Chickenpox is a disease which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It can cause an itchy, blister-like rash. The rash first appears on the chest, back and face, and then spreads over the whole body, causing between 250 and 500 itchy blisters. Chickenpox can be serious, especially in children, teenagers, adults, pregnant women, and people who have a weakened immune system. The way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine. It often affects children, but adults can also be affected. The sign of chicken pox is a very itchy skin rash with red blisters.
Over the course of several days, the blisters break open and begin to ooze. Then they peel and scratch before finally healing. Symptoms appear within 10 to 21 days after you come into contact with someone who has the virus. Most people recover in about 2 weeks. Chickenpox is usually mild, especially in children. But in severe cases, blisters can spread to your nose, mouth, eyes, and even genitals.
What is the difference between smallpox and chickenpox?
Smallpox and smallpox are both diseases that cause skin rashes, but they are different. For one thing, smallpox is a very serious disease, causing severe illness and death. They are caused by different viruses.
While the two diseases both cause a rash, the rash itself develops at different times and the rash looks different. The smallpox rash looks like a lump, while the chickenpox rash appears in waves. Individual spots do not look the same and some scab over while others still blister.
There is another important difference. A large global vaccination program has eliminated smallpox.
Is Chickenpox Contagious?
Chickenpox is highly contagious. Most children with an affected sibling will also get it (if they haven’t already been infected or vaccinated), showing symptoms about 2 weeks after the first child.
Someone with chickenpox can spread the virus by:
- Through droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing
- In their mucus, saliva (sputum) or fluid from the blisters
Chickenpox is contagious from about 2 days before the rash starts until all the blisters are gone. A person with shingles can spread chickenpox (but not shingles) to people who have not been vaccinated against chickenpox or shingles. Because chickenpox is so contagious, a child who has it should stay home and rest until the rash is gone and all the blisters have dried. It usually takes 1 week. If you’re not sure if your child is ready for school, ask your doctor.
Symptoms
The itchy blisters caused by chicken pox infection appear 10 to 21 days after exposure to the virus and usually last for about five to 10 days. Other signs and symptoms, which may show up a day or two earlier, include:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Headache
- A general feeling of being tired and unwell (malaise)
Once the chicken pox rash appears, it goes through three stages:
Raised pink or red spots (papules), which erupted over several days.
Small fluid-filled blisters (vasculature), form in about a day and then burst.
It takes several more days for the crusts and scabs that cover the broken blisters to heal.
New bumps continue to appear for several days, so you can have all three stages of a rash—bumps, blisters, and itchy sores—at the same time. You can spread the virus to other people for up to 48 hours before the rash appears, and the virus remains contagious until all broken blisters are gone.
The disease is usually mild in healthy children. In severe cases, the rash may cover the entire body, and sores may develop in the throat, eyes, and mucous membranes of the urethra, anus, and vagina.
How does it spread?
Very easily. You can get the virus by breathing in particles from chickenpox blisters or by touching an object on which the particles have landed. Chickenpox is most contagious 1 to 2 days before the rash appears until all blisters have dried and crusted over.
The best way to prevent the spread of the virus is to receive the varicella vaccine. Children who have never had chickenpox should get two doses of the vaccine the first between 12 and 15 months of age, and the second between 4 and 6 years of age. People older than 13 years who have never had the vaccine get two doses. Vaccines at least 28 days apart.
Complications
Adults are at a higher risk of complications from chicken pox than children. People with weakened immune systems due to cancer, HIV, or another condition are also at risk.
Once you get chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus can live in your nerve cells for years. Fortunately, there is a vaccine for shingles. Doctors recommend it for people above 60 years of age.
Home Remedies for People With Chicken Pox
There are several things you can do at home to help relieve chicken pox symptoms and prevent skin infections. A cool bath with calamine lotion and baking soda, uncooked oatmeal, or colloidal oatmeal can help relieve itching. Try to keep nails short and keep scratching to a minimum to help prevent the virus from spreading to others and prevent skin infections. If you accidentally scratch a blister, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Over-the-counter medications
Do not use aspirin or aspirin products to relieve fever from chicken pox. Aspirin use in children with chickenpox has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a severe disease that affects the liver and brain and can be fatal. Instead, use non-aspirin medications, such as acetaminophen, to relieve chickenpox fever. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding treatment with ibuprofen if possible because of its association with life-threatening bacterial skin infections.