In scientific term the chickenpox is known as the Varicella which is caused by the virus known as the Varicella Zoster which causes infection in the body and that leads to the chicken pox. The result of this disease caused you rashes, itchiness blisters etc which creates a lot of problem to you. The starting of chicken pox takes place from the face, chest, neck etc with two three spots and then spread to all over the body on next day and it normally lasts for the 5 to 7 days but it almost took complete 14 to 16 days for getting full recovery from the disease. The initial symptoms of Chickenpox that you can face are fever , rashes , headache etc.

Chicken Pox Virus

Although this disease is not very complicated and serious but sometimes if proper care is not taken then it can become complicated and become very difficult for you to handle. After the virus of chickenpox gets to enter into your body then the symptoms get appear after 10 to 21 days. The virus of chickenpox is airborne which enter by direct contact or contact through air. If any person is suffering from chickenpox and you get close to that person then due to sneezing, direct contact with blisters of infected person you can also get the virus in your body.

The best thing is that normally a person gets chickenpox only once in their lifetime although they also get reinfected with the virus the symptoms do not occur anymore in your body. After the introduction of vaccines for the varicella virus, there is a gradual reduction in this disease among people since from 1985, before that every person once got infected with this virus in their lifetime. There is a different time period for the visibility of blisters of chickenpox which is 4 to 7 days in children and after the fifth day the new blisters got appeared on the body of an infected person. You should avoid the use of aspirin or products of aspirin during chickenpox.

Chickenpox Signs and Symptoms

As , till now we come to know that chickenpox is basically a viral infection whose main symptoms are itchy rashes and blisters on all over the body which are filled with a fluid-like substance, basically chickenpox is a contagious disease to those people who did not ever have this disease in their lifetime or do not get vaccinated for it.

Till the proper routine vaccination was not their almost every person got infected to chickenpox once in their lifetime but after vaccination, this rate has been declined gradually so, the number of cases for hospitalization has also been reduced with a great rate. As everyone knows that it is a mild disease and get cured on its own but still it is necessary and good as a point of health to be vaccinated against the virus as this vaccine is the only best way which can protect you from the severe complications of chickenpox and also prevent the virus to cause infection in your body.

Symptoms of Chickenpox

As we also told you earlier that the symptoms of the Chickenpox generally appear after 10 to 21 days of the outburst of the virus and this disease normally lasts for 5 to 10 days, the first indication of chickenpox is a red colored rash on your body. Now we are going to tell you some of the signs and symptoms which appear before the rash comes on your body.

Chickenpox signs and symptoms

These symptoms include –

1 . Fever

2 . Loss of Appetite

3 . Tiredness or nausea with a feeling of unwell

4 . Headache

These rashes which appear first on the body as a symptom of chickenpox goes through three different stages or phases through the infection these stages are –

Chicken Pox Rash

This is the first stage of chickenpox which is the sign of it, these rashes, first of all, appears on the face, chest, behind the ear, the inner cavity of your mouth throat, etc and later on from these parts they start to cover all of the body including the scalp and genital parts but these mostly not appear on the eyelids. When the virus of chickenpox gets outburst it does not create a rash at once in the starting only a few rashes occur and after then some days later the new rashes start to come out covering the whole body. So, as it spreads with the contact so if anyone is facing the infection then you should be away from that area till the blisters get dry.

Chicken Pox Photos [Image]

2. Blisters: Now, the second stage that comes is blisters, these rashes got converted into blisters containing some fluid-like substance which is highly infectious in nature. So , after two or three days of rashes they get converted into blisters. As , it is very important to remain hydrated but if by any means you got these rashes or blisters in your mouth then it will become very difficult for you to eat or drink so at such time you just try to drink liquid at regular intervals you can either use a straw for maintaining the hydration in your body.

3 . Scabs: Next stage of chickenpox is scabs which is the third and also the last stage of it , in this stage the fluid inside blisters got dry and the skin gets hardened with a brown color appearance. Under this skin called to scan a lot of work is going on by the body like repairing of all damaged cells , vessels during disease or the formation if new cells for the skin and a lot so , do not try to prick of this later as it will interrupt the work of the body and you will not get recovered properly, the worst part is by doing this you will get scars on your body so let them do their own work as the work got complete they will get shed off by their own.

How do you get Chicken Pox

If you or your child is having any rash and you are suspecting them as of chicken pox then we suggest you to consult the doctor as he will properly diagnose your rashes and can conclude by accompanying the symptoms that you are prone to chicken pox or not. This will help you a lot as if there will be any chances of it then your doctor will prescribe you some medicines which will be helpful in preventing any complicated issues or severity of the lessen if it will be required and if you are thinking that you are infected with the virus of chicken pox then you should previously take the appointment from your doctor as waiting in the waiting room can also spread this disease to other people.

Chickenpox rash pictures Early Stages

If you are facing any complication like this then consult your doctor immediately and tell him

1 . The rashes are getting spread to one or both of your eyes.

2 . The rash is turning too much red , tender or warm as this indicates that there is any other bacterial infection to your skin.

3 . You will be going to feel some dizziness , rapid heartbeat , worsening cough , disorientation , vomiting , stiff neck or a high fever more than 102 F , loss of muscle coordination , shortness of breath , tremors etc.

4 . If any member in your house is younger than 6 months or immune deficient they are more prone to get infected.

So , in all of these above cases you needs to contact your immediately who can cure and provide proper medication and safety.

Risks that are attached to this infection

As we know that the chicken is highly contagious and has the tendency to spread very quickly from one person to another as this virus which is varicella zoster gets transferred from one person to another by any type of direct contact with the blisters of patient or inhaling the droplets which are dispersed in the air but any action of cough or sneezing. Then you will be at high risk of getting chickenpox if any of the below condition applied to you –

  • You were not been vaccinated to chickenpox.
  • In past you have not been suffered by chickenpox.
  • You live with the children.
  • If you are working or attend any school or Child Care center.

As those people who previously have been suffered by chickenpox or are vaccinated against chickenpox those people have very fewer chances of getting infected and if the infection occurs then it will be very mild.

Complications that can occur during chicken pox

As chicken pox is not considered as a severe problem it is considered as a mild disease , but sometimes it can also be one a very serious problem which can lead to complications and even death in rare cases specially in those who are at the high risk of getting this disease. The complications under chicken pox includes –

1 . The infection caused by bacteria in skin , bones , soft tissues , joints or bloodstreams in your body.

2 . Dehydration , as it becomes very difficult to eat or drink if you are having this problem.

3 . Inflammation of the brain which is also known as encephalitis.

4 . Pneumonia

5 . Toxic shock syndrome

6 . The people who take aspirin during chicken pox can be suffered by the Reye's syndrome.

Who are at high risk?

Those people's who are at very high risk of getting complications are :

1 . Infants or newborn babies which are born from a mother who had never face chicken pox or got vaccinated against the virus.

2 . Adults , who are having chicken pox first time.

3 . Women who are pregnant and never had chicken pox in their life.

4 . Those people who are using text steroid medication for any other disease or situation like children suffering from asthma.

5 . Those people who are having a weak immune system or whose immune system has got impaired due to medication like as of chemotherapy or any other disease like as if HIV or cancer.

6 . The persons who take drugs supress the function of immune system.

Relation between the chicken pox and pregnancy

Their different types of complications that can affect the pregnant women which is dangerous for both mother and unborn infant.if the chicken pox had in the early stages of pregnancy then it can result in the several problems to the new born baby which may include like as of low birth weight or defects in the birth of child like as of limb abnormalities. The main threat which occurs to the baby is when the mother got chicken pox just a week or a couple of day before the birth of child as it can be a very serious and cause life-threatening infection to the newborn.

So, if you are pregnant then take proper care specially if you are not immune against the chicken pox or have low immune deficiency so , talk to your doctor in advance about it for avoiding any kind of risk to you and your baby.

There is a different time period for the visibility of blisters of chicken pox which is 4 to 7 days in children and after the fifth day the new blisters got appeared on the body of an infected person. You should avoid the use of aspirin or aspirin containing products in chicken pox. Now , another point that you should know that if you are having a chicken pox then your immune system is very weak and you are on the risk of getting infected to other disease also which is same as caused by the virus varicella zoster and this disease is known as the shingles.

Chickenpox in Pregnancy

Chicken Pox Vaccine Age

After you get the chicken pox disease then still some of the varicella virus remains in your cells of nerve and after a long time of many years the virus has the ability of getting reactivate and gets resurface as of the shingles which a very painful band of blisters which have a short life. Mostly this virus again appears in the people of old age or adults and in those people who are having very weak immune system. Although , shingles is a short time disease but still it can become complicated and severe for you if proper care is not taken or the infection increased too much and in this complication you will be going to face a critical situation in which even after the disappearance of blisters you can get the pain of shingles for a long time and in scientific term this complication is named as the postherpetic neuralgia which is a very severe problem. So , for getting rid or making the complications low it is recommended that the chicken pox symptoms adults who are on the age of 60 or above who had already face chicken pox in their life time should take the shingles vaccines which is known as the Zostavax.

Chicken Pox Prevention

Forgetting a good prevention from chicken pox nothing better than the vaccine of chicken pox. A team of the experts from the CDC which stands for Center for disease control and prevention have concluded that the vaccine of chickenpox is providing the complete protection from this varicella virus to all those people who are having both of doses of vaccine which are recommended to them and the result is around 98 percent from all people.

Chickenpox vaccine Age, Cost, and Reaction

Although , it is proven that the vaccine provides proper protection from chickenpox and if not then it will reduce the severity of the disease and it will not go to more complications. Let us know for whom does the vaccine of chickenpox called varivax is suggested to , have a look over it :

1 . For young children : Children are allowed or needs to have two doses of this varicella vaccine in the United States and in this the first dose of the vaccine is given at the age of 12 and 15 months and next the second dose of this vaccine is given in between the age of 4 and 6 years which is a part of the normal routine immunization which is scheduled for the childhood of children. We sometimes see that this vaccine is generally combined with other vaccines of measles, rubella, and mumps but in case of infants from the age group of 12 and 13 months can get a very high fever and seizure due to this vaccine combination so before the doctor combines vaccination you should also, first of all, know the pros and cons of this combination.

2 . For older children who are unvaccinated : The age group of children which are between 7 to 12 years and did not yet received the proper vaccination of chicken pox are needed to have the two catch up doses of the varicella vaccine which should be given at the least of three months apart and for the children who are of 13 years old and still had not been vaccinated till are also needed to get the two catch up doses for this vaccine which should be given at the least of 4 weeks apart.

3 . For the unvaccinated adults who have never got a vaccine of chicken pox are at the high risk of this infection : In this field the persons specially who are included are teachers , health care employees , child care employees , military personnel, international travelers or the adults who are living with young children and all of the women who are at the age of childbearing. It is recommended that all adults who have not got the chicken pox or never been vaccinated should take at least of 2 doses for this vaccine at the difference of four to eight weeks and if you are unable to know or remember that when you have got chicken pox last time or the vaccine then you can detect it with help of blood test which will determine your level of immunity.

Although , if you already been suffered from the chicken pox in past then there will be not very much required to have vaccine for chicken pox as after getting it once your body will already become immune toward that virus and prevent you from getting it again or getting any complications. It is not necessary that you will not get the chicken pox again in your life but if you get then it is not so common and then if you are above or around 60 years of age then you should talk to your doctor as you might be at the risk of getting vaccine for shingles disease. This vaccine is very necessary for everyone but their are some stages at which you are not allowed to get this vaccine let us know about them –

* Pregnant women should not take this vaccine.

* Those people who are having allergy from the gelatin or to tell antibiotic neomucin should not take this vaccine.

* The people who have weak immune system like those who are suffering from HIV or getting the immune suppressing medicines are not recommended to take this vaccination.

If you are not completely sure that you should take the vaccination or not then we suggest you to first of all consult your doctor. If you are on the vaccinated dose and planning to conceive baby then we will recommend you to consult your doctor that you are up to date for your vaccine before conceiving baby.

Chickenpox Vaccine

Every one is having this question, most parents that are these vaccines safe or not. So , today we are talking about the chicken pox vaccine and chickenpox vaccine ageas till the time this vaccine is in use a lot of researchers were held and conclude a result that these vaccines are completely safe and effective , there are very few side effects of it which are very mild including redness, swelling, soreness, fever or some small bumps for some time and later on everything will be fine very soon.

Treatment for chickenpox

There are several and different methods for the chicken pox treatment which can be treated either at your home or by a health care adviser as we all know that the chicken pox is not a very severe disease but if proper care and precaution is not taken then it is possible that you can get some complications in it which are very severe so , for the mild chicken pox you can simply try a home remedy by which it can easily be treated these include the regular checking of fever and the proper monitoring of small skin blisters that you are having but in the more serious options or cases in which you are having a high fever, diarrhea or vomiting then it becomes important for you to consult your doctor which will prevent any kind of further more complications during chicken pox. Let us know that how we can treat the chicken pox –

In most of the cases we treat the chicken pox at our home and do not prefer any kind of medication and these home treatments include the relieving symptoms of the chicken pox when your body is still fighting with the virus of chicken pox. When you are suffering from this infection you should check or look at your skin regularly and should note that your blisters are not having any further infection and also have a look over other symptoms also like as of fever. If the infected person is getting any kind of serious symptoms then it is mandatory for you to visit the doctor so , some of the main symptoms which can be serious for chicken pox are :

1 . High fever

2 . Diarrhea

3 . Dehydration

4 . Vomiting

5 . Headache

6 . Worsening of asthma

These are some of the severe symptoms of chicken pox, so if you are having any kind of these symptoms then it becomes very necessary for you to take proper medication and consult your doctor.

You should take care that do not scratch or removes your blisters as it can lead to tell scars and infection to your skin therefore at the time of chicken pox keep your nails of finger short and trimmed to avoid any scratching. For getting relief from the itching of these blisters you can take the bath of calamine lotion and Aveeno which will surely help you. If you are having the fever or anything then you should use the medicines which do not contain aspirin product like as of acetaminophen which is commonly called Tylenol for the relief from fever. So, take care that you should not use the aspirin or the products which contain aspirin as it can cause a very severe disease known as the Reye's syndrome and which can effect your whole body organs and it will seriously effect your liver and brain which can also lead to death.

Mostly , the cases of chicken pox do not require any doctor as they get cured by their own but sometimes the situations formed in such form that you will be needed to consult your doctor which becomes necessary at that moment. If you are having a high fever more than of 102°F for more than of 4 days ten it is a serious condition and you needs to call your doctor urgently. You should also take proper care of all your rashes which has now become very red , warm and tender as these symptoms can be the indication of any bacterial infection.

So , below mentioned are some of the serious situations in which you need to contact your doctor immediately if any of these sign appear –

1 . Difficulty in waking up or is confused

2 . Having a stiff neck

3 . Seems extremely ill

4 . If you are vomiting rapidly and repeatedly

5 . Having the severe cough

6 . Feeling difficulty in breathing

7 . Having difficulty in walking

If you are having a weak immune system from any disease or medication then you are in a need of immediate doctor. There is also a question in the mind of people that if we are having a chance of getting chickenpox then can it be treated before showing the symptoms so the answer to your question is yes , it is possible to treat the chicken pox although any system has not still persist in such cases you will be treated by giving the varicella vaccine to the person with in of three to five days of exposure toward vaccine and it will stop any further growth of virus or will lessen the severity of disease.

So, this is the end of this article as we have always different questions in our mind regarding of chickenpox that is it curable, severe or any other thing it becomes important for everyone to have proper answers. So, today here we have tried to complete or cover all of the answers to normal questions which will solve lots of your queries like the causes of chickenpox, prevention, its treatment, risks, and much more. You have learned a lot about this regarding all situations and questions although we conclude that it is not a very serious problem but still you should take proper care and precaution as it might become severe and complicated which can even lead to death.

As, this problem is easily curable at your home but sometimes the infection can become and which will complicate your problem so, after having the infection just properly monitor each and everything and if in any case, you find something strange then immediately contact to the doctor or if you are having any query then you can contact us we will provide you the correct answer for it.