Kids And Chickenpox

Kids and Chickenpox

Most of the common diseases that occur in adults might come with very different symptoms when they occur in children. Among the contagious diseases that occur during childhood chickenpox is one. Today there is the chickenpox vaccine available to bring down the risks of acquiring chickenpox. It is always advisable to educate yourself about the types of chickenpox that are prone to occur in kids and the ways to prevent them and treat them.

The varicella-zoster virus is what causes chickenpox. In most cases, this is a mild disease that can easily be treated. Treatment mostly involves prevention of itchiness caused by the rashes.

Here are the common types of infections that occur and the stages in which the virus spreads when chickenpox is acquired.

• The virus transmission occurs very easily even by touching someone with chickenpox. The virus can also be spread with the help of the air you breathe making this one of the most contagious diseases.
• After the entry of the virus into the body within ten days the symptoms of the chickenpox infection start to develop.
• The prodromal phase is the first stage indicating the body’s inability to fight the virus and therefore the beginning of chickenpox disease. This is usually accompanied by various kinds of symptoms like nausea and headaches.
• There are some who start blistering in the mouth where the sores are called anathema. This takes a toll on the kid’s eating habits.
• From day 10 the infection starts spreading, and this is when blisters start appearing. These are fluid-filled blisters that can occur in several parts of the body. Once the rashes start occurring, they increase in the intensity within 12 hours. Care should be taken from here on to prevent the child from scratching the blisters which in turn can lead to the formation of pustules.

Risk factors

• Not to get the chickenpox vaccine increases the risk of acquiring the infection.
• Children are more prone to chickenpox, but even grownups who have never received their chickenpox shots are vulnerable to this infection.
• Kids who have never acquired chickenpox even once are at higher risk. Once the infection occurs, the kid’s immunity against the varicella virus strengthens and this prevents it from recurring.

Recovery from Chickenpox

To begin with the recovery process, the child should be confined at home to prevent the child from suffering from fatigue. Rest is what the body needs during the recovery from varicella infection. Confinement and isolation are recommended, to, avoid the virus from spreading to others. For those children suffering from painful rashes, there are mild analgesics prescribed by the doctors. Diet habits should then be altered. If the child experiences blisters or sores in the mouth, then the child’s food intake drops. So parents can replace regular meals with softer easy to chew food items. The consumption of water and fluids should also be increased to prevent dehydration. Baths with disinfectants in the water can work by inhibiting the infection from spreading and also boosts the recovery speed at the blister stage. There are plenty of lotions as well as home remedies that can help to reduce itchiness.