Symptoms and treatment of chickenpox in children. Chickenpox in children: incubation period, first signs and main symptoms (photo)

Chickenpox is a disease that most of us have had time to recover from in childhood. However, having passed into the status of parents, yesterday's boys and girls are frightened when they see signs of an infectious disease in their own child. What are the symptoms of chickenpox, and why does the disease occur? We will tell you how to determine that the baby has chickenpox and what help he needs after identifying this disease.

What is chickenpox, what does it look like: the first signs

Chickenpox, or, simply, chickenpox, is a childhood infectious disease. The causative agent is a variety of the Varicella Zoster herpes virus, which is transmitted from an infectious child to other members of the children's team.

The child, having become infected with chickenpox, at first will feel satisfactory. Only at the end of the latent period will the initial signs of chickenpox appear in the child.

The appearance of the rash with chickenpox

How to understand that the baby has chickenpox? Its distinguishing feature is a rash, which is a blisters filled with liquid:

  • Rashes of pink color, which are convex nodules no more than 4-5 mm in diameter. Pimples very quickly begin to capture an increasing surface of the body, but it happens that they are localized only on the back, abdomen and on the folds of the limbs.
  • At the same time, the baby may have a fever, aches in the joints, general weakness. There may be mild signs of respiratory illness.

Disease dynamics

The child fell ill with chickenpox - what is the dynamics of the onset of symptoms of this disease? The temperature occurs only at the beginning of the disease, then it gradually normalizes, and each nodule (papule) on the patient's body goes through several stages of transformation. After the appearance, it begins to fill with fluid and increase in size, turning into a vesicle. Then its contents become cloudy, and it bursts. From this moment, the healing of the wound begins - it is covered with a crust, which later disappears.

Pimples appear and disappear in waves. While the acute stage of the disease lasts, a rash of varying degrees of maturation can be seen on the body of children at the same time. The photo shows how papules, vesicles and drying crusts look.

In parallel with the rash, which often captures the face and even the head under the hair, enanthema may occur on the oral mucosa. These are the same pimples as on the body, but after they burst, a small sore with a yellow border remains in their place. After appropriate treatment, the wounds in the mouth heal.

You can see what the pimples look like by looking at the photo.




Chickenpox is more common in young children. In a one-year-old child and children under 12 years of age, the disease usually proceeds without complications, is easily tolerated, forming lifelong immunity. Teenager got chickenpox? The course of the disease will be more severe than in younger children. Worst of all, if chickenpox overtakes an adult, because in this case the disease is most difficult to tolerate.

Causes of the disease

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The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets, and more often children bring it from kindergarten. In a confined space, the virus spreads rapidly, and as soon as someone from the team gets sick, new victims of the virus are immediately discovered. According to the rules, quarantine is declared in the group, the duration of which is three weeks from the date of registration of the disease. During this time, do any of the kids get chickenpox? Then the quarantine is extended.

Children who were not in the group at the time the virus was detected are not recommended to be taken to the garden during quarantine. However, some parents, on the contrary, bring the baby to the group (on receipt), because they want him to get chickenpox while he is small. Such a policy is designed to protect a person from the disease in the future.

The first signs of the disease at the initial stage

Chickenpox proceeds according to a typical scenario. After infection, an incubation period begins, which lasts an average of 2 days:

  1. at this time, the virus does not appear, but it has already invaded the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, then entered the bloodstream;
  2. together with the blood and lymph, Varicella Zoster spreads throughout the body, fixes itself in the cells of the skin and mucous membranes, starting its work there.

As a rule, the first signs of chickenpox in a child are a rash, accompanied by fever and a general deterioration in the condition. The first pimple (at the beginning of the illness, it looks like in the photo below) can appear anywhere - on the back, stomach, face, and after a couple of hours the rash covers most of the baby's body (we recommend reading:). Temperature and weakness disappear already on the second day, and the further course of the disease is characterized only by a rash.

Where do spots and nodules appear more often, where does the spread of infection begin? First of all, they occur on closed parts of the body - back, pope, abdomen. Rarely - on the arms and legs.

Forms of chickenpox

Despite the fact that chickenpox is a well-known disease, it can occur in different ways. There are two types of chickenpox - typical and atypical. The symptoms of typical chickenpox are described above.

Atypical chickenpox is rare and affects immunocompromised people. There are such forms of atypical chicken pox:

  • Rudimentary - a hidden disease. Its symptoms are so insignificant that a person does not notice the disease.
  • Pustular - this type of disease is usually noted in adults. Rashes (pustules) are in no hurry to dry out and turn into crusts. Over time, the contents of the blisters become cloudy and become purulent.
  • Bullous - a rash on the skin becomes gigantic and difficult to treat. Symptoms of severe intoxication are also possible, after which the patient slowly and heavily recovers.
  • Hemorrhagic and gangrenous - occurs in people with impaired blood clotting, which fills the pustules. Over time, ulcers and foci of necrosis form. Gangrenous form begins, which can cause death.
  • Visceral - bubbles with liquid contents appear not only on the body, but also on the internal organs. It occurs in infants whose body is weakened. This form is deadly.

Parents at the initial stage may not notice a mild form of chickenpox at all

Chickenpox can be mild, moderate, or severe. A mild form of the disease manifests itself as follows:

  • the rash does not cover the entire body, but only certain areas;
  • the temperature remains normal or slightly elevated (37.1 -37.3 ° C);
  • the general condition is satisfactory.

The moderate and severe forms are characterized by significant rashes all over the body, fever up to 40 ° C, as well as general malaise. The severe form can last longer than a week and cause complications.

How to diagnose the disease and understand that it is chicken pox?

Very rarely, chickenpox can be confused with another disease. It is possible to determine the presence of the Varicella Zoster virus at an early stage based on the results of studies (viroscopy, molecular biological). However, more often chickenpox is diagnosed by the appearance of pustules and vesicles - you can see how they look in the photo above:

  • As a rule, a rash can be distinguished on the patient's body in different stages - the initial one is characterized by pink convex pimples, then they turn into pustules and vesicles filled with fluid, and crusts.
  • You can also recognize the disease by a bright symptom - an enanthema appears in the mouth. In fact, this is the same rash as on the body, but forming on the mucosa.
  • Around the bubble, a manifestation of a red rim is noticeable, and after the blister bursts, an ulcer forms in its place, which heals safely over time.

Why is windmill dangerous?

Chickenpox is not a dangerous disease, since most patients tolerate it relatively easily. However, one in twenty patients may develop complications. Consider the most common:

  • Bacterial skin lesions, when vesicles burst, and purulent formations (abscesses) appear in their place.
  • Inflammation of the lungs, provoked by the chickenpox virus, which has penetrated into the alveoli of the respiratory organs.
  • Inflammation of the brain - encephalitis. Occurs when a virus destroys nerve cells in the brain. As a rule, signs of complications appear closer to the end of the disease - 5 to 21 days after the first symptoms. Dizziness, nausea, lethargy, loss of consciousness are possible.
  • A complication of the heart is myocarditis. Symptoms of dysfunction of the heart muscle - high fever, rapid heartbeat, the appearance of chest pain.
  • Lymphadenitis. The disease can cause inflammation of the lymph nodes, usually under the armpits, in the groin, on the neck.
  • Nephritis is a disease of parts of the kidneys called glomeruli that can develop by the end of the second week of chickenpox.
  • Complication of pregnancy. In the early stages, the infection can cause a miscarriage, or lead to a lag in the development of the fetus. In the later stages of bearing a child, the disease of the mother can create conditions for the formation of chickenpox syndrome in the crumbs.

First aid and effective treatments

Consider how chickenpox should be treated. Since the disease is caused by a virus, there are no effective ways to influence it. The main task is to prevent complications and enable the body to overcome the infection on its own. It is equally important not to let the baby comb the wounds, so that scars or pockmarks do not form in their place over time.

Medical preparations

Treatment of rashes is considered a key treatment for chickenpox. Pimples can not be treated with an antiseptic, but then during combing, the baby can introduce an infection (bacterial) into the wound:

  1. Nodules and pustules are lubricated with brilliant green, a solution of potassium permanganate, Fukortsin. The procedure is carried out 3-4 times a day.
  2. To relieve itching and to avoid scratching, a small patient is given antihistamines. Pediatricians usually prescribe Fenistil or Zodak in drops. Older children can be given Suprastin 1/2 tablet at bedtime.
  3. Antiviral drugs, such as Acyclovir, are also used to treat chickenpox. It can be taken in tablets, and lubricated with ointment for rashes. However, Acyclovir is more often used in severe cases of the disease and only in the initial stage. Before use, you need to read the description of the drug with explanations of the dosage.
  4. Does the baby have signs of intoxication of the body - fever, headache and body aches? It makes sense to give him painkillers. As a rule, babies are prescribed Nurofen, Panadol, Efferalgan.

Hygiene

How to properly care for a child during an exacerbation of the disease and is it possible to bathe him? This question is still a matter of controversy among medical professionals. Foreign pediatricians recommend bathing the baby, regardless of the stage of the disease, trying not to damage the pustules.

Domestic experts are usually against water procedures. You can bathe a son or daughter only after the acne has begun to dry out. They argue such a ban by the fact that during bathing, the bubbles can be damaged and become infected. However, on hot days, a periodic shower is necessary - a sweaty child will imperceptibly comb itchy and irritated skin.

It is important to choose underwear and clothes made from natural fabrics, as well as to monitor their cleanliness. This is necessary in order not to provoke itching on the affected areas of the body. You also need to control the cleanliness of the baby's hands, cut their nails on time. It can scratch vesicles, promoting the spread of the virus to healthy skin and infection of burst sores with pathogenic bacteria.

Drinking regime

During any illness, the child needs a sufficient amount of fluid. If at first the baby has a high temperature and intoxication - even more so. What should be the daily dosage of liquid? The calculation of the daily volume is made according to the age of the child. For example, a 3-year-old baby needs 105 ml of water per 1 kg of weight per day. For an older child (7 years old) - 95 ml per kilogram of weight.

In this case, you should give the child not only water, but also other drinks - tea, compote, fruit drink. A baby can receive part of the liquid volume as part of liquid dishes - soups.

Folk remedies

There are folk remedies to combat chickenpox. It is believed that blueberries inhibit the virus, so it is recommended to use them fresh and as juice, compote, fruit drink. Among the many folk recipes are the following:


Chamomile decoction is a good helper in the fight against chickenpox
  • baths. Prepare decoctions of medicinal herbs - chamomile, lemon balm, sage and add to bathing water. Soda baths are also shown, which have an antiseptic and antipruritic effect.
  • Rubbing. Boil 1 glass of barley in one liter of water, strain. Use decoction to wipe stains. This method helps relieve itching.
  • Herbal infusions for oral administration. Take 2 tbsp. l. dry mixture of chamomile, coltsfoot, calendula, chicory, immortelle and burdock, pour into a thermos and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Infuse for eight hours, drink half a glass three times a day.

Therapy for young children

Children under one year of age rarely get chickenpox, but if a child is infected from 6 months old, a severe course is possible. As a rule, there is a high temperature (about 40 ° C), tearfulness and a rash, which quickly turns into a purulent form. At this age, it is important to call a doctor who can recommend hospitalization.

Everyone strives to protect their baby from diseases by all means. But there is an ailment that does not cause much concern for parents. Moreover, some mothers even try to deliberately infect the child - if the neighbor's baby is sick, they bring their own to play with him. We are talking about the well-known chicken pox, or chickenpox.

What is chickenpox

Chickenpox is classified as an acute viral infection of children, transmitted by airborne droplets. The disease is caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus. It is also called the herpes virus type 3. This pathogen is unique in that the susceptibility of the human body to it is one hundred percent. Another feature is its ability to accumulate in the nerve nodes (ganglia) and remain viable for a long time. For the first time entering the body of a child, the pathogen causes the development of chicken pox, after which lifelong immunity is noted.

A person who had chickenpox as a child receives lifelong immunity to this infection.

An adult who had chickenpox in childhood, when the virus remaining in the body is activated, can get sick with herpes zoster (shingles), which manifests itself with completely different symptoms.

Most often, children under the age of seven get sick with chickenpox. The disease usually proceeds easily and without complications from a year to 12 years. In older adolescents and adults, the infection is much more severe. That is why mothers want their child to get chickenpox at an early age. But adults who did not have chickenpox in childhood should do their best not to get infected with the virus. Pregnant women should be especially careful - intrauterine infection of the fetus can lead to serious deviations in the development of the unborn baby.

In the first months of life (up to six months), babies rarely get sick, as they receive mother's immunity. If an infant (from 6 to 12 months of age) is infected with the virus, the disease is usually severe and may be complicated by a bacterial infection.

How the disease develops

You can get chickenpox from a sick person who releases the virus into the environment from the end of the incubation period (about a day before the onset of rashes) until the last peeled off crust (usually this is the 5th day from the formation of the last element of the rash).

The pathogen is not able to exist outside the human body for longer than 10 minutes. It is very unstable: it quickly dies when heated, irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, and exposed to disinfectants.

Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus, which has a unique property - a person has an absolute susceptibility to it.

The virus enters the human body through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and is fixed in the epithelial cells of the mucous layer. After that, it penetrates into the bloodstream and penetrates into the cells of the skin, causing a characteristic inflammatory process - local expansion of capillaries (an area of ​​hyperemia appears - a spot), the formation of serous edema (papules) and limited exfoliation of a section of the epidermal layer (formation of a vesicle - vesicles).

The increased multiplication of the virus and the reactive response of the body lead to the appearance of a high temperature in a sick child and general symptoms of the infectious process.

The virus causes skin manifestations in the form of a rash and general intoxication.

The pathogen is transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person with droplets of saliva and sputum when coughing, sneezing, talking. Children become infected from each other, being in the same room, talking to each other, playing, exchanging toys. Therefore, outbreaks of chickenpox are most often observed in organized groups - kindergartens, sanatoriums, camps, schools. They get sick more often in the autumn-winter period, since the virus is more afraid of sunlight than freezing.

Video: what is chickenpox and why is it dangerous

Forms of infection

Chickenpox can occur in different forms:

  • Mild, in which the general condition of the sick child is not greatly disturbed, the temperature rises to low numbers or remains within the normal range. There are few rashes, they can be in the form of single elements; the duration of the acute period (rashes) does not exceed 2-4 days.
  • Moderate, which is characterized by intoxication, fever up to 38–39 ° C, profuse rash with itching. The period of skin manifestations lasts an average of 5-7 days.
  • Severe (generalized), in which there are abundant rashes on the skin and mucous layer of internal organs, genitals, mouth, eyes, accompanied by severe itching. The temperature rises to high numbers, there are phenomena of severe intoxication - sleep disturbance, weakness, loss of appetite, there may be vomiting and stool disorder. The acute period lasts from 8 to 10 days.

The severe form of chickenpox is manifested by rashes not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes of the internal organs.

In children, the disease usually occurs in a mild or moderate form.

Rarely observed atypical forms of infection:

  • bullous - characterized by the appearance of huge blisters on the skin, which are filled with a cloudy yellowish liquid, the tops of these formations are flabby, and when they break, long-term non-healing ulcers are found at their bottom;
  • hemorrhagic - the contents of the vesicles are not serous (inflammatory) fluid, but blood, the crusts formed in place of the vesicles are dark red in color, deep scars remain after they fall off;
  • gangrenous - characterized by a progressive lesion of the deep layers of the skin with their gradual death (necrosis), the process of necrosis begins a few days after the appearance of the first rash, its characteristic feature is the appearance of thin dark purple rims around the skin vesicles.

Such clinical variants are possible in severely weakened children with pathologies of the immune system, for example, in cancer patients receiving long-term treatment with cytostatics or steroid drugs.

Fortunately, atypical forms are very rare, usually chickenpox in children is manifested only by a rash in the form of small vesicles and fever.

Main symptoms

Chickenpox in its development has several periods:

  • incubation;
  • premonitory;
  • the period of rashes (he is feverish);
  • crusting (healing).

Incubation lasts from 11 days to 3 weeks, most often 2 weeks. The period of the prodrome in children, as a rule, is absent. It occurs 1-2 days before the first rash and can be manifested by headache, body aches, and a slight fever. Children, especially small ones, cannot describe their subjective feelings, so the mother needs to pay attention to the baby's behavior: he becomes capricious, tearful, sleeps poorly and may refuse to eat. But most often the disease begins with the appearance of a rash.

rashes

The onset of the rash is usually accompanied by a sharp rise in temperature. New elements of the rash appear in jerks, and therefore the fever often has a wave-like character. The first spot, which then turned into a characteristic bubble, can appear on any part of the body - on the face, torso, arms, legs, genitals, in the scalp. After a certain time (from 24 to 48 hours), new vesicles are formed.

On the body of a child, elements of a rash of different stages of development can be simultaneously detected.

Rashes appear in "portions" and this explains the characteristic picture of a chickenpox rash - fresh spots and vesicles are next to those already healing. Vesicles can have a different shape, often round, sometimes oblong, filled with a clear liquid, their size can be from 2 to 10 mm in diameter.

Vesicles in chickenpox can be of different sizes and shapes.

After one or two days, the bubble begins to dry out. Its contents become cloudy, a brownish crust slowly forms, which disappears after about a week, while usually leaving no traces behind. Small bubbles can dry up during the day, a crust quickly forms on top, which easily falls off.

A rash with chickenpox does not affect the germ layer of the epidermis, so healing occurs without a trace, but if the crusts are torn off on their own or the vesicles are combed, then pockmarks remain in their place - atrophic scars. Small scars disappear within about a year, in some cases they remain visible for several years.

The last portion of the rashes (usually only 3-4 waves are observed) may be characterized by an incomplete development cycle of the elements of the rash, that is, spots form without the formation of bubbles, and then they simply disappear.

The total number of elements of the rash can vary from a dozen to several hundred, depending on the severity of the infection. Rashes are accompanied by excruciating itching, so it is very important to relieve this symptom in order to prevent the child from scratching the bubbles and introducing a bacterial infection.

Together with vesicles on the skin, a rash appears on the mucous membranes, the so-called enanthema. Usually there are few elements on the mucous membranes - from 1 to 5. The bubbles quickly burst, get wet and turn into small erosions with a yellowish-gray coating and a red rim. Within 1-2 days of erosion heal.

Along with a rash on the skin with chickenpox, there may be rashes on the mucous membranes

General manifestations

Common manifestations of chicken pox are fever and deterioration of well-being. The temperature most often rises to 37.5-38.5 o C, less often to 39-40 o C. The child is lethargic, does not eat well, he may experience short-term diarrhea and single vomiting, lymph nodes may increase.

As a rule, chickenpox has a benign course and ends with the complete recovery of the baby. Severe forms occur with complications.

Diagnostics

There are other diseases that manifest as a rash on the body, and they can be much more dangerous than chickenpox, so a pediatrician should be called to make a diagnosis. An experienced doctor immediately makes a diagnosis based on a characteristic clinical picture. Questioning the mother is important: does the child go to a childcare facility, has there been contact with sick children.

By the nature of the rash, the doctor will determine what the child is sick with

Table: differences in symptoms of diseases with a rash

signs Chicken pox Scarlet fever Measles Rubella Prickly heat Allergy
The nature and localization of the rash
  • small pink spots turn into vesicles with serous contents, then become covered with crusts;
  • the rash occurs anywhere, including the genitals, scalp, mucous membranes;
  • the child suffers from severe itching.
  • a rash in the form of small dots, located densely, subsequently the elements are interconnected;
  • rashes over the entire surface of the body, most of all in the inguinal and other folds, many on the flexion surfaces of the arms and legs;
  • rash with finely scaly peeling, large scales on the palms and soles.
  • rash in the form of large red spots;
  • appears step by step - from top to bottom.
  • small or medium spots, do not merge with each other;
  • localized on the back, buttocks, face;
  • there is no peeling and pigmentation after the disappearance of the rashes.
  • small spots, pimples or vesicles;
  • are formed on the neck, in the folds of the skin, underarms, on the chest, head, back, buttocks.
  • rashes come in various shapes and sizes - most often red or pink spots protruding above the skin or in the form of large blisters;
  • appear suddenly, itch strongly;
  • are usually formed on the abdomen, neck, face, forearms.
Temperature From 37.5 to 40 o C Up to 39 o C 37–38 o C Can rise up to 38 o C Does not rise In some cases, subfebrile (37–38 ° C).
Characteristic symptoms Only a rash
  • symptoms of angina;
  • crimson tongue;
  • pale nasolabial triangle, free from rash.
Specific spots of Belsky-Filatov-Koplik on the inner shell of the cheeks Enlargement of the occipital and cervical lymph nodes before rashes Characteristic rash in certain places
  • peculiar spots;
  • severe itching.
Inflammatory (catarrhal) phenomena Can not be Headache, sore throat Signs of a respiratory viral infection:
  • perspiration, sore throat;
  • cough;
  • conjunctivitis;
  • photophobia;
  • lacrimation;
  • runny nose.
Children do not have Not observed May be accompanied by swelling of the nasal mucosa, runny nose, sore throat, cough, lacrimation, Quincke's edema.

To make a diagnosis, it is enough for the doctor to examine the baby

Laboratory diagnostics has no practical value and, as a rule, is not used. A clinical blood test of a sick child shows an acceleration of ESR, which indicates an inflammatory process in the body.

The diagnosis can be confirmed by the following laboratory methods:

  • microscopic examination of the contents of the vesicles with the detection of the virus;
  • express diagnostics - an immunofluorescence reaction, in which viral antigens are detected in the biomaterial (smear or scraping from the vesicles);
  • molecular genetic method - PCR (polymerase chain reaction) - by isolating the DNA of the virus in the blood of a sick child or the contents of vesicles;
  • serological diagnostics - ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), through which certain antibodies are determined in the blood.

All these analyzes are quite complex and are used extremely rarely.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with childhood infections, the characteristic symptom of which is a rash on the body - measles, scarlet fever, rubella, as well as with a herpetic rash, vesicular rickettsiosis, allergic manifestations, prickly heat, roseola and insect bites.

Chickenpox treatment

Usually the baby is treated at home. Referral to a hospital is required only in case of severe infection, complications. Infants are also hospitalized, in whom chickenpox almost always occurs in severe form.

During the period of fever, the baby needs bed rest, rest and careful care. The child must be provided with a sufficient amount of liquid. The room should not be hot, because in a too warm room the child sweats and the itching becomes stronger. Daily airing and wet cleaning are required. It is impossible to allow combing the rash so that the infection does not get into the wounds. The kid needs to cut his nails short and try to distract him, the smallest ones are recommended to wear shirts with sewn up sleeves.

With chickenpox, you need to ensure that the child does not comb the rash

If the temperature is not too high, bathing in warm water with the addition of medicinal plants - succession, chamomile, sage is allowed. They alleviate the condition of the baby and relieve itching. After water procedures, the child's body should be gently blotted with a cotton towel, not wiped, so as not to damage the bubbles. It is best to dress the patient in spacious cotton pajamas; there should not be any synthetics and tight-fitting clothes on him. Bed linen should be changed daily. Walking with the baby should be postponed until the end of the period of rashes.

Medications

Most often, only symptomatic treatment is required, that is, the appointment of drugs to alleviate the condition of a sick baby.

For fever, antipyretics are recommended: Paracetamol capsules (for young children - in syrup) or Ibuprofen (Nurofen). It is absolutely impossible to give acetylsalicylic acid to a patient in order to avoid the development of a dangerous Reye's syndrome.

To eliminate itching, the child is prescribed antihistamines - Suprastin (from 1 year old), Tavegil (from 1 year old in syrup, from 6 years old in tablets) at an age dosage.

Weakened children with impaired immune defenses require antiviral drugs. The early appointment of such funds helps to avoid complications and contributes to an easier course of the disease.

A severe form of chickenpox is treated with drugs of the following groups:

  • virucidal agents:
    • Groprinosin or Novirin (inosine pranobex), Acyclovir (in the form of ointment and tablets);
  • interferon preparations:
    • Viferon, Kipferon (in the form of rectal suppositories), Interferon alfa-2b;
  • antiviral plant origin:
    • Flacoside, Alpizarin, Khelepin.

When pustules (bubbles with purulent contents) appear, antibiotics are required. At the same time, probiotics are prescribed for the prevention of dysbacteriosis and vitamin-mineral complexes.

Photo gallery: preparations for the treatment of chickenpox

Paracetamol is a safe antipyretic for chickenpox Acyclovir is a direct-acting antiviral drug for immunocompromised children. Suprastin is a first-generation antihistamine drug that effectively reduces itching in chickenpox Viferon - an interferon drug, is prescribed for severe forms of chickenpox Alpizarin - antiviral drug of plant origin

External funds

Treatment of the skin of a child greatly relieves itching and serves as a prevention of complications in the form of a bacterial infection. Traditionally, an alcohol solution of brilliant green is used to dry the vesicles - ordinary green. To lubricate the bubbles, you can use methylene blue (medical blue), Miramistin, Fukortsin (contraindicated in children under one year old), pustules and ulcers on the mucous membranes are treated with Rivanol (Etacridine), 3% hydrogen peroxide, furatsilin. With the appearance of purulent discharge from the eyes, a solution of sodium sulfacyl can be used in drops.

Calamine lotion, Tsindol (zinc oxide), cooling hydrogel PoxClean well relieve itching and dry the rashes.

Photo gallery: topical preparations used for chickenpox

Tsindol - an external remedy for drying the rash with chickenpox and relieving itching Fukortsin - a remedy for the treatment of pustules with chickenpox Zelenka is traditionally used to lubricate rashes with chickenpox Calamine is designed to relieve itching and dry chickenpox vesicles. Miramistin - an external remedy for the treatment of chickenpox rash, used to prevent bacterial infection
PoxClean is designed to relieve itching in chickenpox

Feeding a sick child

There is no need to follow a special diet for chickenpox. Food should be easily digestible, fortified. It is necessary to remove heavy meat dishes from the menu, give the child more vegetables and fruits. It is desirable to include cereals in the diet - buckwheat, oatmeal, soups, dietary meat - rabbit, turkey, veal, low-fat fish, sour-milk products.

It is best to cook by boiling, stewing, baking, frying should be excluded. You should not force-feed a child, you should give the body the opportunity to fight the infection without overloading it with food. The baby should definitely be given more drink - tea, juice, fruit drink, fresh and dried fruit compote, rosehip drink, boiled water.

ethnoscience

Herbs for the treatment of chickenpox can be used only if the child is not allergic. Since rashes with chickenpox are usually plentiful, all over the body, it is reasonable to use herbal decoctions not only in the form of lotions, but also add them to the bath when bathing the baby.

Chamomile bath:

  1. Crushed medicinal chamomile flowers (3 tablespoons) pour a liter of water.
  2. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Filter through cheesecloth and pour into bath.
  4. You can bathe a baby with chamomile daily in the absence of high temperature.

A decoction of medicinal chamomile can be added to the bath when bathing a sick child

Bath with calendula:

  1. Pour 2 tablespoons of raw materials with a liter of water and boil for 15 minutes over low heat.
  2. Leave for 20 minutes, strain and pour into the bath.
  3. Bathe the child with a decoction of calendula for 5-10 minutes.

For baths, you can also use decoctions of yarrow, succession and sage.

Calendula has anti-inflammatory and healing properties

To relieve itching and prevent bacterial infection, you can lubricate the bubbles with tea tree oil.

Prognosis and complications

In general, the prognosis of the disease is favorable and the child recovers completely. Bubbles disappear without a trace, pustules can leave scars.

Chickenpox scars can be visible for years

The disease is severe in children with a significant decrease in immunity and serious general pathologies. Severe atypical forms of chickenpox are rare, but can lead to complications in the form of myocarditis, viral pneumonia, encephalitis, nephritis, keratitis, lymphadenitis. More often there are complications from the skin - pyoderma, abscesses.

Severe forms of chickenpox occur with complications from the skin and internal organs.

Severe course with complications in the form of bronchopneumonia, enterocolitis, severe diarrhea, nephritis is characterized by congenital chickenpox. This form occurs when a pregnant woman is infected with a virus a few days before childbirth. The newborn in this case falls ill on the 6th-11th day of life. The probability of death in this form of chickenpox is approximately 30%.

Video: Dr. Komarovsky about chicken pox

Prevention

To prevent the spread of infection in the children's team, quarantine measures are being taken. A sick child is isolated for 10 days from the moment the first elements of the rash appear, all children in contact with him are separated for 3 weeks. Those who have been in contact with a sick child are not admitted to Kindergarten or school from the 11th to the 21st day after the last meeting with him (if the exact date is known). Due to the fact that the virus is very unstable in the environment, special disinfection in the focus is not carried out.

A vaccine against varicella has been developed. Non-sick children older than 1 year are vaccinated. The Japanese vaccine Okavax is used (once at any age) and the Belgian Varilrix (up to 13 years old once, for adolescents from 13 years old twice with an interval of 2 months). An adverse reaction to the vaccine may occur in the form of a slight fever, soreness and redness at the injection site, general malaise, and a rash.

Varilrix vaccine is used to prevent chickenpox

In our country, vaccination against chickenpox is not mandatory, it is recommended for medical reasons.

Chickenpox, well known to everyone under the name chickenpox, belongs to a group of highly contagious infectious diseases and affects mainly children under the age of 12 years. Relapses of the disease are unlikely, since during the initial contact with its pathogen, the body produces antibodies that circulate in the blood throughout life. Specific antiviral treatment for chickenpox in a child in most cases is not required. All therapeutic measures taken are aimed only at alleviating the patient's condition and preventing complications.

Content:

The causative agent of the disease

Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella zoster virus, which belongs to the Herpesviridae (herpes) family. It is unstable in the environment and outside the human body can only exist for about 10 minutes, as it dies under the influence of high temperature, light and ultraviolet rays. Despite this, the chickenpox virus is very easily transmitted from one person to another, which is associated with its ability to quickly move hundreds of meters with air currents. The likelihood of chickenpox in people who have not had it before and who have not been vaccinated is 100%.

After chickenpox, the virus in an inactive form remains in the human body for life, being localized in the spinal ganglia, cranial nerves associated with skin areas that were most affected during the initial infection. With a significant weakening of the immune system, oncological diseases, nervous stress, blood diseases and other adverse factors in people of mature age, it can become active again, causing herpes zoster (lichen).

Ways of infection

From sick children to healthy chickenpox is transmitted only by airborne droplets. The virus enters the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, mouth and eyes during a conversation, when coughing, sneezing, kissing. The source of infection is people who get chickenpox or herpes zoster, about 1-2 days before the appearance of a characteristic rash on the skin and another 5 days after the last rash appears. The disease is also transmitted through the placenta from a future mother with chickenpox or herpes zoster to the fetus.

At an increased risk of contracting chickenpox are children attending kindergartens, and younger students who are constantly in the team. Most often, cases of chickenpox in kindergartens and schools are recorded in late autumn, winter and early spring.

Important: For babies under 6 months old, whose mothers had chickenpox in childhood, the virus, as a rule, does not pose a danger, since antibodies to it, betrayed by the mother through the placenta, still remain in their blood. After having chickenpox, 97% of people develop lifelong immunity, so re-infection is rare.

Video: E. Malysheva about chickenpox in children. How to recognize and alleviate the condition

Incubation period

Chickenpox is characterized by a long incubation period. After contact with a source of infection, it takes from 7 to 21 days (usually 14 days) before the clinical signs characteristic of this disease appear.

Once in the body, the varicella-zoster virus is first fixed on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, begins to adapt and multiply. During the incubation period, there are no signs of the disease, the child is not contagious to others. When the virus accumulates in sufficient volume, it overcomes the local immunity of the mucous membranes and begins to penetrate into the blood.

When a certain concentration of viral particles is reached in the blood, a response of the immune system is triggered, which may be accompanied by a rise in body temperature, headache, and weakness. This condition lasts 1-2 days and is called the prodromal period, after which rashes characteristic of this disease appear on the skin. In children, the symptoms of chickenpox of this period are often mild or absent.

Chickenpox symptoms

The clinical picture of chickenpox, which occurs at the end of the incubation period of the virus, is characterized by a sharp and rapid development. At first, children may experience:

  • weakness, drowsiness;
  • an increase in body temperature to about 38-40 ° C;
  • capriciousness, irritability;
  • headache.

Subsequently, or simultaneously with the listed symptoms, a rash appears. Sometimes there is an increase in the size of the lymph nodes.

Chickenpox rashes are at first reddish-pink spots (maculae), somewhat reminiscent of mosquito bites, 2-5 mm in diameter with uneven edges. After a while, they are filled with a yellowish liquid, begin to itch a lot, cause discomfort and anxiety in children. The liquid inside the vesicles is transparent, becomes cloudy on the second day.

After 1-2 days after this, the bubbles spontaneously burst, the liquid flows out, they dry out, become covered with a crust and gradually heal. At the end of the healing process (after about 1-2 weeks), the crust falls off, leaving a light pigmentation on the skin, which subsequently disappears. If the child combs the wounds or prematurely peels off the crusts, scars and scars remain on the skin in the form of small depressions or craters.

Rashes with chickenpox can be not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, conjunctiva of the eyes and on the external genitalia. They usually first appear on the face, scalp, shoulders, back and abdomen, and then spread to the upper and lower extremities, while the palms and feet are most often absent.

New elements of a rash with chickenpox appear every 1-2 days, so a couple of days after the onset of the disease, different stages can be detected on the skin of children at the same time: nodules, vesicles and crusts. Each wave of rashes is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. The number of elements of the rash for the entire period of the disease can vary from 10 to 800, but on average it is about 200-300 pieces. Sometimes chicken pox occurs without rashes or with a minimum number (up to 10 pieces).

After the cessation of the appearance of new rashes and a decrease in the severity of other symptoms of chickenpox in a child, the disease begins to decline, a period of recovery begins.

windmill shapes

Depending on the type of clinical picture in chickenpox, typical and atypical forms are distinguished. A typical form according to the nature of the flow is:

  1. Light. The child's condition is satisfactory, the temperature remains within the normal range or does not rise above 38°C, the duration of the rash period is 4 days, the rash is not numerous.
  2. Medium. Minor intoxication (headache, weakness, drowsiness), the temperature rises above 38 ° C, rashes are plentiful, appear within 5 days.
  3. Heavy. General intoxication of the body (nausea, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite), the temperature rises to 40 ° C, the period of rashes is 9 days, they almost completely cover the skin of the patient, and are also present on the mucous membranes, elements of the rash can merge with each other.

Atypical forms of chickenpox are divided into rudimentary and aggravated. The rudimentary form is characterized by a mild course, single rashes, body temperature is normal or subfebrile. The aggravated form is characterized by a very intense clinical picture of the disease. It includes visceral, gangrenous and hemorrhagic forms, which are treated in a hospital.

In the hemorrhagic form of the disease, the patient has a high temperature, severe intoxication, damage to internal organs, blood appears in the vesicles, they bleed. There is hematuria, hemorrhages in the skin and tissue, mucous membranes and internal organs.

The visceral form of chickenpox is predominantly detected in premature babies, newborns, and children with immunodeficiency. It is characterized by prolonged intoxication, profuse rashes, severe fever, damage to the nervous system and internal organs (kidneys, lungs, liver, heart).

The gangrenous form is diagnosed extremely rarely, mainly in patients with immunodeficiency. Severe intoxication is observed. Bubbles in this form are large, quickly covered with a crust with a zone of tissue necrosis. When the crust falls off, deep, very slowly healing ulcers appear on the skin.

Treatment of chickenpox in children

In most cases, chickenpox in children goes away on its own within 7 to 10 days. It is most easily tolerated by children aged 1 to 7 years. For treatment, drugs are used to eliminate or reduce the severity of the main symptoms: fever, rash and itching. Special antiviral or immunostimulating therapy is used only for moderate and severe forms of the disease.

With chickenpox, it is very important to prevent the suppuration of the vesicles caused by the ingress of a bacterial infection into them. To do this, parents must carefully monitor that children do not touch them and in no case comb them, distracting them in various ways. The child's nails should be cut short. Very small ones can be put on light cotton mittens (“scratches”) on their hands, and have a conversation with older ones. To reduce itching with chickenpox, pediatricians often prescribe children internal intake or topical application of antihistamines (fenistil, erius, suprastin, zodak, diazolin).

To prevent infection of the vesicles, the following antiseptic disinfectants are used:

  • 1% alcohol solution of brilliant green (brilliant green);
  • Castellani liquid;
  • an aqueous solution of fucorcin;
  • an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

When processing the elements of the rash with brilliant green, despite all its shortcomings, you can easily and quickly determine when new rashes stop appearing.

With chickenpox, especially if the disease happened in the summer, to prevent a secondary infection of the skin, it is necessary to wash the child once a day, rinsing it with boiled water or making short-term cool baths with a solution of potassium permanganate, baking soda or chamomile decoction. It is unacceptable to use any detergents (soap, gels, etc.) and rub the skin with a washcloth. After bathing, it is necessary to gently blot the body with a soft towel and treat the wounds with an antiseptic solution.

It is better if the room where the sick child is located is cool to prevent overheating and not provoke profuse sweating. They will only increase the itching and irritate the elements of the rash, to which the well-known pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky especially draws the attention of parents. During the period of illness, it is recommended to change the child's bed linen and home clothes daily, especially if he sweats a lot. Clothing should be made of natural fabrics, light and comfortable, so as not to injure the skin.

Of the antipyretic drugs for chickenpox in children, if the temperature rises above 38 ° C, drugs based on paracetamol or ibuprofen are used. It is strictly contraindicated to give children with chickenpox any preparations based on acetylsalicylic acid, as this is fraught with severe liver dysfunction and even death.

During the treatment period, the child is also recommended a home regimen, plenty of fluids and dietary nutrition. It is recommended to take children to kindergarten or school no earlier than 1-2 weeks after recovery, since the chickenpox virus significantly weakens the immune system for a while.

Video: Pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky about the symptoms and methods of treating chicken pox in children

Complications of chickenpox

With proper treatment of the child and personal hygiene, complications from chickenpox in children are rare. One of the most likely complications is suppuration (abscess, impetigo) of the elements of the rash due to the ingress of pathogenic microorganisms into them. Then, the local application of antibacterial ointments is added to the main treatment of chickenpox, which is used to treat inflamed wounds.

More serious complications may occur in children:

  • patients with leukemia or other oncological diseases;
  • with congenital pathologies of the immune system;
  • HIV-infected;
  • first year of life.

In these cases, atypical forms of chickenpox may occur in children with symptoms of severe intoxication of the body, the development of sepsis, damage to the kidneys, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, adrenal glands, and pancreas. Severe complications of chickenpox are viral pneumonia and inflammation of the meninges (encephalitis and meningoencephalitis), but they are rare.

Important: It is especially dangerous for unborn children when pregnant women get chickenpox. Chicken pox, suffered by a woman before the 20th week of pregnancy, leads to the development of chickenpox syndrome in a newborn. A baby can be born with underdeveloped limbs, rudimentary fingers, small stature, malformations of the eyes, and disorders of the nervous system.

It is very dangerous for a child to become infected with the chickenpox virus at the very end of pregnancy (4-5 days before childbirth), during childbirth or within 5 days after childbirth, as he does not have time to get enough antibodies from the mother necessary to fight the infection. In newborns and children under 3 months, the disease is severe with the development of pathologies of vital organs and the nervous system.

Prevention measures

To prevent chickenpox or its complications, vaccination (introduction of a weakened live virus) or the introduction of immunoglobulins (antibodies specific to the Varicella zoster virus) can be used.

Vaccination is recommended for children after one year. It protects the body from chicken pox for 10 years or more. Although sometimes vaccinated people can still get chickenpox, it will already be in a mild form. The introduction of vaccines (drugs "Okavaks", "Varivaks" and "Varilriks") is especially important for women planning a pregnancy, if they have not had chickenpox before. With their help, emergency prevention of chickenpox can also be carried out if there has been contact with a carrier of the infection. To prevent the development of the disease, the vaccine must be administered within 48-72 hours after contact with the carrier of the infection.

The introduction of anti-varicella immunoglobulin (the drug "Zostevir") is relevant for people who have been in contact with patients with chickenpox or herpes zoster, who are highly likely to develop severe complications in case of chickenpox. These people include pregnant women, children with cancer, HIV-infected people who have undergone organ transplantation, children with severe chronic systemic diseases, premature babies weighing up to 1 kg, newborns whose mothers did not have chickenpox.


Chickenpox, the symptoms and treatment in children of which are not particularly difficult, can provoke various negative consequences in adults. health, but the disease can be problematic in newborns, pregnant women, immunocompromised people and adolescents.

General information about the disease

Any person knows that if the entire skin of a child is “painted” in green peas, then he is sick with chickenpox. What is this disease and what to do if a child has chickenpox?

Chickenpox, or chickenpox as it is also called, is an infectious disease caused by the herpes virus type 3. In childhood, it proceeds in a mild form; infants, adults and people with weakened immune systems are characterized by complicated forms of the disease. It is worth noting that this virus can spread up to hundreds of meters from the focus of the disease, it also has one hundred percent susceptibility, that is, if a person picks it up, it is guaranteed to get chickenpox. Not necessarily a sick child was infected by a classmate or best friend, he could pick up the virus in public transport or on the street. It is almost impossible to live to old age and not get chickenpox.

The route of transmission of the disease is airborne. The incubation period can last up to three weeks (that is, twenty-one days can pass from the moment of infection to the appearance of the first rashes). Since the disease is contagious, the patient infects others without knowing it. The infection lasts until new breakouts stop appearing and existing boils have crusted over.

Basically, children of kindergarten age and younger schoolchildren are sick with chickenpox. As soon as one member of the children's team gets sick, he immediately begins to infect other children. Symptoms of chickenpox are similar to the common cold, but it is worth remembering that this disease is much more contagious, so its treatment takes place in quarantine mode. Quarantine lasts for nine days from the onset of the skin rash and is removed five days after the last pockmarks. Recently, doctors in some European countries do not send the child to quarantine. It is believed that it is better to catch and recover from chickenpox in childhood, when complex therapy is not needed.

Chickenpox symptoms

First, rashes appear on the skin. These are small red spots that itch all the time. They mainly affect the skin, but in more complex cases, the mucous membranes: the oral cavity, genitals, eyes. Outwardly, these spots resemble insect bites.

After a couple of hours, the temperature rises, trembling appears, pain in the abdomen and weakness in the body are felt. The disease proceeds in each person individually: one patient may have very few abscesses, while the other may cover large areas of the body with them. Immediately, these itchy spots look like light bubbles with liquid, then quickly disappear and become covered with a crust that lasts a couple of weeks. At an early stage of the disease, new blisters and abscesses form next to the crusts.

Complicated cases of chickenpox

A person gets sick with chickenpox once in a lifetime. In this case, the virus enters his immune system. This virus may not manifest itself for some time, but begin to act in adulthood, causing a skin rash - shingles or herpes zoster.

Temporary pockmarks remain visible from six months to a year after the end of the infectious period. Sometimes chickenpox permanently leaves its marks on the skin, often this happens in adolescents.

If a pregnant woman who has a few days left before giving birth gets sick with chickenpox, then it is likely that the newborn baby will get a complicated form of the disease.

Chickenpox can contribute to the development of more serious infections, such as:

  • viral pneumonia - an infectious disease of the lungs, accompanied by fever, cough, shortness of breath;
  • encephalitis is a disease of the brain, the symptoms of which are general malaise, high temperature, unconsciousness, fatigue.

When these symptoms appear, you need to urgently contact a specialist and undergo an examination.

What to do if a child has chickenpox?

The first thing to do is to seek help from a doctor. A qualified specialist will determine the severity of the disease. In some cases, hospitalization of the patient may be necessary (pain that radiates to the legs, intermittent heavy breathing, severe headaches).

In the first time after the rash appears, the temperature can be quite high, so it is worth giving the child a cool drink, paracetamol, or an ibuprofen-based antipyretic (the combination of chickenpox and aspirin can be fatal for the baby's body). If the rash affects the oral cavity, then you should stick to a diet: do not eat salty and sour foods, citrus fruits, as well as juices from them; eat vegetables and dairy products. It is worth changing your underwear more often to prevent infection in the pockmarks.

Be careful not to get water on your skin. This will not bring the desired relief and prolong the healing period of pockmarks, an exception can be made for short-term baths with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

By the way, Russian and foreign doctors cannot come to a consensus about baths. European luminaries of medicine believe that it is better to take a shower than a bath so that the infection does not get into the wounds, and for babies, the shower is the only salvation from itchy sensations. Russian pediatricians do not recommend swimming under running water during the appearance of rashes.

In case of rashes on the genitals, external anesthetic preparations can be used. When choosing such a drug, consult a healthcare professional or pharmacist. When a boil begins to form at the site of the skin rash, use an antibacterial ointment. Usually, colorless Castellani liquid or brilliant green is used to lubricate the bubbles and crusts. Also, rashes are smeared with Calamine lotion. It is a drying drug and a good antiseptic, it reduces itching and facilitates the course of the disease.

If a high temperature (above 38 degrees) does not subside within four days, you need to go to the hospital again. You can not comb the rash, this leads to a bacterial infection and complications of the disease. Try to constantly distract the child from scratching pockmarks: read fairy tales with him, play calm passive games.

During illness, it is not necessary to observe bed rest. The main thing is that the child is at rest. When the rashes are covered with a crust, the temperature drops, you can go out for a walk in the fresh air. Only a doctor can remove from quarantine and give permission to visit a kindergarten or school.

When recovery is near, it is strictly forbidden to peel off the crust from healing rashes: this leads to new pockmarks and even more itching. Follow the rules of personal hygiene: wash your hands often with soap and cut your nails short. This will help prevent re-infection. Wear cotton gloves at night to avoid peeling the crusts while you sleep.

Medical care for a patient with chickenpox

When diagnosed with chickenpox in an adult, the doctor prescribes antiviral medications. For the treatment of chickenpox in children, medications are not used, they are advised to rest and rest. In rare cases, when the infection enters the body through scratching, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics, but is resistant to them. To relieve itching, the doctor may prescribe the anti-allergic drug "Diazolin". With a rash on the mucous membranes of the eyes, the doctor can treat with Acyclovir eye gel. If rashes appear in the area of ​​​​the external genital organs - candles "Viferon".

Do not self-medicate - only a doctor can correctly calculate the required dosage of the drug.

The sooner you start treatment for chickenpox in children, the more effective it will be (treatment should be started as soon as the rash appears or, in extreme cases, within the first two days after it appears). If the infection recurs, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics and identify possible complications.

What to do to prevent chickenpox?

To consult a doctor. He will either prescribe drugs that prevent infection with the virus, or prescribe a vaccination. During the infectious period, it is worth limiting contact with other people, watch skin rashes for a couple of weeks. If one of the family members is infected, then, most likely, other household members will get sick. Only in one case out of ten is it possible to avoid infection in the family.

It is recommended for children over one year old, resistance to the disease will last up to twenty years. They are highly effective and stop the development of the disease, even if vaccination is carried out after contact with the focus of the disease. The main thing is to have time to do this within 48-72 hours after communication. In our country, there are two: "Okavaks" or "Varilriks". If you have never had chickenpox, then when planning the disease, you should definitely administer the vaccine, otherwise the child may become infected with the virus in the womb, which is fraught with damage to his brain.

In case of contact with an infected person and if you have not had chickenpox before, you should immediately consult a doctor, especially if you have a low immune system, you are pregnant or you have a bone marrow transplant.

If you follow all the doctor's recommendations, take proper care of the patient, then in most cases this disease goes away without complications. In rare cases, scars remain in place of the bubbles. This is possible if during the illness the vesicles became inflamed and suppurated.

Chicken pox- acute viral disease with airborne transmission. Usually characterized by fever, papulovesicular rash with a benign course.

The source of infection is a sick person, representing an epidemic danger from the end of the incubation period until the crusts fall off.

Mostly children aged 6 months to 7 years get sick. Adults rarely get chickenpox, as they usually endure it in childhood.


The method of specific prevention is vaccination. After the disease, a strong immunity arises.

About the virus

  • The causative agent of chicken pox is a large-sized virus, which from the 3-4th day is found in the contents of smallpox vesicles.
  • The pathogen is spread by airborne droplets.
  • The varicella zoster virus is unstable in the external environment - it quickly dies when exposed to sunlight, heat, ultraviolet radiation.
  • Outside the body, in the open air, the survival of the virus is approximately 10 minutes.
  • The causative agent of chicken pox belongs to the viruses of the herpes group of the third type.
  • Susceptibility to chickenpox is unique - it is 100%.

period of infection

Patients with chickenpox become contagious 20-24 hours before the rash appears and remain so until 5 days after the last element of the rash was recorded.

A person who has been in contact with a patient with chickenpox, but the disease has not manifested itself, is isolated for 21 days.


How is it going

The chickenpox virus infects the epithelial cells of the skin, forming characteristic changes on it. The feverish period lasts 2-5 days, sometimes up to 8-10 days (if the rash is very plentiful and prolonged). Rashes can last from 2 to 5 days, and up to 7-9 days.

1. Red spots appear on the skin, which after a few hours turn into bubbles filled with a clear liquid.

2. On the second day, their contents become cloudy, the surface wrinkles and begins to crust. It is recommended not to tear off the crusts in order to avoid residual marks.

3. The appearance of a chickenpox rash usually coincides with a deterioration in the general condition of the child:

  • weakness;
  • refusal to eat;
  • headache;
  • increase in body temperature.
4. New bubbles are found within a few days (from 2 to 5).

5. After 7-8 days, the crusts dry up and fall off, as a rule, leaving no traces.

Effects

As a rule, chicken pox is benign.

In difficult cases - with the development of a bullous, hemorrhagic or gangrenous form of the disease, complications such as encephalitis, myocarditis, pyoderma, lymphadenitis are possible.

Treatment

Zelenka

Dr. Komarovsky, talking about this childhood disease, explains in an accessible way why a child is smeared with brilliant green:

“A patient with chickenpox is considered contagious a day before the formation of the first blisters and within five days from the moment the last element of the rash appears. Thus, a loving mother performs a ritual every morning: she examines the skin and covers up everything that was not previously smeared. One fine day it turns out that there is nothing more to cover up. It is easy to conclude that in exactly 5 days the child will no longer pose a danger to anyone. "


Thus we understand that Zelenka itself is not a key link in recovery , but acts only in the format of a coloring element to clarify the timing of the infectivity of the patient. In general, it is not necessary to use it, since 7-8 days after the onset of rashes (when all the blisters are covered with crusts), the child ceases to be a source of infection for other children.

What to do

1. Bed rest

Bed rest should be observed during the entire febrile period.

2. Change underwear daily

3. Prepare a bath if necessary

Regarding baths during chickenpox, the opinions of doctors differ - American
pediatricians consider them highly desirable, domestic ones are categorically against bathing. The truth, apparently, is somewhere in the middle. From the point of view of the most famous pediatrician - Dr. Komarovsky, the more itching and the warmer the room, the more necessary the baths.

In the bathing water, you can add a decoction of chamomile, calendula, succession.

Important: after the bath, blot the skin, but do not wipe it.


4. Cut your nails

During this period, it is necessary to carefully monitor the nails: cut them short, and put on mittens for very small ones.

5. Distract

Since itching is an integral part of this disease, which causes severe discomfort in the child, it is very important that parents take on the task of effectively distracting and entertaining the sick person during this period.

6. Save from itching

In case of severe skin itching, it is recommended to take antihistamines and / or local sedatives as prescribed by the doctor.

7. Topical treatment as desired

In places of damage, it is possible to treat the skin with a disinfectant solution, such as fucorcin, to prevent bacterial infections.

At the same time, we remember that crusts form regardless of whether the rash was smeared or not.


8. Regulate body temperature if necessary

Paracetamol and ibuprofen are used to reduce severely elevated temperatures.

9. Insulation

In case of illness, a person is usually isolated at home. Isolation is terminated 5 days after the last rash.

What not to do

1. Do not give aspirin

At high body temperature, it is with chicken pox, in no case should aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) be given as an antipyretic, since there is a high probability of complications from the liver.

The combination of chickenpox and aspirin is unacceptable for a child.


2. Avoid combing

With chickenpox, a child is often worried about itchy skin, and scratching the blisters greatly increases the risk of bacterial infection and the likelihood that traces will remain in place of the blisters. If the child is very worried about itching, you should ask the doctor to prescribe sedatives.

3. Avoid overheating

Overheating during chickenpox will be fraught with increased itching. The more the child sweats, the more it will itch no matter what you do.