Chickenpox

    • Chickenpox  is caused by a virus called varicella that usually starts with a fever.
    • The rash develops a day or two after the start of the fever.
    • The rash looks like a small, red bump that has a thin water blister surrounded by a small area of redness on the skin around the blister.
    • These blisters then become open sores that finally dry and crust.
    • There are repeated crops of sores for 4 to 7 days.
    • The first usually appear on the head and neck area. The arms and legs and then palms and soles appear with lesions near the end of the course of the disease.

TIPS

  • The incubation is anywhere from 10 to 21 days.
  • The contagious period starts 1 to 2 days before the appearance of the rash and ends when all the bumps are crusted, typically around 5 to 7 days.
  • The most common season is late winter and early spring.
  • A person is not contagious if they have been around someone with chickenpox, but have already had the disease or are not in the contagious period described above.
  • Sores may also occur in the mouth, around or in the eyes and in the rectal and genital area.

CALL DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY : 

  • Child is confused and delirious
  • Difficult to arouse ( try paracetamol or ibuprofen if febrile ) or acting sick
  • Stiff neck or severe headache
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Vomiting with signs of dehydration
  • Purplish spots on the skin
  • Child develops trouble walking, losing balance
  • You suspect your newborn under 2 months old has chickenpox
  • Rapidly spreading skin infection - large, red area of skin with red streaks radiating from the red areas

CALL DURING NORMAL HOURS: 

  • Yellow discharge / pus draining from lesions or a large area of redness around a lesion
  • Fever more than three days
  • Intense sore throat
  • Adults are exposed who have never had chickenpox
  • You suspect a newborn (under 2 months old) in the household may have been exposed to chickenpox
  • Your child is on a course of steroids for an underlying disease like asthma, arthritis and has been exposed to chickenpox
  • Chickenpox near or in the eye

Shingles

  • Shingles is a localized case of chickenpox in a small area of the body.
  • The outbreak of pox lesions follows a nerve root and occurs months or years after a primary infection with chickenpox.
  • It occurs more frequently in adulthood.
  • Some people develop this complication and some people do not.
  • Discuss possible treatment like Acyclovir with your doctor.
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