What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox causes a rash and might build a baby feel usually unwell. Treatment aims to ease symptoms till the ill health goes. Full recovery is common in kids. Serious complications square measure rare however are additional probably to occur in kids with a poor system, like those on therapy.

Chickenpox is AN infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. most kids have varicella at some stage. The system makes antibodies throughout the infection. These fight the virus so give long immunity. Therefore, it's rare to own over one bout of pox in your period.

Chickenpox symptoms

• Fever (temperature), aches and headache often start a day or so before a rash appears.
• Rash. Spots appear in crops. They develop into small blisters and are itchy. They can be anywhere on the body. Several crops may develop over several days. Some children may be covered in spots; others have only a few or even none.
• Dry cough and sore throat are common.

Some children feel quite unwell for a few days. Others appear only mildly ill. Most are much better within a week. The blisters dry up and scab. They gradually fade, but may take up to two weeks to go completely.

What are the possible complications?

• The spots do not usually scar unless they are badly scratched.
• Some spots become infected with bacteria in about 1 in 10 cases. If this occurs, the surrounding skin becomes red and sore. Antibiotics may then be needed.
• An ear infection develops in about 1 in 20 cases.
• Pneumonia and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) are rare complications.
• Vary rarely, other serious complications develop. For example:
  • Reye's syndrome.
  • Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).
  • Glomerulonephritis (kidney inflammation).
  • Appendicitis.
  • Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).
  • Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
  • Henoch-Schönlein purpura (a condition that can affect the kidneys).
  • Orchitis (inflammation of the testes).
  • Arthritis.
  • Inflammation of various parts of the eye.

Therefore, although serious complications are rare, it is best to be vigilant. See a doctor if your child evelops any worrying symptoms that you are unsure about such as:

• Breathing problems.
• Weakness.
• Drowsiness.
• Convulsions.
• Pains or headaches which become worse despite paracetamol.
• Being unable to take fluids, due to a severe rash in the mouth.
• A severe rash, or a rash which bruises or bleeds into the skin (haemorrhagic rash).
• Becoming generally more and more unwell.

 Shingles

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and so is like a complication of chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox in the past may develop shingles. Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the area of skin supplied by the nerve. It causes a rash and pain in a local band-like area along the affected nerve. About 1 in 5 people has shingles at some time in their life. It can occur at any age, but it is most common in people over the age of 50.

The reason why shingles might occur is as a result of the virus doesn't utterly follow you have got varicella. Some virus particles stay inactive within the nerve roots next to your medulla spinalis. they are doing no damage there, and cause no symptoms. For reasons that don't seem to be clear, the virus might begin to multiply once more (reactivate). usually|this can be} often years later. The reactivated virus travels on the nerve to the skin to cause shingles. See separate leaflet known as 'Shingles' for details.