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WHAT  IS  CHICKENPOX?

 

ط      Chickenpox is a mild but highly infectious disease caused by a herpes virus called varicella.

ط      Coughing and sneezing passes the virus from one child to another, as does direct contact with the rash. 

ط      Chickenpox affects children of any age, and varies in severity from a few spots and a slight fever to lots of spots, which make the child very miserable. It is most severe in babies less than 12 months old, in adolescents and in adults.

ط      The incubation period - from being in contact with the illness to becoming ill ­is 10 to 21 days. The illness lasts for up to 10 days with the rash appearing on day one or two, and disappearing around the eighth day. The child is infectious for 24 hours before the first spots appear and until all the spots are covered with scabs.

 

When to can the doctor

 

Ring the doctor if your child has: 

 

ط      Fever of over 39°C (102°F) for over 48 hours

ط      Persistent cough and difficulty breathing

ط      Severe earache

ط      Painful sore throat

ط      Unexplained bruising

ط      Severe headache, drowsiness and vomiting after the chickenpox has begun to clear

ط      Infected spots - redness around pus-filled spots with pain and soreness

ط      Problems with his immune system and you suspect chickenpox

 

If your child has a rash, it can be very alarming, and many children are taken to see the doctor to have chickenpox confirmed. It is not a difficult rash to recognize, and if you're confident that this is a chickenpox rash, it is best to keep your child at home.

 

Chickenpox in adults can be life ­threatening. Vulnerable adults - such as pregnant women (especially those who have never had chickenpox before), those with leukaemia or people on long-term treatment with steroids - are likely to be at your doctor's surgery. If you feel that your child needs to see a doctor, it's best to tell the receptionist that your child has chickenpox and she will put you into a side room to protect adults from infection

 

Signs and symptoms

 

The first symptoms are:

Low fever - over 37°C (98.4°F)

*  Headache

*  Tiredness

*  Aching muscles

*  Sore throat

 

A day or so after the above, the distinctive rash appears

 

The rash starts on the trunk and spreads to the scalp, face and neck, initially sparing the arms and legs. 

The spots are very itchy, flat and red. 

After a day, these spots become raised and then form a blister, which may turn yellow and then ooze and crust. There are fresh crops of spots over the next three to five days. 

Eventually, each spot dries up and scabs over. These scabs drop off and leave tender, healing skin underneath. Over the course of the disease, different parts of the body will show the different phases of chickenpox, with some red flat areas, some areas of new blisters, areas where sores are crusting over and scabbing, and areas of healing.  

Nursing a child with chickenpox

 

Make sure that your child is given plenty of drinks so he does not dehydrates.  Drinking will help soothe the sore throat that often accompanies chickenpox.

 

Complications

Healthy children with normal immunity are extremely unlikely to develop complications in chickenpox. They may arise in children with reduced immunity, such as leukaemia or HIV sufferers.

 

Shingles is a very painful condition linked to chickenpox. It can cause nerve pain that lingers for months or even years and is difficult to treat. Shingles is not contracted directly from someone with chickenpox. A person who has had chickenpox can develop shingles, often many years after having had the chickenpox infection. In a non-immune person, contact with shingles can cause chickenpox.

 

Calamine lotion on the very itchy spots is helpful, and if the itching is very troublesome your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine syrup. You can reduce the damage done by your child's scratching and the risk of infection by keeping his nails clean and short.

 

Chickenpox pneumonia and haemorrhagic chickenpox may be severe or even fatal but are both extremely rare.

 

Chickenpox encephalitis is when chickenpox affects the brain, causing it to swell. The child will become confused and unsteady on his feet about three to 10 days after the chickenpox rash appears. Antiviral drugs are used to treat it and most people make a full recovery.

 

Regular paracetamol syrup will help to keep your child's fever down and this will make him feel less miserable. Aspirin should never be used in young children because it has been linked to a serious disease.

 

How to relieve the symptoms

 

Apply calamine lotion

*  Apply ice briefly to any very itchy spots.

*  Calendula tincture or gel rubbed on to itchy spots can cool irritation.

*  Camomile infused into bath water soothes itchy skin.

*  Tepid oatmeal or sodium bicarbonate baths help ­wrap a handful of uncooked oatmeal in a flannel and whirl it around in the child's  bath; also rub the flannel gently over itchy areas.

*  Hot baths will make the itching worse - give your child tepid baths once a day and do not scrub the sores.

*  Once the chickenpox is fully healed and there are scars, apply vitamin E oil twice a day. You should also be very careful to protect your child's skin from the sun in the early days after chickenpox as the new skin will burn much more easily.

  

Back to nursery

Children are contagious from 24 hours before the rash appears until the last of the blisters has dried and scabbed over. Scabbed lesions are not infectious so keep your child at home while he has chickenpox. Inform the nursery so they can alert other parents.

 

For  More  Information:  Please  consult  your  physician  on  your  next  visit.