Chickenpox

Chickenpox is a common illness caused by the Varicella zoster virus. It usually appears more in kids, although it can also appear in teenagers and adults. Although being a common virus, its complications may be extremely serious. It is important to treat it quickly through an appointment with your primary care physician.

Those are the symptoms that come with the chickenpox virus:

Chickenpox usually starts with fever and body aches
After a day or two, a rash erupts on the face and spreads to other body parts such as the arms and legs usually. Because of its itchiness, it is very inconvenient but it is very important to try and not scratch it to avoid scarring.
The rash appears in the form of pink spots before turning into blisters.
It is common for kids to lose appetite and have headaches during at the peak of the virus, for a few days

Chickenpox is very easily transmissible. It can be transmitted two days before the appearance of the rash on the body. Once infected, the virus takes 2-3 weeks to be expressed. A pregnant woman can also transmit the virus to her baby while in pregnancy. It can be transmitted by direct contact or by the air as the virus comes in nasally and orally. If you have had chickenpox in the past, it is very unlikely that you contract it again. Although unlikely, if the individual contracted the virus at a very young age, the chances of getting infected do increase.

There is no chickenpox medicine as it is a viral infection, the goal is to minimize the symptoms until the immune system is strong enough to eliminate the virus. However, here are some recommendations on how to treat the virus in order to alleviate the pains:

It is extremely important to not treat the fever with aspirin or aspirin related medicines. This could develop Reye’s syndrome, a damaging condition to the liver and the brain.
Acetaminophens are the best way to treat the fever (Panadol, Tylenol).
It is important to not scratch the pimples as this can increase the damages by causing scarring and bacteria depositions. Sodium bicarbonate in bath water can help with the scratching, as well as creams prescribed by your physician.
It is recommended to leave your kids away from school at least 5 days after the eruption of the rash.