Symptoms of chickenpox in children: unpleasant itching and ugly blisters

Do you know which disease is the most unpleasant, unattractive to appearance, but, at the same time, far from the most dangerous and painful? Of course, this is a chicken pox in children, one of the most common diseases that only get sick once in a lifetime.

If you are sick in the childhood with this disease - you have developed lifelong immunity. But if you have children - this disease is bound to visit the house sooner or later, so it is necessary to prepare for it in advance. It is not necessary to be afraid - at an early age the chickenpox proceeds much more easily than in the adult, but it is better to learn about its first symptoms and ways of infection in advance.

Chicken pox is transmitted - that is exactly what the medical name of this disease sounds - through the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and eyes, that is, by airborne droplets. Most often, the symptoms of chickenpox in children manifest themselves before the age of 10-12, when at least one sick child appears in the preschool or school. If one is ill, all will fall ill, this rule is never violated, unless, of course, someone has not suffered the illness even earlier. This infectious disease becomes contagious the day before the skin rashes appear on the skin, but ceases to be so - five days after the disappearance of the last rashes. On average, the quarantine period lasts seven to nine days, although the child may well transfer the disease to his peers in kindergarten or school when it is in the incubation period.

Visible symptoms of chickenpox in children may appear after 1-3 weeks of contact with sick comrades, when the incubation period ends and the illness enters the final stage. At this stage, the child's body temperature rises sharply (sometimes it rises to 39.5 degrees), and for the first time skin rashes occur, a painful headache and a feeling of rapid fatigue and weakness. Skin eruptions appear as flat pink spots, the number of which increases with time. Further, the specks become convex, turn into bubbles with liquid contents. Mothers and fathers should be sure that the sick child does not scratch and squeeze out the vesicles, otherwise infection can be introduced. Such symptoms of chickenpox in children can occur throughout the body, not only on the skin, but also on all mucous membranes (in the mouth, at the corners of the eyes, in the genital area). Disease within 3-4 days passes wavy, new vesicles are formed when the former disappear, and only after this time on the damaged areas crusts are formed, falling off in time independently.

Parents should remember that the treatment of chickenpox in children must be carried out in quarantine conditions. Although chickenpox spreads in the form of a virus, and does not respond to antibiotics, doctors still prescribe such drugs. Basically, they are needed in order to fight a bacterial infection, a constant companion of the disease, leading to suppuration of the blisters, especially if the babies constantly comb them. During this period it is very important to distract the child from itching all over the body - to play with it or read fairy tales. While symptoms of chickenpox in children are manifested, it is better to comply with bed rest. That the child does not suffer from itching, spots should be greased with greenery and washed with a weak solution of manganese, and also ensure that the skin comes into contact only with soft tissues, dry (so that the discomfort does not worsen and the healing lasts longer than usual) and clean. An alternative to wiping can be a short-term bath with all the same weak manganese solution.

Many doctors recommend during the period of the disease to provide a special diet for the baby, consisting mainly of dairy and vegetable products, abundant and frequent drinking. At an elevated temperature, antipyretic preparations containing paracetamol will not interfere, which additionally also have an anti-inflammatory effect. But all these measures should be agreed with the doctor, who will determine the need for such treatment and the correct dosage of medications.