Chickenpox is a common disease mainly affecting children under the age of ten.
While most children are only ill for a short period of time, chickenpox can result in long-term skin scarring and, less commonly, serious complications.
This highly infectious illness affects more than 58,000 people in Ireland every year, according to statistics and is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
Kidshealth.org advises that Chickenpox can often start without the classic rash. Instead it can begin with a fever, headache, sore throat, or stomachache.
These symptoms can last for a number of days, with the fever in the 38.3°–38.8°C range.
The red, itchy skin rash usually starts on the belly or back and face and will likely spread to everywhere else on the body; including the scalp, mouth, arms, legs, and genitals.
The experts say: “The rash begins as many small red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites.
“They appear in waves over 2–4 days, then develop into thin-walled blisters filled with fluid.
“The blister walls break, leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs.”
How Can I Help My Child Feel Better?
According to kidshealth.org, to help relieve the itchiness and discomfort of chickenpox:
- Use cool wet compresses or give baths in lukewarm water every 3–4 hours for the first few days. Oatmeal bath products, available at supermarkets and drugstores, can help to relieve itching. (Baths do not spread the rash.)
- Pat (don’t rub) the body dry.
- Put calamine lotion on itchy areas (but don’t use it on the face, especially near the eyes).
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about pain-relieving creams to apply to sores in the genital area.
- Ask the doctor about using over-the-counter medicine to take by mouth for itching.
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