And we hit a new milestone, actually 300-400 of them...
Kudos if you have guessed what I am talking about, if you are still wondering what the heck I'm talking about it's Chickenpox (Varicella virus).
Man this is pain in the neck, for both child and parents. Our older son got them from the day care, half of the children got them...on the other side our daughter still didn't got them even though they go to the same day care and are in the same group.
I could sum it up for you, yet please take my words with a reserve, as every child or person reacts differently.
They are itchy, a lot! Luckily there are a lot of Gels and Foams and remedies which helps and reduces the itchiness. We got some sort of calamine lotion from the local pharmacy which dries the poxes and reduces the itchiness. Other than that there is not therapy. In case of a fever and increased body temperature you can take some meds to reduce it, you can give it to children as well (please talk to you doctor before you take any meds or give them to children)! The poxes also have an effect on the immune system, so taking some vitamins (especially Vitamin C) to boost it up could be a good choice.
It can be pretty bad if the child scratches them, not only that they leave a mark for life, but they can get infected as well.
Some of the symptoms: small blisters you can easily recognize, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, headache...
The following text is taken from CDC webpage (Center for Disease Control and Prevention).
Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It can cause an itchy, blister-like rash. The rash appears first on the chest, back, and face, and then spreads over the entire body. If one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected.
Chickenpox can also be serious, even life-threatening, especially in babies, adolescents, adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Before the vaccine was available, about 4 million people got chickenpox each year in the United States, over 10,500 of those people were hospitalized, and about 100-150 people died.
The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine.
Signs and Symptoms
The classic symptom of chickenpox is a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters that eventually turn into scabs. The rash may first show up on the chest, back, and face, and then spread over the entire body, including inside the mouth, eyelids, or genital area. It usually takes about one week for all of the blisters to become scabs.
Other typical symptoms that may begin to appear one to two days before rash include:
- fever
- tiredness
- loss of appetite
- headache
Children usually miss 5 to 6 days of school or childcare due to chickenpox.
Chickenpox in Vaccinated People (Breakthrough Chickenpox)
Some people who have been vaccinated against chickenpox can still get the disease. However, they usually have milder symptoms with fewer or no blisters (or just red spots), a mild or no fever, and are sick for a shorter period of time than people who are not vaccinated. But some vaccinated people who get chickenpox may have disease similar to unvaccinated people.
People at Risk for Severe Chickenpox
Some people who get chickenpox may have more severe symptoms and may be at higher risk for complications. For more information, see complications.
Complications
Complications from chickenpox can occur, but they are not common in healthy people who get the disease.
People who may get a serious case of chickenpox and may be at high risk for complications include:
- Infants
- Adolescents
- Adults
- People who are pregnant
- People with bodies that have a lowered ability to fight germs and sickness (weakened immune systems) because of illness or medications, for example,
- People with HIV/AIDS or cancer
- Patients who have had transplants, and
- People on chemotherapy, immunosuppressive medications, or long-term use of steroids.
Serious complications from chickenpox include:
- Bacterial infections of the skin and soft tissues in children, including Group A streptococcal infections
- Infection of the lungs (pneumonia)
- Infection or swelling of the brain (encephalitis, cerebellar ataxia)
- Bleeding problems (hemorrhagic complications)
- Bloodstream infections (sepsis)
- Dehydration
Some people with serious complications from chickenpox can become so sick that they need to be hospitalized. Chickenpox can also cause death.
Deaths are very rare now due to the vaccine program. However, some deaths from chickenpox continue to occur in healthy, unvaccinated children and adults. In the past, many of the healthy adults who died from chickenpox contracted the disease from their unvaccinated children.
Transmission
A person with chickenpox is considered contagious beginning 1 to 2 days before rash onset until all the chickenpox lesions have crusted (scabbed). Vaccinated people who get chickenpox may develop lesions that do not crust. These people are considered contagious until no new lesions have appeared for 24 hours.
The varicella-zoster virus also causes shingles. After chickenpox, the virus remains in the body (dormant). People get shingles when VZV reactivates in their bodies after they have already had chickenpox. People with shingles can spread VZV to people who have never had chickenpox or never received the chickenpox vaccine. This can happen through direct contact with fluid from shingles rash blisters or through breathing in virus particles that come from the blisters. If they get infected, they will develop chickenpox, not shingles.
It takes about 2 weeks (from 10 to 21 days) after exposure to a person with chickenpox or shingles for someone to develop chickenpox. If a vaccinated person gets the disease, they can still spread it to others. For most people, getting chickenpox once provides immunity for life. It is possible to get chickenpox more than once, but this is not common.
Prevention and Treatment
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.
Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases
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