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How common is chicken pox


Chickenpox | Boston Children's Hospital

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Chickenpox is a highly infectious childhood disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a form of the herpes virus. Before a vaccination was developed, almost every child got chickenpox, which is characterized by little blisters all over the body. Nowadays, the availability of an effective vaccine has radically reduced the number of chickenpox cases. Caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a form of the herpes virus, chickenpox can be a mild disease. However, some people suffer more serious complications.

Transmission of chickenpox occurs from person to person by direct contact or through the air. The chickenpox vaccine is very good at preventing most cases and reduces the severity in those it doesn't prevent.

Family members who have never had chickenpox have a 90 percent chance of becoming infected when another family member in the household is infected. It's important not to scratch chickenpox blisters. Complications from chickenpox can occur in infants, adults and people with weak immune systems.

Is chickenpox common?

More than 95 percent of American adults have had chickenpox and about 4,000,000 people get chickenpox every year. Since the chickenpox vaccine was introduced in 1995, less and less children are getting the disease.

Can chickenpox be prevented?

Since 1995, a chickenpox vaccine has been available for children 12 months of age and older. The vaccine has proven very effective in preventing severe chickenpox. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 15 to 20 percent of people who have received one dose of chickenpox vaccine do still get chickenpox, but experience a mild case. Children who received two doses of the vaccine were three times less likely to get the disease than those who only had one dose.

  • The vaccine is recommended by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
  • A booster vaccination is recommended between 11 and 12 years of age.
  • Two doses are recommended for children over 13 who are getting the vaccine for the first time.
  • Catch-up immunization may be given as needed between the ages of 7 to 18 years.
  • Many schools now require vaccination prior to entry into preschool or public schools.

Chickenpox | Symptoms & Causes

What causes chickenpox?

Chickenpox is extremely contagious. It spreads from person to person by direct contact or through the air.

  • Chickenpox is contagious for one to two days before the appearance of the rash and until the blisters have dried and become scabs.
  • Children should stay home and away from other children until all of the blisters have scabbed over.
  • Family members who have never had chickenpox have a 90 percent chance of becoming infected when another family member in the household is infected.
  • Most individuals who have had chickenpox will be immune to the disease for the rest of their lives. However, there is a chance of developing shingles later in life, or even a secondary case of chickenpox.

What are the symptoms of chickenpox?

Symptoms are usually mild among children, but may be life-threatening to infants, adults and people with weak immune systems. While symptoms vary from child to child, the most common include:

  • fatigue and irritability one to two days before the rash begins
  • itchy rash on the trunk, face, under the armpits, on the upper arms and legs, inside the mouth, and, sometimes, in the windpipe and bronchial tubes
  • fever
  • decreased appetite
  • muscle and/or joint pain
  • cough or runny nose

Infants, adults and people with weak immune systems who get chickenpox are at risk for serious complications. They include:

  • secondary bacterial infections
  • pneumonia
  • encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
  • cerebellar ataxia (defective muscular coordination)
  • transverse myelitis (inflammation along the spinal cord)
  • Reye syndrome (a serious condition which may affect all major systems or organs)
  • in extremely rare cases, death

Chickenpox | Diagnosis & Treatments

How does a doctor diagnosis chickenpox?

The chickenpox rash is unique, and a diagnosis can usually be made from a physical examination.

How is chickenpox treated?

For the most part, the chickenpox virus needs to run its course, but there are several things you can do to help reduce the symptoms and prevent other infections. It's very important that you don't let your child scratch the blisters, as this could lead to secondary bacterial infections. Keep your child's fingernails short to decrease the likelihood of scratching. In addition, treatments may include:

  • acetaminophen for fever (do not give aspirin)
  • antibiotics for treating bacterial infections
  • calamine lotion (to relieve itching)
  • antiviral drugs (for severe cases)
  • bed rest
  • increased fluid intake (to prevent dehydration)
  • cool baths with baking soda or Aveeno (to relieve itching)

How we care for chickenpox

The Boston Children's Hospital Informatics Program created HealthMap, an online resource and smart phone application that helps track the spread of contagious diseases, including chickenpox, in real time.

Chickenpox | Programs & Services

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Chickenpox (Varicella) Prevention and Treatment

Prevention

The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine. Everyone—including children, adolescents, and adults—should get two doses of chickenpox vaccine if they have never had chickenpox or were never vaccinated.

Chickenpox vaccine is very safe and effective at preventing the disease. Most people who get the vaccine will not get chickenpox. If a vaccinated person does get chickenpox, the symptoms are usually milder with fewer or no blisters (they may have just red spots) and low or no fever.

The chickenpox vaccine prevents almost all cases of severe illness. Since the chickenpox vaccination program began in the United States, there has been over 97% decrease in chickenpox cases. Hospitalizations and deaths have become rare.

For more information about chickenpox vaccine, see Vaccination.

Treatments at Home for People with Chickenpox

There are several things that you can do at home to help relieve chickenpox symptoms and prevent skin infections. Calamine lotion and a cool bath with added baking soda, uncooked oatmeal, or colloidal oatmeal may help relieve some of the itching. Try to keep fingernails trimmed short and minimize scratching to prevent the virus from spreading to others and to help prevent skin infections. If you do scratch a blister by accident, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Over-the-counter Medications

Do not use aspirin or aspirin-containing products to relieve fever from chickenpox. The use of aspirin in children with chickenpox has been associated with Reye’s syndrome, a severe disease that affects the liver and brain and can cause death. Instead, use non-aspirin medications, such as acetaminophen, to relieve fever from chickenpox. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding treatment with ibuprofen if possible because it has been associated with life-threatening bacterial skin infections.

When to Call a Healthcare Provider

For people exposed to chickenpox or shingles, call a healthcare provider if the person:

  • Has never had chickenpox and is not vaccinated with the chickenpox vaccine
  • Is pregnant
  • Has a lowered ability to fight germs and sickness (weakened immune system) caused by disease or medication; for example:
    • A person with HIV/AIDS or cancer
    • A person who has had a transplant
    • A person on chemotherapy, immunosuppressive medications, or long-term use of steroids

If you have symptoms, call your healthcare provider. Contacting a healthcare provider is especially important if the person:

  1. Is at risk of serious complications from chickenpox because they:
    • Are less than 1 year old
    • Are older than 12 years of age
    • Have a weakened immune system
    • Are pregnant

OR

  1. Develops any of the following symptoms:
    • Fever that lasts longer than 4 days
    • Fever that rises above 102°f (38. 9°c)
    • Any areas of the rash or any part of the body becomes very red, warm, or tender, or begins leaking pus (thick, discolored fluid), as these symptoms may indicate a bacterial infection
    • Difficulty waking up or confused behavior
    • Difficulty walking
    • Stiff neck
    • Frequent vomiting
    • Difficulty breathing
    • Severe cough
    • Severe abdominal pain
    • Rash with bleeding or bruising (hemorrhagic rash)

Treatments Prescribed by Your Healthcare Provider for People with Chickenpox

Your healthcare provider can advise you on treatment options. Antiviral medications are recommended for people with chickenpox that are more likely to develop serious illness, including:

  • Otherwise healthy people older than 12 years of age
  • People with chronic skin or lung disease
  • People receiving long-term salicylate therapy or steroid therapy
  • People who are pregnant
  • People with a weakened immune system

There are antiviral medications licensed for treatment of chickenpox. The medication works best if it is given as early as possible, preferably within the first 24 hours after the rash starts. For more information, see Acyclovir Treatment.

Varicella (Chickenpox): Classification of varicella by rash, Causes, Symptoms

Classification of varicella by rash

  • Typical;
  • Atypical:
    • pustular;
    • vestigial;
    • bullous;
    • gangrenous;
    • generalized;
    • hemorrhagic.

Causes

The varicella-zoster virus infects only human cells, so only humans can be the only carrier of the virus. This viral disease has its own characteristics. In particular, DNA is present in its virus, it is sensitive to the effects of ultraviolet radiation, and it is also easy for it to survive in conditions where the temperature of the environment in which it is located is quite low. Therefore, reusable processes of thawing and freezing in no way affect it.

The virus has an airborne transmission route, that is, it spreads from the patient while he is talking, coughing, sneezing, kissing, etc. Patients with chickenpox are able to infect other people from about 20-24 hours before the rash appears until the 5th day when the last rash was recorded. The varicella-zoster virus quickly dies in the external environment - under the influence of sunlight and ultraviolet radiation. In the open air, the virus lives for about 10 minutes.

How long does chickenpox remain contagious

The number of days that you can become infected with chickenpox - affects not only the degree of infection of the carrier of the infection, but also the immunity of those potentially infected, with weak immunity, you can pick up almost absent particles of the remnants of the infection, with strong immunity, it is possible to overcome a small attack of the virus. Also, with a high degree of immunity protection in a sick person, the disease will leave him sooner, as well as the spread period will decrease significantly.

According to the average statistics and the results of laboratory tests, it was determined that, on average, chickenpox remains contagious for about 10-12 days from the day the virus enters the body. However, it should be remembered that the security measures associated with protection against infection are never superfluous. The incubation period according to scientific medicine is from 10 to 21 days from the day of infection, contagious chickenpox remains after about 5 days, after the appearance of the most recent ulcer and its crusting.

Varicella is more contagious than many other infectious diseases. At the same time, you can get infected only with very close contact, by airborne droplets, you should not allow the patient to cough or sneeze in the presence of a person who has not yet had chickenpox.

Symptoms

Chickenpox occurs in 4 periods: incubation, prodrome, rash and crusting.

The incubation period for chickenpox lasts: 13 to 17 days for patients under 30 years of age, and 11 to 21 days for patients over 30 years of age.

The incubation period itself may have a different degree of duration, depending on the preparedness of the organism to fight the infection, of one or another organism. The time and severity of the disease, as well as the period of contagiousness, also differ.

The prodromal period begins about a day before the rash: fever, pain in the lumbar region, headaches appear. In children, the prodromal period is most often absent, and the disease is expressed by the appearance of a rash.

How does chickenpox start and what are its first signs?

Rashes in most children occur without any disturbances in the general condition, the manifestations of fever coincide with the appearance of a rash, since the rashes appear in waves, in several stages. In adults, rashes are more often massive, at the same time the temperature rises, severe itching appears.

Initially, the rash appears in the form of small spots, which in just a few hours transform into a vesicle (vesicle) with reddening around. After two or three days, the vesicle bursts and dries up, and gradually becomes covered with a dense crust.

Given that rashes appear at intervals of one or two days, a rash can be observed on the skin simultaneously in different stages of development (spot, nodule, vesicle, crust).

There are various forms of this disease. Chickenpox in form can be typical and atypical. The typical form of chickenpox is also divided into several types, such as mild, moderate and severe form of the course of the disease.

When a person has a mild form of chickenpox, in general, he does not feel so bad. His body temperature does not exceed 38 °. A relatively small amount of rash is observed on the skin, and a very small amount of rash is present on the mucous membranes. Rashes occur in only 2 to 4 days.

If the patient has a moderate form of this infectious disease, then he has a slight intoxication in his body. The onset of chickenpox is also characterized by elevated temperature, but there are much more rashes on the body than in the first case. They occur over a longer period of time, from 4 to 5 days approximately. Also, the rash is itchy. When the bubbles on the skin begin to dry up, the general condition of the patient becomes more satisfactory, and his body temperature also returns to normal.

In the event that the patient has a severe form of chickenpox, the rash is present in copious amounts, and not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, nose and genitals. Rashes will appear on the patient's body for a week, or even more. The temperature will be quite high. The patient will feel so bad that he may experience such negative reactions of the body as vomiting, sleep problems and lack of appetite.

Atypical forms of such an infectious disease as chickenpox can be of several types. These are rudimentary forms, as well as forms with non-standard symptoms and complications.

Most often, the rudimentary form of chickenpox occurs in children when they are only a few months old. It is characterized by the fact that they have a small rash on their skin. At the same time, chickenpox in this form practically in no way affects the deterioration of the child's well-being. The temperature may not rise above normal levels.

Forms of the disease with severe symptoms, that is, aggravated, are observed rather infrequently. Usually those children who are weakened and have altered immunity are susceptible to them. For example, these may be children who have leukemia, or who have been treated with steroid hormones for a long period of time. Such chickenpox can end fatally.

Another form of atypical chickenpox is generalized. She is accompanied by fever and an increased degree of intoxication, a large amount of rash, which is located not only on the skin and mucous membranes, but also on the internal organs.

If a patient has a hemorrhagic form, hemorrhages begin in the skin and mucous membranes, cases of nosebleeds are frequent, as well as hemorrhages in internal organs.

Gangrenous form means the presence of such a symptom as the appearance of dry gangrene simultaneously with the appearance of rashes, after which a deep ulcer remains after falling off.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of chickenpox is usually easy. The diagnosis is established by a general practitioner or pediatrician (for children) on the basis of clinical manifestations and tests, taking into account epidemiology.

Treatment of chickenpox

Bed rest is mandatory during the entire febrile period. In the treatment of chickenpox, antipyretic drugs, detoxification therapy are prescribed, if skin itching is present, antihistamines are indicated.

Chickenpox lesions are treated with a disinfectant solution. If abscesses appear, antibiotics are prescribed. In order to accelerate the falling off of the crusts, ultraviolet irradiation is indicated.

A specific method of preventing chickenpox is vaccination, which provides strong immunity to the disease for many years.

Up-to-date data on the availability of medicines and prices for drugs in pharmacies of Ukraine can be found on our service.

What does chickenpox look like in children during recovery

When it's time to get well, the rash starts to crust and fall off without anyone's help. This situation indicates the correct treatment, usually after the crusts fall off, not a trace of the disease remains on the body.

Treatment for chickenpox is usually done on an outpatient basis. It should be ensured that the child does not comb the spots, try in every possible way to distract him from this, small children can wear special soft gloves on their hands. If the rash begins to fester, which usually occurs when scratching, then the doctor prescribes antibiotics. Be sure to give the child peace and bed rest. During illness, the baby should not be washed, as this can complicate the course of the disease, bed linen should be changed as often as possible. Bathing can only be done in a potassium permanganate bath for a few minutes, you can also take a shower, but not for long. A large amount of liquid will help in the treatment.

If the child's temperature is over 38 degrees, paracetamol-based antipyretics should be given. Antihistamines can help reduce itching. To disinfect the rash, the bubbles can be burned with brilliant green, and new spots can be calculated in this way.

Complications of chickenpox

Quite rarely, in about 5% of cases, complications are observed after chickenpox. As a rule, the disease is severe in adults with primary infection, in people with a weakened immune system, as well as in infants. The most common complication is various skin infections - they develop if the wounds have nevertheless been combed and bacteria have penetrated into them, and can be quite serious and require long-term treatment. Pneumonia, transient arthritis, hepatitis, and encephalitis may develop. The latter is one of the most dangerous complication options - inflammation of the brain, or encephalitis, can be caused by the addition of a bacterial infection, or by the entry of a virus into the central nervous system. In the future, encephalitis can cause paralysis, visual and sensory disturbances, and some other neurological disorders.

Chickenpox is of little danger to pregnant women - the risk of complications is quite small when infected before 20 weeks, after which there is practically no risk to the child. However, in the event that infection occurs in the last week before childbirth, there is a risk of congenital chickenpox in a child, which is always quite difficult.

Chickenpox prevention

Chickenpox prevention, however, is still a controversial issue in medicine. Some doctors do not consider it necessary, but it is still better to be prepared and know how to protect yourself from chickenpox.

The only way to help protect yourself from chickenpox, and working in 100%, is complete isolation from the source of the disease. However, this is practically impossible, because the patient is contagious already at the moment when no external manifestations can be noticed; but you need to remember that from the moment the crusts dry out, the risk of infection is reduced to zero.

In the event that there is a sick person in the family, one must not forget that the disease is easily transmitted by airborne droplets, which means that even in the absence of direct contact, one can become infected. Gauze masks and respirators can reduce the risk. The patient must be in a separate room, all hygiene products, as well as cups, plates and other utensils must be individual. It is possible to use a quartz home lamp, but you must carefully follow the instructions.

Due to the fact that children of primary school age tolerate the disease quite easily, parents sometimes try to provoke contact between their child and the sick person.

Since the 1970s, the varicella vaccine has been successfully and very effectively used - now the main prevention of chickenpox in children and adults is precisely this. Vaccination is especially recommended for pregnant women, patients after chemotherapy and people with a weakened immune system. Vaccination can also be done in the first three days after contact with the patient. In the event that an adult does not remember whether he had chickenpox, and there is no way to find out, it is better to play it safe and also get vaccinated.

No matter how frivolous the chicken pox may seem, prevention must be carried out. It is worth remembering that the main prevention of chickenpox in adults and children is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Proper balanced nutrition, regular exercise and the absence of bad habits will help keep the immune system in order, because it is she who is responsible for how susceptible our body is to viruses and infections.

Is it possible to get chicken pox again?

“Lifelong immunity” after a disease is due to the fact that the virus Varicella zoster itself remains forever in the body in an amount not sufficient to cause an infection or infect other people, but it is its presence that causes the body to produce on an ongoing basis antibodies to fight chickenpox, which is why it is believed that the body of a person who has already been ill once has antibodies always ready to fight, which means it is untouchable for this virus. There is an assumption that it is these particles of virus remnants that can serve as the development of such an infection as herpes zoster (which is commonly considered to be the second chickenpox), such an assumption was put forward due to the fact that these two infections are based on the same virus Varicella zoster and can be related to each other, in addition, a person suffering from shingles can infect another person with chicken pox, which proves the close family ties of these two infectious diseases. Shingles, unlike chicken pox itself, tends to appear many times, from two, three or more, it can even become chronic, with improper treatment and neglect of safety measures.

There is an opinion that chickenpox is a “childhood” disease, but shingles is a problem for the older generation, but this opinion is erroneous. Both diseases can strike at any age. The disease is considered to be a childhood disease, since this infection constantly walks around various institutions intended for children, and in addition, it is even useful to transfer chickenpox in childhood, since there is a "lifelong" immunity to this kind of virus, but at a more mature age - no doubt there are cases of diseases, but they are much more difficult to tolerate and have more consequences for the general condition of the body, as well as its appearance. Of course, if we consider cases of herpes zoster separately, older people are more likely to get sick, but the disease is much more difficult to tolerate than chicken pox in any of the age periods.

It should be noted that cases of re-infection with chickenpox in the same form as it was originally occur in medical practice. Such re-infections are the exception rather than the rule. However, a person who has been ill once in childhood can still be re-infected. All the symptoms, as well as the number of days of the incubation period and the course of the disease, will coincide, however, in most cases, the infection proceeds in a milder and weakened form, and does not entail serious consequences, and even more so complications.

Chickenpox during pregnancy

Cases of morbidity during pregnancy are quite rare: 0.005-0.007 as a percentage. Fertilized women get sick no more often and no more severely than non-pregnant adults, however, with a complication of pneumonia (9-22%), mortality can reach 14-30-42%.

In the event that a woman catches chickenpox while pregnant, it is necessary to know about the consequences. The virus enters the fetus through the placenta. How dangerous it is for a child depends on the period at which the disease overtook:

The first weeks - a high probability of miscarriage. Just at this time, all important organs begin to form, and any disease can harm. The virus affects the development of the cerebral cortex, can provoke cataracts, and there is also a possibility of developing limb hypoplasia. The probability of fetal underdevelopment is about 2 percent.

In general, the second trimester can be characterized by the fact that the risk for the woman and the fetus is quite high, but somewhat reduced, relative to the first trimester (1.5 percent), the child may get congenital varicella syndrome.

If the disease overtook during the period from the thirteenth to the twentieth week, the possibility of having a child with this congenital varicella syndrome increases to 3-5 percent. In more detail about this syndrome, there are birth defects in the newborn, such as scarred skin, deformity of the limbs, a head that is smaller than the norm, and congenital visual defects. Incomplete development of unfortunate children entails lifelong consequences, in the future the kids suffer from convulsions, receive the makings of all kinds of mental and physical abnormalities at different stages of development. In the second trimester of pregnancy, the death of the embryo in the womb, as well as miscarriage, is still not excluded.

After 20 weeks, chickenpox does not have such a terrible effect on the fetus. Nevertheless, control over the course of the process is necessary - a specialist, namely a doctor. If a woman has chickenpox at the beginning of the third trimester, it is more likely that the child will not receive any consequences. After about five days from the moment of infection, the body begins to produce antibodies to viral particles, and also, through the placenta, encloses the fetus with them, which preserves the safe development of the child (since the fetus itself does not have a sufficiently developed immunity to protect itself).

The most risky period during fruiting for chickenpox is the last five days before the onset of labor and the first couple of days after the birth of the baby. Since in this case the newborn is exposed to a viral introduction, however, it does not have enough time to receive and protect itself with maternal T-lymphocytes (antibodies to fight the virus). In the last week before childbirth, chickenpox becomes the most dangerous for the health and safety of the child, as the newborn gets the disease, which is a huge risk.

According to statistics, in 30 cases out of a hundred, a child gets neonatal chicken pox, which is dangerous for the health of the newborn and even his life, if the disease is not cured in time. This infection is fatal. For pregnant women with chickenpox, in addition to the danger to the fetus, there are also unhappy prospects for herself, pneumonia can form against the background of chickenpox, which is not quite comforting statistics, in 15 cases out of a hundred the disease gives rise to pneumonia, which poses a terrible threat to the female body (up to death before, after, and also probably during childbirth). We do not disregard the risk - preterm delivery. A significant tendency to easily get pneumonia in this state falls on the third trimester of gestation. Of course, smokers are more likely to get complications than non-smokers-to-be.

Treatment of chickenpox in pregnant women

As soon as you notice the first signs of chickenpox, contact your doctor immediately. If you do not want to get complications - do not try to allow yourself to self-medicate!

Chickenpox

CHICKENPOX or varicella is a very common disease. Although the name of this sore contains the terrible word “pox”, but in fact chickenpox is a disease in most cases not severe, but rather unpleasant. The cause of the disease is a virus that spreads easily in the environment - almost as windborne. Moreover, unlike the flu, the source of infection with chickenpox is almost always known, because children in kindergarten usually get sick with the whole friendly team. The chickenpox virus is very “sticky”, the probability of getting sick at a meeting is almost 100%. However, sometimes an adult who does not have visible manifestations of chickenpox, but who suffers from an extremely unpleasant disease called herpes zoster, can sometimes infect a baby. The fact is that the causative agent of chickenpox, after the illness, remains in a “asleep” state in the spinal cord. In the future, with stress, reduced immunity and other troubles, the virus wakes up and can cause a very painful disease in an adult - shingles. Basically, such adults infect defenseless babies, to which no reasonable mother would let a kindergartner with chickenpox, but an adult with herpes - please.

When you find out that you have chicken pox in your kindergarten, expect your child to get sick too. It is better to transfer this childhood infection at preschool age. Chickenpox disease in adolescents and adults is much more severe

A baby with chickenpox is contagious for 1-2 days in the incubation period (before the rash appears) and up to the 5th day from the moment the last elements of the rash appear. The most common incubation period is 10 to 21 days.

Rash everywhere, and different - this is the main symptom of chickenpox. It rashes on the face, scalp, trunk, limbs, and on mucous membranes. When the rash appears, the baby's temperature rises, sometimes up to 38-39C (although some children may not have a temperature). The child becomes lethargic, naughty, his appetite worsens.

The rash appears initially as pale pink spots. Then they turn into bubbles filled with a clear liquid. Bubbles are surrounded by a halo of reddened skin. Already on the 2nd day, the contents of the vesicles become cloudy, and the surface is wrinkled and covered with brown crusts. They fall off after only 1-3 weeks. Spots, vesicles, and crusts can be present on the baby’s body at the same time. The fact is that, according to the apt expression of infectious disease doctors, the elements are sprinkled - they appear repeatedly within 4-5 days of the disease. As a rule, each wave of a new rash coincides with a deterioration in the general condition of the child, an increase in temperature . .

The biggest problem with chickenpox for both mother and baby is severe itching. Moreover, the smaller the baby, the more difficult it is to explain to him that it is impossible to scratch! This is fraught with infection of wounds with bacteria, because the children's body is weakened. If this happens, traces on the skin can remain for life - small scars. Therefore, conduct an explanatory conversation with a child with chickenpox.

Treatment of chicken pox in case of a mild course of the disease consists more of hygienic measures and a treatment regimen. The child's nails must be neatly trimmed.

Change your underwear daily. T-shirts and shirts should be made only from natural materials, preferably not very new ones. You can even give your baby your nightgown or T-shirt. The worn fabric is soft and won't bother the baby. Try to have a comfortable temperature at home, do not wrap the baby up, sweat increases itching. And of course, the most effective means is your love and all kinds of entertainment. Such distractions help a lot!

Lubricate the vesicles with your choice of weak potassium permanganate solution (1-2%), aqueous, alcoholic solution of brilliant green (1-2%), fucorcin solution, rivanol solution (0.05% ) or aqueous methylene blue solution (1% ) . This will help dry out the blisters. If the child has a rash on the oral mucosa, rinse regularly with a weak solution of furacilin. If the itching does not subside, the doctor will prescribe antihistamines. Pay attention to the baby's drinking regimen with chickenpox. Juices (preferably diluted in half with water), rosehip broth, cranberry juice, blackcurrant tea must be present in its menu. Do not forget about general strengthening agents - vitamins. This will help to cope with chickenpox much faster.

In recent years, antiviral drugs have been prescribed for chickenpox, but they are used only in cases of moderate and severe course and strictly on the recommendation of a doctor.

Of course, it is better to have had chickenpox in childhood, because in adults the disease is much more complicated. Usually chickenpox is ill once, after the disease there is a strong immunity.

Should I be afraid of chicken pox and do I need vaccination?

In most cases, chickenpox is mild. It would seem - why do you need to be vaccinated? But we must always remember that, like any disease, even chickenpox can have a severe course - the development of a bullous, hemorrhagic or gangrenous form of the disease, complications such as encephalitis, myocarditis, pyoderma, lymphadenitis are possible. It often happens that after suffering chicken pox, the child often begins to get sick. The virus that causes the disease is a type 3 herpes virus; in addition to a direct toxic effect on the child's body, it has an immunosuppressive effect, that is, it suppresses the immune system. Think about "shingles" - a very unpleasant disease that develops in adults who have had chickenpox. Two varicella vaccines are currently registered in Russia: Okavax and Varilrix. One vaccination is enough and your child will be protected from the disease.

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