Noticing spots on your child’s skin makes every parent inhale sharply, as it is one of the first signs they have chickenpox. Most mums and dads dread their little one having this unpleasant illness, as it can make them feel really ill as well as incredibly uncomfortable.
That is why it is important to know what the symptoms of chickenpox are, so you can treat the patient as soon as possible.
A little about chickenpox
Chickenpox is a virus that results in pussy spots that are usually very itchy. They are typically accompanied by a high fever, aches and pains, which, together with the itchiness can make the patient feel very miserable for a few days.
It typically affects children, as you develop some immunity to the virus after contracting it. That is why you might have heard the term ‘chickenpox parties’, which sees parents putting their healthy children together with infected ones, so they can get the illness out of the way.
While the virus is usually mild, it can become more serious depending on the age of the patient. For instance, newborn babies and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable if they have not had chickenpox before.
This is why it is important to keep infected children at home, so they don’t spread it to people who may be clinically vulnerable or their relatives.
What are the signs to look out for?
To start treatment straight away and make sure you don’t expose your child to other people unnecessarily, it is important to know what the signs of chickenpox are.
Though everyone knows the virus causes spots to appear, before this happens, flu-like symptoms are typical:
- High temperature
- Aches and pains
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Feeling unwell
After this has begun, spots will begin to show. You might spot them on the face, behind the ears and on the scalp first, before spreading to the torso and limbs. It usually takes three to five days for all the spots to develop after the rash starts.
Quickly after appearing, they blister and after a couple of days, these become crusty. The crusts will fall off between one or two weeks.
The virus is no longer infectious when all the blisters have crusted over, which can take around six days after the rash first appears. It is also worth noting that it is also contagious for a couple of days before the onset of spots, which is why it is important to be vigilant if your child is feverish.
When they are in the blistering stage is when they are the itchiest, with patients finding it very difficult to resist scratching themselves.
Treatment
Though you can’t speed up recovery from chickenpox, you can give paracetamol to reduce the patient’s temperature if they have a fever.
Calamine lotion and other cooling gels can ease the itching, as well as taking antihistamines. Some people also swear by putting oats or baking soda in the bath to calm the itchiness, while it is also important to keep nails short so they are not as tempted to scratch their skin.
Chickenpox treatment can be found at pharmacies, or parents who want to avoid looking after sick children and quarantining for a couple of weeks may prefer to book a vaccine for their little ones instead.