For many years, chicken pox was considered a rite of passage, especially in the area of childhood diseases. The illness was not considered to be all that serious, and it was not unusual for mothers to hold a “chicken pox party” when they heard that chicken pox was in the neighborhood, so that they could “get it over with.”
Today, however, we know that chicken pox can cause complications especially in children with chronic diseases or suppressed immune systems. Further, contracting chicken pox can lead to an outbreak of a condition known as shingles when one reaches adulthood. Shingles cause blisters to form on the skin, which can be very itchy and also cause extreme pain. Even after the shingles rash has subsided, the pain can continue for weeks or even months afterward.
For this reason, it is important to make sure your child receives the chicken pox vaccine. The vaccine may prevent a child from contracting chicken pox at all; if he does, the disease is usually much milder and recovery is faster than if the vaccine was not given. In addition, giving the chicken pox virus helps prevent widespread outbreaks among schools and communities.
Even if your child receives the vaccine, he may still get chicken pox. For this reason, being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of chicken pox can help you treat your child more effectively, as well as watch for complications.
Chicken pox usually starts with a fever, which may be between 101° and 102°. After about three days, blisters begin to appear on the body, usually on the abdomen and back first, then spreading to the arms, legs, and other parts of the body. After a few days, the blisters begin to dry up, leaving scabs in their places.
During the outbreak and after scabs have formed are both times when infection can occur. The open sores that occur after the blisters break can become infected, and picking at the scabs can re-open the skin, also leading to infection. For this reason, it is important that children not pick at or scratch the sores at any time while they are present.
Chicken Pox – Not Just a Common Childhood Disease
This post was written by:
Jessica Mousseau - who has written 127 posts on HealthTree Blog.
Jessica Mousseau is the co-founder and editor of Thinkgirl.net, a women's news website that educates women on issues related to their gender. She has written extensively on a variety of health topics, and holds a degree in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University.
Sat, May 22, 2010
Child-Related, Health