Chickenpox in Children: Ways of Infection.
Chickenpox is one of the most common diseases found in children. People fall ill with chickenpox only once, after that, a person produces lifelong immunity, and, children get over this disease much easier than adults do. Chickenpox in children, infection ways and symptoms of chickenpox – this is what every parent should know. So, how can you catch chickenpox?
Chickenpox passes through the mucous membranes of the eyes and upper respiratory tract. Therefore, we can say it passes through the air, i.e. airborne. It is easy to guess that it is because of this particular disease transmission has been called chickenpox. Chickenpox usually occurs in children attending day care and educational institutions. More often chickenpox occurs in children under the age of 10-12. As soon as just one child in a group falls ill with chickenpox, he or she becomes contagious to other children. Chickenpox in children is always a reason to undergo treatment at home. You should always remember that chickenpox in children is not an ordinary cold, but it is much more infectious. Therefore, treatment of chickenpox in children is always carried out in quarantine conditions. Although, in many European countries, a child infected with the disease, is not limited in communication with children of the same age, as it is believed that it is better to come over chickenpox at an early age, so the treatment, as it is, is not required.
Chickenpox in children becomes contagious one day before the appearance of first rash on skin. Quarantine ends in 5 days after the last eruption. According to the recommendations of the doctors, quarantine in children ill with chickenpox should last for nine days after the first appearance of eruption. However, these precautions are rarely helpful, because chickenpox in children becomes catching before the appearance of the first signs of eruption, at the time, when the child is not limited in communicating with others.
Symptoms of Chickenpox and the Development of the Disease
Chickenpox cannot be noticed in children and adults within 1-3 weeks. This is its incubation period. The minimum duration of the incubation period is 7 days. At the end of this period, the temperature of the sick dramatically increases up to 39-39.5 degrees. Moreover, if it wasn’t for the simultaneous appearance of eruption, chicken pox in children could be be taken for ARD. In addition, symptoms of chickenpox include headache and a feeling of weakness.
At first, there aren’t heavy eruptions on the skin, just flat pink spots. However, just in a few hours the number of eruptions increases sharply. Spots become more convex and form blisters with the liquid contents. They are in any case can not be squeezed out. Treatment of chickenpox in children is conducted in a very different way. During the first 3-4 days chickenpox in children is accompanied by a very strong rash and not only on skin but on the mucous membranes: eyes, genitals, mouth. The most unpleasant thing is that this rash is also itchy, but it musn’t be scratched in order to avoid infecting the wounds. Some blisters disappear, new ones appear. Chickenpox in children proceeds in waves. New eruptions usually appear within 3-4 days. Then, the disease is on the decline. Blisters become covered with coating then gradually disappear on their own and in compliance with all doctor’s recommendations do not leave traces.
Treatment of Chicken Pox
First of all, you should know that chicken pox is a virus, therefore it can’t be cured with antibiotics. However, why do some doctors still prescribe antibiotics? This is done in cases when chicken pox in children is accompanied by bacterial infection and blisters become festered. This often happens due to constant scratching of the eruption. That is why treatment of chicken pox in children requires constant parents’ supervision. You need, by all means, distract children from scratching the blisters. Read a fairy-tale to your child, play some calm games together. Usually the treatment of chicken pox is carried out in outpatient conditions.
Although symptoms of chicken pox are not so unbearable for children, it is still desirable during the illness (about a week) stay in bed. There is no specific treatment of chicken pox. There are no medicines to cure it. However, there is a possibility to decrease the unpleasant feelings caused by this disease. In order to prevent new blisters from appearing, change bedding underwear more often. By the way, the eruption mustn’t get wet, this can worsen the feelings and prolong the incarnation of blisters. The only exception is possible is taking baths for a very short time adding a dilute solution of manganese. By the way, opinions of the Russian and European pediatricians as to whether or not to take baths, are different. European pediatricians believe that it is necessary to have not a bath, but a shower, in case of severe symptoms of chicken pox, and small children just need a shower, because they are more likely to suffer from bacterial infection that penetrates through the wounds. It is impossible to explain to small children, they musn’t scratch the blisters. In such cases, a shower can significantly make the condition less difficult to a child. However, Russian pediatricians are strongly against taking showers and baths as well in the period of acute lesions. In any case, they should not bathe under the running water. In addition, it is desirable to keep to a simple diet. Chickenpox in children proceeds much easier when all the possible allergens are excluded. It is also recommended to eat dairy and vegetable products. Drink a lot of water, as in case of any disease. It is especially necessary to drink a sufficient amount of fluid for a child who has a fever, because the heat can even cause dehydration. Normally, chickenpox in children takes a lot of energy, loss of appetite, but you should make a lot of effort, use your imagination to make the child make up the loss of fluid and nutrients in its body.
It is clear that the treatment of chickenpox in children involves taking antipyretics. You shouldn’t give an antipyretic to your child unless the temperatures is above 38-38.5 degrees. However, it is not recommended to take aspirin, especially for children under the age of 12. Usually in case of chickenpox symptoms it is recommended to take in medicines containing paracetamol. At the right dosage, it is safe for children and has antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect. In order to relieve such symptom of chickenpox as itching, you can ask the pediatrician to prescribe an antihistamine in a safe dosage, for example, “Diazolin”. When the eyes are affected, you can use a special eye gel called “Acyclovir”, which it is an effective against the herpes virus.
Many parents are absolutely certain that to threat chickenpox in children one should apply green antisepticonto blisters. Even now, walking down the street judging by this you can easily identify the child who is ill with chickenpox – the characteristic “specks” of green anticeptic. In fact, brilliant green does treat chickenpox symptoms and protects us from contamination, preventing the penetration of bacterial infection into the wounds. This is especially important for children. It is also convenient for doctors by these specks to determine, whether the child is contagious or not. Thus brilliant green is a treatment of chickenpox in children, and is used for fixing of new eruptions. Besides brilliant green slightly reduces itching. In addition to the green antiseptic, one can apply some diluted solution of manganese on the blisters. This variant is more suitable for an adult, who doesn’t want to be colored with green disinfectant. The alcohol can not be use in any case.
Consequences of Chickenpox in Children
Regarding the external signs of consequences of chickenpox in children, they are scars left where blisters used to be. This is common among those children and adults who during the treatment of chickenpox faced abscess, inflammation of the blisters.
Very serious complications are rare. These include inflammation of the brain – encephalomyelitis.
Especially dangerous is the congenital chickenpox. Chickenpox during pregnancy can be avoided if to be vaccinated in time. Injections are done to those people who have never previously suffered from chickenpox. It can be found out with the help of a special blood test. By the way, if a child has communicated with a person, who is sick with chickenpox, you have all the chances to prevent the development of chickenpox in your child, if it is vaccinated in time. According to the research, it is advisable to make vaccination in 48-72 hours after the contact with a sick person. However, is there any sense in “slowing down” the development of chickenpox in children in such a way? Doctors are still disputing about it.
In most cases of chickenpox in children who are older than a year, it proceeds without traces left, without any complications, providing that a proper care is taken, of course.
