Chickenpox is a common disease kids. This disease is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZ), which usually causes fever and a rash consisting of small vesicles (or blisters) of water content surrounded by a pink or reddish halo they can appear anywhere: scalp or mucous membranes (mouth, throat, vagina). Chickenpox can occur at any age, but most often affecting children under 10 years.
The VZ virus is spread through the air, from skin lesions or throat of the sick person. The virus is inhaled and the disease starts about two weeks later (for 10-20 days). People who have been previously disease rarely develop again, even when in contact with the virus again. However, and although it is very rare, sometimes you can pass chickenpox a second time. In this case, the disease is usually mild and tend to occur in children who passed before their first birthday.
A person who has had chickenpox have it for life the virus in their nerve cells, so it can reappear years later causing a Herpes Zoster, consisting of a rash with blisters, sometimes very painful, affecting an area close (as a band) on one side of the body, usually the back. Although Shingles usually affects older people, sometimes also it affects children.
Symptoms and course of the disease
Sometimes, children are ill a day before the eruption of chickenpox, but usually the first sign of the disease is the appearance of small red lesions that look like insect bites. In the next 24 hours, these lesions develop into small blisters clear and turbid water content later, they finally dry up and form scabs.
A sick person may have from 20 to over 1000 of these lesions, but typically is between 250 and 500. This rash causes intense itching, which causes daytime irritability and sleeplessness at night. Most children have a fever, but rarely high (the more severe the rash, the higher is the fever). They may also have a mild sore throat, and swollen glands in the neck. Often the lack of appetite.
As van crusting blisters and low fever, your child will begin to feel better. The disease usually lasts 7-10 days and injuries that may occur in the eyes do not require special treatment unless they produce marked redness or swelling. When the scabs fall off, they may leave a light or dark spots usually disappear within months, but can take years to do so.
When should you worry?
If your child has vomiting continued, it is excessively sleepy / a, has difficulty walking, intense coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe stomach pain or fever greater than 40 °, you'll have to consult the doctor, but not it need not be immediate.
But if the child / a has a redness, pain, or unusual swelling in the areas of rash, fever for over a week or continues to present new lesions after 7 days, it is recommended that you go to the emergency room.
helpful hints
To relieve itching. It is very important to relieve itching, which is the most troublesome for the child / a symptom. The warm baths with oatmeal or 1/2 cup of baking not only achieved, but also cleanse the skin and help prevent a possible superimposed bacterial infection. Calamine lotion lesions also relieves itching and is recommended.
Oral antihistamines also reduce itching and help sleep. Paracetamol can be used if the fever is greater than 38.5 °. Do not give aspirin to children with chickenpox ® because it has been linked to the dual aspirin-Varicella with a disease called Reye syndrome, which affects the brain, liver and kidneys. Antibiotics are not useful to treat chickenpox.
Try to prevent scratching: pay special attention to cutting the fingernails of the hands to prevent further injuries scratching.
At lunchtime, normal diet: Offer the child / to a normal diet, but remember that you may not be too hungry and do not worry if you do not eat for a few days than usual. Encourage him / a to drink plenty of juices or give a fair amount of your favorite soft drink, especially if you have a fever.
You can bathe normally: do not be afraid to bathe the child / a, even if you have a severe rash. Baths do not spread the rash or worse, on the contrary, will likely help prevent bacterial infection. But rub her gently and carefully, and then dry it well.
Contagion
Chickenpox is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. People with chickenpox are contagious from two days before the onset of the rash until all lesions have completely dried. It is therefore impossible to avoid infection in the house. Unfortunately, the second child has chickenpox in the family usually has a more intense version of the disease, with high fever and a larger eruption.
Chickenpox can be very serious in people with low defenses, such as cancer patients or undergoing chemotherapy or steroids. If the child belongs to one of these groups, see your doctor urgently. If the child knows someone with these characteristics has been in contact with him, says the sooner the family.
A child with chickenpox can return to school or day care when all lesions have dried up, what usually happens after about one week of the onset of rash. Sometimes, one or two vesicles can persist under the skin of the palms of the hands or feet, but are not contagious if the rest of the lesions have crusted over. A healthy adult or child who has had chickenpox can not infect another person, although it is as a carrier of the virus. The child / a can visit the grandparents or other relatives, because they will not develop shingles by the mere fact of having been in contact with a child with chickenpox.
Important note: Because chickenpox is highly contagious, if you have to take the child to the office during the illness, kindly indicate this to the nurse or the front desk for that take you to another waiting room and not between contact with other children / as.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THIS TOPIC:
1. Is it true that the varicella vaccine should only be children because adults already have passed?
Chickenpox can occur at any age, but most often affecting children under 14 years. Adolescents over 14 years and susceptible adults are a risk group for severe varicella hospitalization rates of complications and higher than the pediatric population lethality.
If an adult not suffered as a child, it is susceptible to the disease and therefore should consider the vaccine. A children over 12-15 months and can vaccinate them with a single dose. Adults should receive two doses of 0.5 ml, with an interval of 4-8 weeks subcutaneously, without yet further revaccination is recommended.
2. Can you get chickenpox again if you have already had before?
Although it is rare, you can get chickenpox a second time. In this case, the disease is usually mild and tend to occur in children who passed first before the year of age.
3. Is it possible that because my son had chicken pox, my mother would leave a cold in the back?
A person who has had chickenpox will carry the virus for life in their nerve cells, so it can reappear years later causing a shingles. Usually it affects older people, often coinciding with outbreaks of chickenpox, but can also affect children, especially those who had before one year of age.
4. My son was with his cousin, who was not then there is nothing for an hour and a half and handed chickenpox: how fast can catch a disease ?:
Chickenpox is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. People with chickenpox are contagious from two days before the onset of the rash until all lesions have completely dried. It is therefore almost impossible to avoid infection at home or school.
5. Should I separate my two children if the largest has caught chickenpox?
The second child has chickenpox in a family usually has more intensely disease, with higher fever and a more extensive rash. Must separate if a very young infant and if there are doubts that the mother and previously passed or if the little brother has a chronic skin problem or low defenses. You can also consult your pediatrician vaccinate small if it is still on time and has more than 12 months old.
6. My father is with chemotherapy and has passed chickenpox as a child. What you can visit the child if still some bumps, but are already few?
Chickenpox can be very serious in people with low defenses, such as cancer patients or undergoing chemotherapy or steroids.
7. Why I can not normally bathe my child with chickenpox?
Do not be afraid to bathe the child, even if you have a severe rash. Baths do not spread the rash or worse, on the contrary, will likely help prevent bacterial infection. But rub her gently and carefully, and then dry it well.
8. He said the emergency doctor if fever had chickenpox do not give him ibuprofen, paracetamol better, but does not like drops of oral paracetamol and vomiting. What should I do?
Do not give aspirin to children with chickenpox ®, since its use has been associated with chickenpox in patients with a condition called Reye syndrome, which affects the brain, liver and kidneys. Like ibuprofen is also anti-inflammatory, in principle it is also not recommended. Adminístrale paracetamol oral solution to child (distinct flavor that oral drops) or suppository if the fever is high, cover with a few clothes or give him a warm bath if only moderate or slight fever.
9. Is it possible complicating varicella in a child, otherwise healthy?
Complications of chickenpox are more likely in immunocompromised patients than in the rest of the population. But they can also occur in children and especially adults and adolescents over 14 years. The lethality is almost always due to the more common in smokers and pregnant varicella pneumonia, but are much more frequent complications of skin infection by bacteria. If your child has redness, pain, or unusual swelling in the areas of rash, fever for over a week or continues to present new lesions after 7 days, it is recommended that you go to the emergency room.
10. The chickenpox vaccine can prevent infection if there has already been contact with other infected children and is brewing?
Postexposure immunity has an efficiency of about 90%, if administered within the first three days, and possibly up to five days after having been contact.
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