Chicken pox rash

 

 

 

Chicken pox rash.Photo: Nojhan

 

Learn all about incubation period and chicken pox treatment.

What is chicken pox?

A Chicken pox rash is an infection with the Varicella Zoster virus. Varicella (chicken pox scientific name) is one of the classic childhood diseases.

We see it most often in children in the age group 4 to 10. Chicken pox is not so common in pre school children. The anti bodies produced during an infection with the varicella zoster virus provide life long immunity. It is very uncommon that one gets chickenpox twice but it is not impossible.

 

Chickenpox rash.

A chicken pox rash starts with crops of red spots that soon turn into itchy blisters. These blisters easily break and than crust over.

Usually the rash starts on the head and body and then spreads to the arms and legs. Sometimes blisters can also be found in the mouth, ears and nose.

See chicken pox photos:

 

Young girl with chicken pox.

Severe chicken pox rash with blisters.

Infant with chicken pox on face and scalp. Photo by ILJR

Is chicken pox contagious?

Chicken pox is highly contagious and is spread by sneezing, coughing, breathing or direct contact with the chicken pox rash.

From three days before the rash appears till all the chicken pox blisters have turned into scabs this virus can be spread.

The illness usually last about 5 to 10 days. In this highly contagious period you should keep your child at home and avoid contact with newborns babies and pregnant woman.

 

 

How do you know your child has chicken pox?

Typical chicken pox signs and symptoms are:

• Characteristic rash.
  
  
• Fever that can last a few days.
  
  
• Body ache or head ache.
  
  
• Dry cough.
  
  
• Sore throat.
  
  
• Malaise –feeling sick and uncomfortable.

Normally in healthy children, chickenpox is a mild disease. The symptoms of chicken pox in adults are more severe and 25% are more likely to have significant complications.

 

Chicken pox incubation period.

The incubation for chicken pox is anywhere between 10 and 21 days. This means that a child will show the first symptoms of the disease 10 to 21 days after been in contact with the virus.

 

 

What is the best chicken pox treatment?

There is no real cure for chicken pox but there are a few things we can do to relief the symptoms while the immune system fights of the virus.

• When a child develops a fever it is important he doesn’t get dehydrated so we give him plenty of fluid.
  
  
• To relief severe itching of the chicken pox rash you can apply some calamine lotion or give your child a lukewarm oatmeal bath.
  
  
• If your child has difficulty getting to sleep because of the itching or body ache you may give some paracetamol or ibuprofen.
  
  
• It is advisable to keep fingernails short to prevent bacterial infections caused by scratching the chicken pox blisters.

 

Antiviral medication is usually only prescribed to children who are at risk of complications of chicken pox. For example babies younger than one month and babies with severe hart, lung and skin conditions.

Keep your child in a cool environment because heat and sweating will make the itching worse. Avoid exposure to the sun with a chicken pox rash while the lesions are healing. At this stage the skin is more prone to sunburn and this may increase the risk of scaring.

 

Chicken pox home remedy.

There are a few products on the market that can help reduce the itching of a chicken pox rash and prevent scarring or tissue damage. Chichen Pox-balm is safe to use on children older than 2.

 

Native Remedies Chikkie Spot Drops and Chikkie Spot Soother is a combination of drops that help to soothe the irritability and anxiousness associated with itchy spots and soother to relief the itching and encourages faster healing of the spots.

 

 

Aveeno Baby Soothing Bath Treatement uses colloidal oatmeal combined with a special moisturizer to relieve dry, itchy and irritated skin.

You can get your Aveeno Baby Soothing Baby Bath Treatment here.

 

Chicken pox complications.

A bacterial infection can be a complication of chicken pox when your child scratches the itchy blisters.

More serious complications caused by the varicella zoster virus are

• Viral pneumonia.
  
  
• Bleeding problems.
  
  
• Hepatitis.
  
  
• Encephalitis (infection of the brain).

 

The information on this page is given as a reference guide and is not to be used as a substitute for professional medical help.

 

You may also be interested in :

 

The benefits of chicken pox vaccinations.
Chicken pox vaccinations are available from 1995. Many parents still belief that their child should obtain natural immunity from chicken pox and deliberately bring them in contact with infected children.

Back to our Baby Skin Rash page.

 

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