Chicken pox

Chicken Pox is an outbreak of a total-body rash that develops into red-like blisters, is very itchy, and highly contagious. Rarely is it fatal, but with those who have had it as children, the virus that spurs it can lie dormant in the cells of the spinal cord and give rise to Shingles later on in life.

Chickenpox usually occurs in childhood but can strike teens and even adults who have never had it or received the Chicken Pox vaccine as a child, so adult Chicken Pox is definitely a possibility. This disease is only a one-time thing.

Since the disease is viral in nature, symptoms of Chicken Pox appear flu-like.
Early stages of the disease include fever ranging from 100-to-102 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7-to-38.8 degrees Celsius), stomach pain, sore throat, headache, and Fybromyalgia (a general sickly feeling).

What Do Chicken Pox Look Like?

A few days after the above symptoms occur a rash emerges on either the stomach or the back and face and then spreads all over the body. This rash turns into red blisters, sometimes even developing inside the mouth. Many Chicken Pox pictures provide a visual reference of this. Chickenpox symptoms seem worse than they are, and they usually go away in about a week or two. Because Chicken Pox symptoms do not leave any lasting effects, their disappearance typically marks the end of the episode and children are then allowed to go back to school.

The Chicken Pox Virus Vericella-Zoster (VZV) is the sole cause of the disease, and anyone can contract it through infected persons. The Chickenpox vaccine, when taken as a child—usually between 12 and 15 months of age—can deter the effects of the virus within a single host, but this result doesn’t mean the chickenpox virus cannot be transmitted to others.

Treatment for Chicken Pox involves medication and over-the-counter remedies. Since viruses are resistant to antibiotics, antiviral medication it preferred. Acyclovir is typically used to fight the virus. This drug is time sensitive, too, and must be given within a day after the first appearance of the rash symptom. Cool or warm, moist compresses and/or baths, taken every three or four hours, help sooth the skin, lower temperature, and promote cleanliness. Oatmeal baths, too, minimize the itch effect so kids don’t scratch and feel more comfortable. Calamine lotion reduces itching and dry up the infected skin.

As far as diet goes, mushy and tasteless food is preferable, anything hot is strictly forbidden, especially with pox inside the mouth, as eating can be difficult for some. Anything acidic, like juices or fruit, or salty, like peanuts, would only be agitating and painful.

Information, such as disease criteria, history of Chickenpox, and medical reviews, can be found on many health-oriented sites for those who wish to learn more about nature and proclivities of Chicken Pox. Pictures of Chicken Pox show different degrees of severity for those who are interested in learning how to recognize the symptoms.

Being well-informed can only help make one stay healthy!