What is chickenpox?

Most children with chickenpox are sick, with symptoms such as a fever, headache, tummy ache, or loss of appetite for a day or two before breaking out in the classic pox rash. These symptoms continue for 2 to 4 days after breaking into a rash. The average child develops 250 to 500 small, itchy, fluid-filled blisters over red spots on the skin.

• The blisters often appear first on the face, trunk, or scalp and spread from there. Appearance of the small blisters on the scalp usually confirms the diagnosis.
• After a day or two, the blisters become cloudy and then scab. Meanwhile, new crops of blisters spring up in groups. The pox often appears in the mouth, in the vagina, and on the eyelids.
• Children with skin problems such as eczema may get more than 1,500 pox.

Can something not be done to abort or at least shorten the process?

• Antihistamines should relieve the itching. These are prescription drugs and should only be taken on the advice of your child’s pediatrician.
• Oatmeal baths – Give multiple baths throughout the day. Blend 1 cup of oats to a very fine powder. To test, stir 1 tbsp powder into a glass of warm water. If the oats readily absorb the water and give it a milky look and silky feel, they have been processed long enough. Stir the oatmeal into a large tub and stir to mix it evenly. Let the child soak for 15 to 20 minutes, then pat him dry with a soft cloth without any rubbing. For the face, make a thin paste with a bit of water, apply it to the face, keep it on for ten minutes, and then rinse it off.
• Air conditioning—A cool environment is far better than a warm or humid one whenever you have itchy lesions. Warm environments cause more blood flow to the skin and lesions and increase itchiness.
• Damp Wash Cloths: Whenever your child complains of unbearable itchiness, then take a washcloth. Make it wet, and then press it over the itching area. Remember, itching can cause deeper infections and permanent scarring.
• Trim Nails and put cloth socks on hands – Despite all your exhortations, your child will itch, and you must protect him from himself.

What should I use for her fever?

You should use Paracetamol (some popular brands are Crocin, Calpol, etc.) but only if the fever is more than 101°F. Please do not use aspirin (which can cause a dangerous condition called Reyes syndrome) or ibuprofen (which can be associated with severe secondary infections).

But doctor, she will be alright eventually, won’t she?

Please do not worry. Almost all children have an excellent outcome with a residual scar or two (where they have scratched a lot) to show for their ordeal. Serious complications like encephalitis, pneumonia, or secondary bacterial infections can occur, but these are only exceptions.

Are there any long-term effects of this illness?

In most cases, none at all. Very rarely, the virus may remain dormant in the body for a period of years only to come up again in the form of shingles or herpes zoster.

What can be done to prevent this disease?

The chickenpox vaccine is highly effective in preventing the disease. Read all about it on the chicken pox vaccine page!