Back in the mid 1600s, a physician named Richard Morton named a disease that he thought was a milder form of smallpox “chicken pox”. There was no specific proof that the two are different diseases until 1767, William Heberden, another physician from England, demonstrated that chickenpox was different from smallpox. Regardless of the nomenclature though, the disease that is known as chickenpox has long been a common experience for most children and some adults the world over, year after year.
Playing Chicken
The main culprit for the chickenpox disease is a virus called varicella zoster, one of the eight herpes viruses that infect humans and other vertebrates. Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease, and for the most part, it usually appears early on in a person’s life. Before the introduction of the chickenpox vaccine, about four million people contracted chickenpox in the United States alone, with the majority of those afflicted children.
For the most part, chickenpox is a mild disease, even if it is highly contagious. It is more severe in adults than in children though. Also, pregnant women and those whose immune systems are compromised are in higher risk of getting serious complications from chickenpox. Those who have contracted chickenpox generally become immune to it, although a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus can occur in what is generally known as shingles.
The best known symptom of a chickenpox illness is red rash that breaks out on different parts of your body, but commonly in the neck, face, chest, and arms. The red rash develops an irregular outline (called a rose petal). There will also be a clear vesicle that develops on top of the reddened area. After about eight to twelve hours the vesicle gets cloudy and breaks, leaving behind a crust. It should be remembered that the fluid from a broken vesicle is very contagious. After seven days or so, the crust falls off, usually leaving a crater or a scar. The scars usually disappear months after the outbreak, provided you did not do anything to the vesicle like scratch it or forcibly break it.
The rashes or lesions may also be accompanied by several other symptoms such as:
- fever
- mild headache
- a general feeling of comfort or irritability
- abdominal pain and appetite loss
- mild cough and runny nose.
The usual method of contamination for chickenpox is the inhalation of respiratory droplets from someone that’s infected. Viral transmission also occurs through direct contact, although at a lower risk, unless you happen to touch the liquid from a vesicle. Due to chickenpox’s highly contagious nature, it is highly recommended that you do not go out of your house until all vesicles/lesions have crusted over.
Getting Rid of Chickenpox
In a healthy scenario, chickenpox typically doesn’t need any special steps to get rid of it. For the most part, the disease is just allowed to run its course. To help ease your symptoms, though, here are a few things you can try.
- Whatever you do, don’t scratch the lesions. Chickenpox lesions itch a lot. Fight the urge to scratch them when they do. Scratching your chickenpox lesions will just cause your fingers to be infected with the fluid, increasing the chances of spreading the disease. Scratching will also slow down the healing process and increase the chances of the sores becoming infected.Wear gloves and trim your fingernails to lessen the amount of damage done, especially if you unconsciously scratch the lesions (like during sleep, for instance). If itching is so severe that it impedes with your daily living, call a doctor for assistance.
- Use anti-itching lotions. Calamine lotion is the most common lotion used in treating chickenpox. It is applied directly to the blisters to help them dry out, as well as soothe the skin. If calamine lotion is not available, there are other over-the-counter prescriptions you can substitute. Ask your dermatologist for the list.
- Take soothing baths. Nice baths can help relieve itching. Add some finely ground oatmeal, baking soda, or colloidal oatmeal to enhance the soothing effect. Home preparation of oatmeal can be done by preparing two cups of finely ground oatmeal to the bath water. And additional cup of baking soda can also be added for better itch relief.
- Take medications for the fever. If the fever is bothering you, over-the-counter acetaminophens such as Tylenol can help. Other symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and muscle aches are also treatable by acetaminophen. Stay away from aspirins as these give the risk of getting Reye’s syndrome, especially to little children.
- Get plenty of rest. Since you will not be going outside, use the time at home to get plenty of rest. Resting helps your body heal faster by promoting the production of white blood cells to fight off the infection.
- Take anti-viral medications. Your doctor may prescribe anti-viral drugs such as acyclovir to help reduce the duration of the infection.
Prevention
The best way to prevent getting chickenpox is by having yourself vaccinated against it. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the vaccine completely protects about 90% of the children who get it. For the remaining 10% who do, the vaccine helps cushion the severity of the disease, making it much more manageable.
The vaccine is recommended for:
- Young children
- Older children who have never been vaccinated
- Adults who have never been vaccinated and have never had the disease, but are at a high risk of exposure.
Chickenpox is usually a part of a person’s childhood. It may be uncomfortable for the couple of weeks you or your child are affected, but immunity is usually guaranteed afterwards. Just grin and bear it, and you should be alright.
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