Comprehensive Guide on Chickenpox Disease

Symptoms

Chickenpox may cause the following symptoms in children and adults:

• Itchy skin rash with fluid-filled blisters

• Blotchy skin

• Low-grade fever

• Headache

• Feeling weak and tired

• Stomach ache

• Loss of appetite

• Scabs or coating after the blisters break

• Crusty spots that usually go away after some days

The rash may last for about 5 to 10 days. The condition causes a rash with fluid-filled blisters throughout the body. When these blisters break and leak, crusts and scabs cover them before they heal completely.

Some people with chickenpox may experience severe symptoms, such as:

• High fever

• Rash in one or both eyes

• The rash gets warm or tender due to bacterial infection

• Dizziness and confusion

• Shortness of breath

• Fast heartbeat

• Cough

• Vomiting

• Stiff neck

Causes

Being a contagious condition, chickenpox spreads from one person to another in the following ways:

• Through bodily fluids, especially while talking, coughing and sneezing.

• Touching the rash

• Coming in contact with fluids from the eyes, mouth or nose of the infected person

Risk Factors

These are:

• If you are not vaccinated against chickenpox, you are at a high risk of getting the infection.

• If you have never had a chickenpox infection, your body is not immune to the condition. In this case, being around someone with the infection increases your risk of getting the condition.

• Pregnant women who have never had chickenpox are at a higher risk.

• People with weak immunity and chronic conditions can easily get chickenpox.

• Smoking tobacco can also increase a person’s risk of this viral infection.

Diagnosis

Healthcare providers usually diagnose chickenpox infection in the following ways:

• Examining the rash

• Checking the symptoms of the condition

Some cases of chickenpox are confirmed with the following tests:

• Blood tests to check for immunity against chickenpox

• Taking samples of the affected skin and studying the tissues

Treatment

Most people with mild illness may not require any specific treatment. However, you must do the following to manage the symptoms and prevent complications:

• Take the prescribed medication to bring down fever and fight off the virus

• Get adequate rest

• Increase your fluid intake to prevent dehydration

• Use the prescribed cream or lotion to ease itching and discomfort

• Use mittens for infants and young children to prevent them from scratching the blisters

Some people with chickenpox may experience severe symptoms, such as pneumonia, dehydration, and a bacterial infection in the bones, joints, soft tissues, or bloodstream. If the symptoms become severe as well as difficult to manage at home, your healthcare provider may recommend hospitalisation.

Prevention Tips

The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get vaccinated against the condition. Timely vaccination will reduce your chances of getting the infection. Even if you get chickenpox after taking the vaccine, you will experience very mild symptoms, such as few or no blisters, no fever, etc.

Other tips to prevent the infection are:

• The infected family member should stay in a separate room.

• The virus can spread through air and while talking. Therefore, make sure you and other family members do not spend much time in the same room as the sick person.

• Avoid touching the infected person.

• Wear disposable gloves while touching common objects and surfaces. You must also disinfect doorknobs and other surfaces often.

• Do not share personal care products, cups, and utensils with the sick family member.