Chickenpox Is An Airborne Disease

Chickenpox is of the 'classic' childhood diseases. Most babies will catch it ultimately.

Chickenpox is an airborne disease and is contagious. The signs are:

One time you have had chickenpox the virus is with you for life but kept in check by your immune method. However, the virus can flare up later in life in the kind of shingles, in case you undergo a period of stress.

  general mild flu like signs (headache, fever, tummy ache, and loss of appetite)
  followed a day or later by hundreds of itchy, liquid filled blisters

Most cases occur in babies more youthful than ten and the disease is usually mild. Older babies and adults often create a more extreme case of chickenpox.

Chickenpox may cause serious complications:

Treatment:

  a secondary infection of the blisters may occur if these are scratched and this may cause scarring
  newborns are in danger of extreme infection if the brother is not immune (i.e. he's not historicallyin the past had the disease)
  other, rare, complications include encephalitis; Reye's syndrome; and cerebellar ataxia

As it is a virus, chickenpox can not be treated by antibiotics. In most cases a chickenpox infection can be left to run its work, however, it is advisable to treat the blisters to reduce the likelihood of them being scratched. To this finish, it is advisable to trim the nails of young babies and place scratch-mitts on kids to minimise scratching and reduce the chance of scarring.

Calamine lotion will help to ease the itching as will baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). When our toddlers caught chickenpox a mate suggested adding a tiny water to baking powder to make a paste and applying that to the blisters. As our son passed his chickenpox on to me I can confirm that the baking soda does work! It was more effective than calamine lotion at reducing the itching.

Antiviral medicines have been developed and can help the fight against chickenpox if the medicine is started within the first 24 hours of the rash developing. For most healthy babies antiviral medicine is not necessary, but teenagers and adults who are likely to experience a more extreme dose, may benefit.

Others who may benefit from antiviral medicine are babies with eczema, lung conditions such as asthma, and those who have been prescribed steroids.