Chickenpox is one of the most popular diseases that affect everyone, especially children. If you want to know the causes, symptoms, how to treat and prevent Chickenpox, then you need to read this informative article to the end to know everything about this popular and contagious disease.

What is Chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a contagious disease that is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is common among children, although it affects adults too. The symptoms of Chickenpox are itchy red blisters that appear over the body for several days before the blisters pop and start to leak.

The case of chickenpox infection is very low now compared to the past because the chickenpox vaccine has been manufactured in the mid-1990s, immediately, the cases of Chickenpox have declined. But thousands of people are still living with Chickenpox, especially children in less developed countries in Africa and others continents.

What are the Risk Factors of Chickenpox

There are several factors of Chickenpox. However, the two major risk factors of Chickenpox have been listed here.

The first risk factor of Chickenpox is by contracting Chickenpox from an infected person. This is the most popular and common risk factor for Chickenpox. Even before the rashes begin to show on the skin of an infected person, they can be contagious. So you are at a higher risk of contracting Chickenpox if you live around children, especially if those children are not yet vaccinated.

The second risk factor of Chickenpox is when you are not vaccinated, that is why it is very important to take the vaccine when it is necessary. The vaccine is available in the hospital. If you are not yet vaccinated, go and take the vaccine so that you won’t be infected, even if you are living with an infected person.

People Who at Rick of Chickenpox

• Newborns or infants whose mothers have Chickenpox or have not been vaccinated is at risk of Chickenpox.
• Smokers
• People with weaker immune systems.
• People who are living with several diseases like cancer, stroke, HIV, and others.

What Are the Symptoms of Chickenpox?

Chickenpox has several symptoms. In this article, the most common symptoms of Chickenpox, especially those that are common among kids, will be listed.

The most common sign of Chickenpox is an itchy rash, although chickenpox infection could have been in your body for about 10 to 21 days before the rash and other symptoms begin to show on your skin. You can infect people around you even before the skin rash begins to occur on your skin.

Before the skin rash begins to occur on your skin, these are the symptoms of chickenpox infection.

• Fever
• Headache
• The feeling of being unwell
• Cold
• Aching muscles
• Loss of appetite.

After few days of these symptoms of Chickenpox, the rash will begin to develop and cover your skin.

Immediately after, the rash appeared on your body.

• Several spots will develop in clusters and appear on the face, limbs, chest, stomach, and another part of the body. They will be small, red, and itchy spots.
• Then, blisters will develop on the top of the spots, and they may be very itchy.
• Clouding takes place after 48 hours or more. The blister’s cloud will fade away and begin to dry out.
• After clouding for about 10 days, the crusts fall off and heal on their own.

When to See a Doctor

If you see any of the chickenpox symptoms in your children, adult, or children around you and you think it may be chickenpox symptoms, then you need to consult your doctor immediately.

He or she will diagnose Chickenpox by examining the rashes and other possible symptoms of Chickenpox. Your doctor will then prescribe medication that will reduce the effect and also treat any complications related to Chickenpox.

It is advisable to go on and call ahead of your appointment with your doctor so that the infected person won’t transfer the Chickenpox to another person in the waiting room and other places in the hospital. That is why it is rather very crucial to call ahead of your appointment and also let the doctor know that the person has Chickenpox.

Make sure you explain everything to your doctor, especially if the rashes have spread across the body, including the eye and other parts of the body.

Your doctor will ask more questions about the symptoms of Chickenpox so that he or she will prescribe the right medication for the patient, you, or your children, which will reduce the effect and stop the rashes from spreading across all other parts of the body.

You also need to see a doctor whenever your children or anyone in your household that are younger than the age of 6 months have immune system issue.

How does Chickenpox Spread?

Chickenpox is one of the easiest and fastest transmitting diseases. You can get the virus by breathing any particle that comes from chickenpox blaster or by touching an infected person or something which the particle just landed on even after few minutes.

Chickenpox is contagious from at least one to three days before the rash begins to develop on your skin until all the blisters are dried and crusted.

You can be free from chickenpox infection by taking the vaccine. If you have not taken it now, you can get it in the nearest hospital. It is two doses that must be taken 4 months apart.

What are the Treatments of Chickenpox?

The first method of treating Chickenpox is to consult your doctor then your doctor will ask some questions, especially about the symptoms, and he or she will try as much as possible to treat the symptoms and then treat the Chickenpox itself.

The most effective method of treating Chickenpox is to take the vaccine, which is available in the United States and so many other countries of the world.

Both adults and young can take the vaccine, chickenpox vaccine and it does not come with any side effects or complications. It works perfectly for everyone, both adults and children.

How can Chickenpox Be Prevented?

The best and most effective method of preventing Chickenpox, especially among children, is to get the vaccine for Chickenpox.

It’s available for children, 2 doses of the varicella vaccine are given, one dose when they are in 12 to 15 months, and the two doses will be given to them when they are at age 4 to 6 years.

The vaccine is 90 percent effective at preventing Chickenpox, and it is given to children in the United States and other countries routinely when it’s due.

Children that are older than the age of 6 or those children between the age of 7 to 12 years of age who have not been vaccinated or completely receive the two doses of the vaccine can also receive the vaccine.

All they need to do is to receive the first dose of the vaccine and received the second dose three months apart.

Likewise, children who are 13 years old and above can also receive the vaccine. They need to receive the first dose of the vaccine and the second dose 4 weeks apart. Unvaccinated adults who have never had Chickenpox can also receive the vaccine to reduce the risk of exposure, especially if they live around children and women that are bearing children like a parent, teacher, and others, especially women who are in childbearing age because they are in a risk of chickenpox exposure.

If you have not received the chickenpox vaccine, regardless of your age, you can receive the two doses of the vaccine for about four to eight weeks apart.

If you can’t remember whether you have received your vaccine or had Chickenpox. You can carry out a blood test that will show whether you have received the vaccine or not or you had Chickenpox or not.

Don’t smoke cigarettes or tobacco because smokers are at high risk of contracting Chickenpox. Try as much as possible to cease smoking and drinking alcohol because this will reduce and weaken your immune system.

Eat healthy foods that will promote your immune system because those who have weaker immune systems have a higher risk of contracting Chickenpox.

In Conclusion

Chickenpox is one of the fastest and easiest spreading diseases in the world, the rate of contacting it is very high that is why it is very important to be vaccinated immediately you are vaccinated you can’t contact Chickenpox regardless of your age even if you are living with an infected person you can never be infected with Chickenpox.

Chickenpox is common among children. That is why it is very essential to vaccinate your children immediately when they are required to be vaccinated.