Chickenpox in children: symptoms and treatment

Each parent, when their child is infected with chickenpox, is very worried about this. If we say that you do not worry, and that everything will be fine - it will not help, because it's your own little man, and you'll worry, even if the child has a slight runny nose, and then the whole body is covered with a strange rash. We will try to calm you down and say that the chicken pox for the baby is quite normal and useful. Next, we will study this ailment in more detail and in order.
Abstract of the publication:

• What is chickenpox


• Symptoms of chickenpox


• Treatment of chickenpox in children


• General information about chickenpox

What is chickenpox

What is chickenpox? Chickenpox is an acute viral disease caused by one of the varieties of the herpes virus, characterized by fever and papuloveziculosis rash. Let us now consider this in more detail.
So, the first thing to know is that the term "chickenpox" is a folk term, and in medical terminology it is called "chicken pox".You should also know that chickenpox is a type of herpes virus, how we cured herpes we spoke in one of our previous articles.
Chickenpox is the result of the entry into the body of the varicella-zost virus, which penetrates the respiratory tract, that is, the person inhales this virus.
How can you get chickenpox
The source of infection is only sick with chickenpox, and only they, because this type of virus is not adapted to the environment and dies in just a few minutes, after it leaves the body. It should also be noted that the source of infection is only the person who has chickenpox in active form. The active form of chickenpox begins 2 days before the first rashes appear on the body. Well, here it is necessary to say that the probability of contracting this virus to a person who does not suffer from chickenpox is almost 100%.That is, if your child has been in contact with children or adults who have an active phase of chickenpox, then with great certainty you can say that the child will become infected with it.
Chickenpox: good or bad
You probably think why at the beginning of the article we said that chicken pox for a child is not dangerous, but even useful. All is that chicken pox has a normal course in children and if it is properly treated, everything will be fine. If a person does not become ill with chickenpox in childhood, then, having become ill with it as an adult, the disease will continue to be difficult. Therefore, chickenpox in children is quite normal. The child with chickenpox had to develop antibodies, which in the future will fight the manifestation of the activity of the chicken pox virus. By the way, the herpes virus remains in the human body forever, but does not manifest itself because of the developed antibodies.
Can I get chickenpox for the second time?
Often parents are interested: can there be a chickenpox for the second time?- Yes, chickenpox may be in humans for the second time, but this happens very rarely and these cases are an exception. This is due to the fact that for the first time immunity could not develop antibodies to fight the virus in the future, and when the virus repeatedly attacks the body, it simply can not protect itself.
Here it is worth noting and another species of chicken pox - shingles. Shingles is a disease caused by the same virus as chickenpox, which is already in the body after chicken pox. After the person has had chickenpox, the chicken pox virus remains in the body and goes into a latent state, being in the nerve cells. Any manifestation of it is suppressed by immunity, but if the immunity is weakened, then the ailment can win. But this is also very rare. In more detail about this we also spoke in the article about herpes.

Symptoms of chickenpox

Let's now learn how the children begin chickenpox, and what are its first symptoms.
The incubation period of chickenpox in children is from 13 to 17 days, as a rule, on average, it lasts 14 days. A person is contagious from the moment the virus of chickenpox gets into it until the appearance of the last elements of the rash.
First signs of chickenpox in children
The first symptoms of chickenpox in children are the appearance of rashes on the face and on the surface of the entire head, accompanied by a fever and general malaise.
The first rash with chickenpox appears on the face due to the fact that the herpes virus gets through the respiratory tract, while hitting small capillaries. Such a rash has a slight pinkish hue. The manifestation of the virus, of course, is stress for the body, as an inflammatory process occurs - this is fraught with fever and general malaise.
Secondary signs of chickenpox
As a rule, rashes occur undulating, that is, not one at a time, but several dozens at once. Eruptions take the form of vesicles, while having turbid contents inside. It is with the next "portion" of rashes that the child starts to rise the temperature, the general condition worsens, and so on. Elevated temperature in a child can be observed up to 5 days, but usually after 2 days it does not increase.
In principle, when the child's body is completely covered with a rash, it is already possible to breathe a sigh of relief, since the presence of a rash on the body of the child means that the body has moved into the active phase of fighting the virus. Therefore, the presence of a large number of chickenpox vesicles should not scare you, but on the contrary - should calm. The rash may appear not only externally, but also within the body.
After about 4 days, the rashes are opened and a crust is formed in their place, which disappears somewhere in the 3rd week.

The first thing a child faces is a fever and malaise, they are fleeting and quickly disappearing. The most difficult thing for a chickenpox for a child is itching. The rashes start to itch, and this causes severe discomfort in the child, how to help him in this situation, we will tell in the block about the treatment.

Treatment of chicken pox in children

Now let's find out how to treat chickenpox from a child.
How to treat chickenpox in children
If your child has been in contact with or was near a person who had chicken pox, then this is a reason for you to be alert, as at any time your child can wake up this ailment. Do not panic, you just have to carefully and without fanaticism to monitor the health of the child. If he has a fever and a rash is characteristic of chickenpox, call a doctor. In the first 3-4 days, until the child begins to feel good - he must comply with bed rest.
How to reduce the child's temperature with chickenpox
The initial symptomatic picture with chickenpox is, as mentioned above, fever and general malaise. In this case, to alleviate the child's condition and reduce the temperature can give Paracetamol or Ibuprofen , in accordance and annotation to the drug. In no case should not give the child an aspirin! Not knowing how to cure chickenpox, do not produce any independent treatment - wait for the doctor.
Drugs for varicella zoster virus
Probably, many will have a question: should I give Acyclovir to a child? Acyclovir is the most common drug that effectively fights against the herpes virus, to which chickenpox belongs. As a rule, this drug is prescribed only to adults, beginning with adolescence, when they became sick with chickenpox, in view of its complex tolerability. As for children in this case, Acyclovir is assigned to them only in two cases:

1. If the disease is in a complex form( to help the body fight the disease);


2. If in the family some parents or grandparents had a serious form of the disease, then this drug is given in order to be safe and do not test the child.

How to relieve itching with chickenpox
Itching with chickenpox is the most difficult for a child. The rashes are very itchy, and based on the fact that they are all over the body - this is a very uncomfortable sensation, probably, you yourself remember this from childhood, when you were sick with chickenpox. How can you help your baby, because he is very ill during this period?
Standing perspiration is an itch intensifier, and it in turn stands out: if the child has a fever, if in a room where the child has a high fever or because of physical activity. Therefore, to bring down a very high temperature in the child, then in the early days, give him antipyretic. Ventilate the room where the child is and maintain a comfortable temperature there, so that the child is not too hot. Pay special attention to clothes, it is best to wear clothes made from natural breathable fabrics, for example a cotton T-shirt, T-shirt or pajamas. Change clothes every day, while clothing and bedding should be soft after washing, so as not to cause discomfort in the child.
Separately it is worth mentioning bathing during chicken pox. Is it possible to bathe a child with chickenpox?- You can not bathe a child, but a quick shower - you can and even need an .First of all, nobody canceled the rules of personal hygiene, and secondly - it will help to remove the itch. But here there are a few nuances:

• Shower is allowed only when the child has normal temperature stabilized, and this is usually on the second-third day;


• You can only shower with warm water;


• The duration of the shower should be short, so as not to soak the crust;


• You should not wash the baby with a washcloth and soap with soap;


• It is impossible to wipe a child with a towel so as not to rip off a rash, so the baby is better to get wet either with a soft sheet or with a soft towel;


• If the doctor for any reason forbids water procedures, it is possible that it is better not to conduct them.

To remove the itch with chickenpox will help special pharmacological drugs, which will appoint a doctor. For example: Diazolin, Suprastin, Tavegil, Fenkarol , etc. - strictly according to the doctor's prescription.

Than treating rashes with chickenpox
One of the most controversial issues with chickenpox is the issue of treating the rashes. Since the time of the Soviet Union with chickenpox, the rashes were treated with a green. Greenish rash with chickenpox smeared for two reasons: in order to dry them and to be able to establish when the appearance of new rashes will stop. On the one hand, we were treated on this system and everything is fine with us. In zelenok nothing bad is there, except for its horrific color, in fact, green - it's alcohol and dye. You need to smear chickenpox specks once, preferably with a cotton swab. If you decide to apply a grease to the baby's rash, then wear a pajamas or a T-shirt, which you do not want to get stained with greens.
If you do not want to use greens, use a different antiseptic. To date, there is a wide range of antiseptic products in the form of lotions, which are the common means for treating chickenpox by world standards, since no country in the world uses chickenpox with chickenpox. Of the specific lotions we note - Kalamin lotion .He, unlike the greenery, not only dries the rashes, but also has a cooling effect and relieves itching.
The decision to take you, if you are not sure, consult a doctor.
The most important thing to explain to the child is that rashes scratch, and even more rip off - you can not , because of this, there may be scars on these places. To prevent this - it is recommended to put cotton gloves on the child.
Strengthening the immunity of
Of course, in order for the body to fight and quickly coped with chickenpox, or rather with the herpes virus, it is necessary to strengthen the immunity of the child.
The climate in the apartment and walks
When the state of the child has already gone on the mend, and he feels well - make short walks with him, 2-3 times a day. In doing so, wear it so that it does not sweat.15-20 minutes will be enough for a walk so that it does not freeze in the winter. In the summer, try not to take the child out into the sun, as direct sunlight affects the rash.
Drinking fluid
With chicken pox it is necessary to provide the baby with a copious drink. For this purpose, diluted with water not acidic natural juices, herbal teas and decoctions are best for this purpose. It is recommended to give mineral non-carbonated water out of water.

Power for chickenpox
In the early days, chickenpox is accompanied by high fever, so the child's appetite will be very poor. It is not necessary to force him to eat, during this period offer him easy snacks from the foods he loves most. From the ration of the child for the period of illness, it is necessary to exclude salty, spicy and seasoned food. Also exclude smoked and acidic foods.
It is recommended to build a baby's diet on soups and broths based on cereals, as well as milk porridges. You can give fish, because it has a lot of protein and phosphorus, but again, you need to cook fish without spices. Of the fruit, give the baby avocados and bananas, which are rich in vitamins and minerals that the child needs during this period.

General information about chickenpox

How long does chickenpox live in children
Of course, Mom and Dad are very concerned about how long chickenpox lasts in children. In fact, it is very difficult to answer this question, because each organism is individual and the disease can proceed in different ways, and it is also important what exactly do you consider the end of the painful period. If we take the average statistical data, then the appearance of new elements of rashes stops somewhere on the 3rd day. From this moment, we can assume that the child is on the mend. Traces of eruptions will be visible for several more weeks, usually up to 3-eh.
How to get rid of traces of green on the body of a child after chickenpox
It is necessary to get rid of traces of green on the body of the child very carefully. Some parents begin to rub their child intensively with a washcloth to wipe out the greens. It is not necessary such terrible methods, it is enough to wipe the area with green napkins on the basis of alcohol.
Complications after chickenpox
Complications after chickenpox in children can be expressed in: pneumonia, joint arthritis, liver and kidney damage. That is why it is necessary to start treatment of chicken pox in a timely manner and in the early days to comply with the child bed rest.