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Thread: Chickenpox

  1. #1
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    Default Chickenpox

    What Is Chickenpox?

    Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella zoster. People who get the virus often develop a rash of spots that look like blisters all over their bodies. The blisters are small and sit on an area of red skin that can be anywhere from the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a dime.

    You've probably heard that chickenpox are itchy. It's true. The illness also may come along with a runny nose and cough. But the good news is that chickenpox is a common illness for kids, and most get better by resting just like you do with a cold or the flu.

    And the really good news is that, thanks to the chickenpox vaccine, lots of kids don't get chickenpox at all. Kids who do get it after they've gotten the shot often get less severe cases, which means they get better quicker.

    What Happens When You Have Chickenpox?

    Chickenpox may start out seeming like a cold: You might have a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and a cough. But 1 to 2 days later, the rash begins, often in bunches of spots on the chest and face. From there it can spread out quickly over the entire body — sometimes the rash is even in a person's ears and mouth.

    The number of pox is different for everyone. Some people get just a few bumps; others are covered from head to toe. At first, the rash looks like pinkish dots that quickly develop a small blister on top (a blister is a bump on your skin that fills up with fluid). After about 24 to 48 hours, the fluid in the blisters gets cloudy and the blisters begin to crust over.

    Chickenpox blisters show up in waves, so after some begin to crust over, a new group of spots might appear. New chickenpox usually stop appearing by the seventh day, though they may stop as early as the third day. It usually takes 10-14 days for all the blisters to be scabbed over and then you are no longer contagious.

    Besides the rash, someone with chickenpox might also have a stomachache, a fever, and may just not feel well.

    How Does Chickenpox Spread?

    Chickenpox is contagious, meaning that someone who has it can easily spread it to someone else. Someone who has chickenpox is most contagious during the first 2 to 5 days of being sick. That's usually about 1 to 2 days before the rash shows up. So you could be spreading around chickenpox without even knowing it!

    A person who has chickenpox can pass it to someone else by coughing or sneezing. When he or she coughs, sneezes, laughs, and even talks, tiny drops come out of the mouth and nose. These drops are full of the chickenpox virus. It's easy for others to breathe in these drops or get them on their hands. Before you know it, the chickenpox virus has infected someone new.


    Don't Scratch

    Scratching the blisters can tear your skin and leave scars. Scratching also can let germs in, and the blisters could get infected. If your fever goes higher and an area of your skin gets really red, warm, and painful, tell an adult right away. You'll need to see a doctor because you could have a skin infection.

    While you have the chickenpox, a pain reliever like acetaminophen might help you feel better, but let your parents help you with this.

    Do not take aspirin because it can cause a rare but serious illness in kids called Reye syndrome. Medicines and creams that may stop the itch can also be helpful.

    It doesn't usually happen, but let your parents know if you feel especially bad. Sometimes, chickenpox leads to other, more serious illnesses.

    Most kids don't have any major problems and get better in a week or two. And when all the blisters have scabs, you're not contagious anymore and you can go back to school! In a few days, the scabs will fall off. And once you've had chickenpox, it's unlikely you'll ever get it again.




    keywords:What Is Chickenpox,varicella zoster,Chickenpox Spread,Reye syndrome




    Last edited by sherlyk; 04-09-2011 at 07:19 AM.

  2. #2
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    Symptoms of Chickenpox The symptoms of chickenpox vary from individual to individual. Some people may experience all of these symptoms while others experience one or two. The most common symptoms of chickenpox are:


    * Mild fever. The fever varies between 101º F to 105º F and returns to normal when the blisters have disappeared.
    * backache
    * headache
    * sore throat
    * a rash (red spots)
    * blisters filled with fluid


    How is Chickenpox Transmitted?
    Chickenpox is transmitted through the air. When a patient with chickenpox coughs or sneezes, they expel tiny droplets that carry the chicken pox virus (varicella-zoster virus, VZV). If a person who has never had chicken pox inhales these particles, the virus enters the lungs and is carried through the blood to the skin where it causes the typical rash of chicken pox. The infected droplets cause an initial infection in the respiratory epithelium.


    The incubation period of chickenpox is between 10 and 20 days.
    Before the typical rash appears, patients often develop a fever, headache, swollen glands and other flu like symptoms.


    Skin vesicles contain the virus but are not the primary sources. Scabs are not infectious. Patients are contagious from 2 days before onset of the rash until all lesions have crusted.

    Can Chickenpox be prevented?
    Chickenpox can be prevented . The easiest way to prevent catching chicken pox is to get vaccinated. However, vaccination is only successful in 70% to 90% of all vaccinations. Individuals who have been vaccinated but still acquire chickenpox, usually have a milder disease that heals more quickly than non vaccinated individuals.

    Chickenpox and Pregnancy
    Chickenpox can cause serious problems during pregnancy, especially when infection occurs early in the pregnancy or at the time of delivery. If chickenpox occurs early in pregnancy, several types of fetal abnormalities, including limb abnormalities, scarring of internal organs and neurological damage can occur. Pregnant women who suspect exposure to chickenpox should immediately contact their healthcare provider.

    How to Avoid Getting Chicken Pox While Helping an Infected Person

    It is often difficult to avoid exposure to chicken pox, because the infected person is contagious one to two days before the appearance of the rash. However, there are some things that can be done to minimize exposure and avoid contracting the virus.

    1.Avoid touching any of the pox marks until they are crusted over. Until they crust over, they continue to shed the virus.
    2.Avoid intimate contact such as kissing. The virus is also shed via the respiratory system.
    3. Keep the infected person’s eating utensils and drinking glass separate.
    4.Turn your head if he or she coughs or sneezes.
    5.Practice good hand washing. Wash your hands every time you handle any of the sick person’s things.
    6.Use an air purifier, which helps filter bacteria and viruses out of the air.
    7.Wash bed linens and recently worn clothes in hot, soapy water.
    8.Keep yourself healthy. Get sufficient sleep. Eat nutritious food. Take a high-potency multivitamin.

  3. #3
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    Chicken pox treatment may include a variety of options depending on several things. The age of the person is one as well as their health and the severity of the symptoms is considered. While most children, as long as they are healthy, do not experience much more than blisters, that itch and may run a mild fever, teens and adults can have more severe symptoms. Their risk for complications is also higher.

  4. #4
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    It is a very dangerous disease.

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