Chickenpox in children: the first symptoms and treatment

The vast majority of mothers and fathers of primary school children know that their child can catch chickenpox. This disease most often occurs in children attending kindergartens or elementary schools. If a child falls ill, then he is put in quarantine for a long time. Fortunately, chickenpox has quite pronounced symptoms, and it is almost impossible to confuse it with another disease.

Flow

Chickenpox is a disease of an infectious nature, the development of which causes a virus that has entered the body. The main route of transmission of this disease is airborne. Getting on the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth or eyes, the virus enters the body. The incubation period of chickenpox is from 10 days to the 21st. In children of primary school and preschool age, the first symptoms appear within two weeks after the pathogen enters the body.

The carrier of the virus becomes contagious even before the appearance of productive symptoms. That is why, if such a person falls into the team, almost everyone gets sick. Virus isolation occurs over the entire period of time when characteristic skin diseases are present and another week after the cessation of this phenomenon. All this period, from the moment the pathogen enters the body and another 5 days after the rash has disappeared, the patient is contagious.

According to many, a child must definitely get chickenpox before the age of 7 years. Children of preschool and primary school ages are much less likely to suffer from possible complications associated with this disease than other age groups of the population.

People in adulthood, adulthood and old age are very difficult to tolerate this disease. Chicken pox is especially dangerous for teens. As a rule, in them it is accompanied by severe fever and subsequent pathological, often persistent changes in the internal organs.

Chicken pox very rarely affects babies, especially up to six months. This is due to the fact that his innate hereditary immunity at this time blocks the development of chickenpox virus in the body. He receives protection from it precisely with the breast milk of his mother, who has antibodies to the virus, if she has previously encountered it.

If chickenpox is suspected, the patient should be quarantined. For this reason, a doctor should be called home so as not to infect a healthy population.

You can suspect chickenpox by the characteristic symptoms of this disease, which are quite pronounced, but you should still consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and further successful treatment.

Characteristic Symptoms of Chickenpox

A rash on the skin can occur not only with chickenpox, but also with many other diseases that occur in childhood, including which it can manifest itself as an individual allergic reaction to many external irritants. For this reason, you must be able to distinguish between them.

Rashes characteristic of chickenpox have a number of the following features.

1. First, on the skin there are reddish or pink spots that do not rise above the level of the skin. After some time, in the places of redness, the formation of pustules filled with serous fluid is observed. After a week, these rashes begin to dry out, which is accompanied by the formation of crusts, which disappear after a few days.
2. Rashes with chickenpox can be on any part of the body, except the palms of the hands and feet.In childhood, as a rule, the first rash occurs in the area of ​​the head, on the face and in places of hair growth. In addition to the skin, a rash from chickenpox occurs on the mucous membranes of the face, very rarely it happens on the genitals.
3. The rash with chickenpox is characterized by a wave-like course. This means that during the disease, it occurs simultaneously in large areas of the body, and afterwards it disappears in the same way. With chickenpox, several such waves occur, which are accompanied by a very high body temperature.
4. Rashes are polymorphic. This means that simultaneously on the body there are lesions of several types, which include spots and papules and drying vesicles with crusts.
5. Lesions of the skin in the form of vesicles filled with liquid, is accompanied by very strong sensations of itching.
6. The size of the specks is not more than 5 mm in diameter.

Children with chickenpox are very difficult to deal with itching. They start combing pimples full of fluid. This can lead to infection and very long healing. In addition, there is a high probability of scarring at the site of the rash. For this reason, you must consult a doctor who will give recommendations on how to deal with itching. Self-medication is not worth it.

How to understand that this is chickenpox?

Most often, relatives of a child who attends school or kindergarten staff know that there are cases of chickenpox. Therefore, they are very carefully watching their child, recording his changes in health and behavior. It should be noted that chickenpox is not manifested by rashes initially. Often, typical cases of chickenpox have a sequential course.

1. Chickenpox begins in the same way as SARS - with a slight malaise, which is manifested by a decrease in activity, a decrease in appetite, headache and increased body temperature. Such symptoms increase for several days.
2. After 2-3 days, small reddish spots appear on the body that do not rise above the skin. Their number is gradually increasing. It happens very quickly. Just a few spots, which were originally, in a few hours can cover the entire surface of the body. The amount of these rashes is individual in each particular case. Along with the spreading rash, body temperature indicators gradually increase, which is also quite an individual phenomenon. In some, it may not have an increase at all, and in some it reaches its limit values.
3. After a couple of days from the onset of the rash, red spots take the form of pimples that are filled with serous fluid. In the place where they are located, a very severe itching is observed. Then they crust and gradually disappear.
4. The disease is accompanied by a moderate degree of malaise, lethargy, drowsiness, loss of appetite. Intoxication, which manifests itself as insomnia and anxiety, can join them.

When combing pimples, infection can occur in places of skin damage. The reason for this is pathogens that enter the wounds from combing.

The acute period of the disease lasts from a week to 10 days. After this time, new areas of the rash no longer occur. In those places where there were pimples, crusts appear, then they dry and fall off. This may be followed by the presence of pinkish spots at the site of the rash. Do not worry, as a rule, over time, the skin becomes a uniform color.

This applies to the typical course of chickenpox. But this does not always happen. Sometimes the course of this disease is atypical. In this case, characteristic symptoms may not be observed or they may be expressed excessively.

If chickenpox has a mild course, then there may be no rashes at all, or only a few spots are present.

Forms of the atypical course of chickenpox

In many cases of the disease, especially in childhood, it can occur in typical forms. However, there are often forms that are called atypical.

Visceral
It occurs among children born before the due date, as well as in adolescents who have a history of immunosuppressive syndrome. The chickenpox virus affects the central nervous system, liver and kidney tissue, as well as the lungs. The disease is complicated by severe intoxication and an abundant itchy rash.

Hemorrhagic
A rather dangerous form with a severe course. It occurs in those who suffer from immunosuppressive diseases or undergo hormonal treatment using cytostatics.

Patients develop a large rash with blood contents. This may be accompanied by bleeding from the upper respiratory tract. General intoxication is gradually increasing. In this case, an increase in temperature to very high values ​​is observed. In the absence of adequate therapy, the hemorrhagic form of chickenpox can lead to fatal consequences.

Rudimentary
The lightest of the atypical forms of chickenpox. As a rule, it occurs in those who have recently been treated with immunoglobulins. It is rarely accompanied by severe symptoms, and spots may not transform into pustules.

Gangrenous
May occur in those who have a very weak immune system. With this form, large pustules appear with necrotic tissue inside. When the crust falls off, a strong scar appears. The gangrenous form is treated only in a hospital with the use of potent antibacterial drugs.

Atypical forms of chickenpox often have a difficult diagnosis. On their own, they are extremely difficult to determine. In this case, the complications with these forms are quite severe. For this reason, you should not engage in self-diagnosis, and especially - self-medication. Adequate therapy according to the recommendations of the attending physician makes it possible to quickly recover and minimizes the risks of complications.

Treatment

Therapeutic measures for chickenpox do not have any features. Drug treatment is selected individually depending on the productive symptoms. An adequate appointment can only be made by a qualified professional. As antipyretic drugs, it is permissible to use exclusively Nurofen or Paracetamol children's preparations.

To relieve itching, antihistamines (anti-allergic) drugs are prescribed. Rashes are treated with ointments or creams for local use. Many of them include analgesics that help cope with itching, as well as antiseptics, which prevent infectious pathogens from entering them.

Some "old-fashioned" process pimples with Fukortsin, Zelenka or Manganese. This is not entirely correct, because they burn the upper layers of the skin, which contributes to the formation of crusts. This leads to increased itching. In addition, scars often remain after use.

In severe forms of the disease, hospitalization is sometimes required. In this case, drugs are prescribed to relieve intoxication. Sometimes antibiotics are required, especially if infection of damaged skin integuments occurs.

Patients with chickenpox should adhere to bed rest, especially at the very beginning of the disease. The infection transferred “on the feet” can be dangerous due to its complications. You need to drink plenty of fluids and eat well. Quarantine should last at least a week after the last pimples that appeared.

Children who were in the same team with chickenpox should be quarantined for 3 weeks from the moment of contact. Even if they do not have symptoms. Exactly how long the chickenpox incubation period lasts.

The most effective ointments

1. Antiviral drugs for topical application, which are used in the fight against herpetic eruptions, are used with particular effectiveness.
2. Drying ointments that are used for any kind of rash, for example, prickly heat, on a zinc base.
3. Local anti-inflammatory drugs.
4. Ointments with an anesthetic effect help to effectively combat itching, which significantly improves the general condition of the patient.

Important! Many people mistakenly believe that greenback is the most effective remedy for chickenpox. This is completely untrue. It only helps to control the appearance of rashes, staining them in a characteristic green color. The most effective remedy for chickenpox is Fukortsin, it is he who has an antibacterial effect and also stains the skin. But you need to use it very carefully, for the reason that it is able to provoke allergic reactions.

Chickenpox is a disease from childhood. Many modern mothers and fathers at the word "chickenpox" recall their comrades from kindergarten with green dots on their bodies and faces. Most often, this disease is considered "mandatory" and completely safe. However, this is not quite true. There are many cases of severe chickenpox, which can be dangerous for the life or health of a person, especially a child. Despite the fact that many people traditionally treat chickenpox on their own, it is simply necessary to consult a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease.

Video: how to treat chickenpox in children?