A spot. A spot. Another spot. Oh! It’s Chicken pox!

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As heat strikes the city, eruptive fevers among children are on a rise. The most common and the most contagious among these is the Chicken pox. Chicken pox usually occurs in the summer months between February to April. The disease is named so because the eruptions resemble the peck marks of that of a chicken.

It is one of the most contagious disease and is caused by the Varicella zoster virus. Each child is affected by it by the age of 15 years, but it peaks at 5-9 years of age. Nonetheless, it can affect at any age including new born. Once affected by chicken pox, it gives a lifelong immunity, i.e. the chances of getting infected with the virus again is negligible as you develop antibodies against the virus. Although, in some cases the virus may reactivate later in life and cause herpes/shingles.

Spread of the virus:

Varicella Zoster virus being an air-borne disease, is highly contagious in nature and can spread by various means like:

1. By an infected person through sneezing or coughing
2. By coming in contact with the fluid oozing out of the boils or blisters on the skin
3. Touching or using objects (towels, soaps, etc.) that may have been used by the infected person
4. Through close physical contact with the infected person

Chickenpox is usually seen in children below 15 years of age, but it can occur in adults too. It lasts longer and is more severe if encountered during adult life. It takes around 14 to 24 days for the symptoms to manifest after being infected with the virus. Once the rashes begin to appear, it is recommended to stay indoors and avoid being in contact with other people, as the disease is highly contagious during this time.

The rashes dry out after a week or 10 days forming a scab. However, only after the scab falls off that a person is considered non-contagious.

Common signs & symptoms:

The initial symptoms are flu-like, high-fever, headache, running nose, cough and bodyache, and is confused with viral fever leading to missed or delayed diagnosis.

Fever: high temperature is noticed on the first 2-3 days before the rash develops. Temperature may go up to 100.4^oF or beyond that.

Headache: It usually starts 2-3 days before the rash and maybe accompanied by sore throat, sneezing and cough. These symptoms usually get severe by the time rash develops.

The rash: After 24-48 hours, rash starts to develop, seen first on the face, chest and abdomen and later spreads to the entire body. The rash starts as red spots and soon form into red, round bumps filled with fluid causing severe itching.

The eruptions are most painful on the scalp, in the mouth and around the genitals. The number of eruptions varies from person to person, but on an average, 200-250 blisters may develop all over the body.

Loss of Appetite: Some children may complain of stomach pain and nausea, leading to a lowered appetite and weight loss.

Fatigue: Due to weakened immune system, nausea and low appetite, children feel weak and experience aches and pain.

Management:

Chickenpox is a self-resolving disease. But there are a few things you can do at home to relieve your child’s distress:

1. Give your child plenty of fluids to prevent him from getting dehydrated. Offer them fresh fruit juices, lassi, buttermilk, and coconut water. Do not force them for solid foods.
2. Tell your child not to touch or scratch on the rash as this may lead to the spread of the infection. To relieve the itchy spots, you could apply calamine lotion on the rashes. Keep your child’s nails short to avoid scratch marks and bursting of the eruptions.
3. Add some neem leaves to warm water and make your child bathe with it. This will reduce the itchiness and prevent any skin infections that might occur.
4. Make your child wear loose, cotton clothes to make them feel comfortable.
5. Isolate your child and wash his clothes, bedding and towels separately to avoid spread of the infection. Make him wash hands thoroughly.
6. If your child has blisters in the mouth, do not add too much spices in his food. Spicy or salty food could make the blisters sting. Ice creams and cold foods will soothe to the blisters.

Kindly note: The chance of contracting chicken pox is high in pregnant women during 1^st and 2^nd trimester of pregnancy and 5 days before delivery. If your child has chickenpox, keep him away from pregnant women who have not had chicken pox before. Chickenpox during pregnancy can cause problems for both the mother and the unborn child. If you are pregnant and have had chickenpox before, or the chickenpox vaccine, your child’s chickenpox is unlikely to be a problem.