children with chickenpox. Some children can have more severe flu like symptoms. Runny nose is often accompanied with cough. Anti-allergy meds can be given to ease this condition. If cough gets worse or patient starts to vomit, he should be taken to hospital immediately.
5. Headache
Muscle and joint pain is not the only pain that troubles you in chickenpox, you also suffer from headache – one of them most prominent chickenpox symptoms. This can be treated with same meds used to treat muscle and joint pain. Don’t stress over anything when you have headache. Just relax rest and take appropriate pain-killer in order to get well soon.
4. Papules
Papules are raised pink or red colored bumps. The rashes develop to form papules in a few days. Papules are very itchy but you must avoid itching. Scratching the rash or papules may cause bacterial infection of skin, soft tissue, joints, bones or blood stream. This is alarming condition and the patient must rush to hospital for medical treatment. If infection develops, the patient will have to be treated with anti-biotics. You can avoid this by avoiding scratching. Anti-histamine can be given to reduce itching.
3. Vesicles
Papules form vesicles in a few days. Vesicles are small fluid-filled blisters. It is the fluid contained in the vesicles that spreads the disease. Vesicles burst to release the fluid in a day or so and it this symptom of chickenpox means the disease is getting worse. Keep others safe by preventing their contact with the fluid or the disease will keep on spreading.
2. Crusts And Scabs
These cover the broken blisters. Usually these are not painful but they take several days to heal. If your vesicles have disappeared crusts are formed over the entire body, it means that you have passed the painful phase of the disease. The crusts take time but heal on their own without causing you any trouble.
1. Difficulty In Breathing
This is the most alarming symptom of chickenpox. It is very uncommon but very startling. Pain in chest or difficulty in breathing is very serious and must be dealt with right away. Broncho-dilators are normally given to ease breathing. Proper prescription medicine and hospital care is needed if a patient develops this symptom.
In order to avoid these alarming chickenpox symptoms, get yourself and your children vaccinated. Chickenpox vaccine is very effective in preventing the onset of the disease. Socializing with chickenpox patients is not a good idea for your health. It is always recommended to keep your kids at home when they have chickenpox in order to avoid the spread.
