Chickenpox treatment

Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious infection caused by the varicella zoster virus. It causes an itchy, blister-like rash. Most people recover within 1-2 weeks, but some develop complications. Chickenpox is a viral illness that causes a blister-like rash. The rash first appears on the face and trunk and then spreads throughout the body. Among people who are not vaccinated, it is extremely contagious. Although chickenpox is not a life-threatening illness, it can sometimes cause complications. Chickenpox is most commonly a childhood illness. Before the chickenpox vaccine was introduced in Today, some vaccinated people can still get chickenpox, as well as some people who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised. Those vaccinated people who still get infected may develop milder symptoms. This is called breakthrough chickenpox. Stages of chickenpox Chickenpox develops in stages. Before the rash appears, there may be: • fatigue or a general feeling of being unwell (malaise) • • loss of appetite • Muscle or joint aches • cold-like symptoms such as a cough or runny nose • headache After these symptoms, the following will happen: • An itchy rash will present on the face, body, or inside the mouth. The rash will develop in spots and sometimes can also appear on the eyelids or the genitals. The severity of the rash can vary. • The rash will develop into fluid-filled blisters that will turn cloudy. These blisters make take • The blisters will become scabs. The sca...

Use Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for Pain and Fever If you or your child has a Avoid anti-inflammatory painkillers, like ibuprofen. If you have chickenpox, it can make you very ill. Never give Don’t Scratch That Itch Yes, it’s tempting. But scratching your rash can put you at risk for a bacterial skin infection. It could also cause scarring. Try these tips to calm your itchy skin: • Tap or pat -- don’t scratch -- your itch • Take a cool • Wear loose, cotton clothing so your skin can breathe • Dab • Try an Keep Your Cool Heat and sweat make you itch more. Use a cool, wet washcloth on super-itchy areas to calm your skin. Stay Hydrated Drink lots of fluids to help your body rid itself of the virus faster. It’ll also keep you from getting dehydrated. Choose water over sugary drinks or sodas, especially if you or your child has chickenpox in the mouth. Sugar-free popsicles are a good choice, too. Avoid hard, spicy, or salty foods that can make your mouth sore. Prescription Medications If you’ve been exposed to someone who has chickenpox but doesn’t have symptoms yet, your doctor may give you an injection of a treatment called immunoglobulin. It can help prevent severe chickenpox. Your doctor may consider this therapy if you’re: • Pregnant • A smoker • • Having Newborn babies under 4 weeks old are also at increased risk for complications from chickenpox. If you’re at risk for severe chickenpox and already have symptoms, your doctor might prescribe an antiviral medication called

If you're at high risk of complications For people who are at high risk of complications from chickenpox, providers sometimes prescribe medicines to shorten the length of the illness and to help lower the risk of complications. If you or your child is at high risk of complications, your provider may suggest antiviral medicine to fight the virus, such as acyclovir (Zovirax, Sitavig). This medicine may lessen the symptoms of chickenpox. But they work best when given within 24 hours after the rash first appears. Other antiviral drugs, such as valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir, also might make the illness less severe. But these may not be approved or right for everyone. In some cases, your provider may suggest that you get the chickenpox vaccine after you've been exposed to the virus. This can prevent the disease or help make it less severe. Treating complications If you or your child gets complications, your provider will figure out the right treatment. For example, antibiotics can treat infected skin and pneumonia. Brain swelling, also called encephalitis, is often treated with antiviral medicine. Treatment in the hospital may be needed. Lifestyle and home remedies To help ease the symptoms of mild chickenpox, you can follow these self-care tips. Try not to scratch Scratching the skin can cause scarring and slow healing. It also can raise the risk that the sores will get infected. If your child can't stop scratching, trim your child's fingernails. It also may help to pu...

Overview Chickenpox, an infectious disease, produces a blister-like rash. What is chickenpox? Chickenpox is an infection that causes a skin rash. The disease is caused by a germ called varicella-zoster virus. (Chickenpox itself is also called varicella-zoster.) Most people will get the virus when they’re young if they haven’t had a chickenpox vaccine. A child with chickenpox can easily give the virus to other children. Chickenpox today is much less common because most children are Once you’ve had chickenpox, you won’t catch it again from another person. If you’re not vaccinated, you can get chickenpox at any age. Adults who get chickenpox may become very sick, so it's better to have chickenpox when you're a child, or prevent getting it by being vaccinated. How is chickenpox spread? Children can get chickenpox at any age. After being exposed to chickenpox, your child may appear to be fine for one to three weeks before feeling sick. Children can spread the virus from one day before they show signs of illness to about five days after a skin rash appears. The virus is spread by: • Coming in contact with someone who has chickenpox. • Breathing air from an infected person who sneezes or coughs. • Coming in contact with fluids from an infected child's eyes, nose or mouth. What is the difference between smallpox and chickenpox? Chickenpox and smallpox are both diseases that produce rashes on the skin, but they are different. For one thing, smallpox is a much more serious disease, ...

Use Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for Pain and Fever If you or your child has a Avoid anti-inflammatory painkillers, like ibuprofen. If you have chickenpox, it can make you very ill. Never give Don’t Scratch That Itch Yes, it’s tempting. But scratching your rash can put you at risk for a bacterial skin infection. It could also cause scarring. Try these tips to calm your itchy skin: • Tap or pat -- don’t scratch -- your itch • Take a cool • Wear loose, cotton clothing so your skin can breathe • Dab • Try an Keep Your Cool Heat and sweat make you itch more. Use a cool, wet washcloth on super-itchy areas to calm your skin. Stay Hydrated Drink lots of fluids to help your body rid itself of the virus faster. It’ll also keep you from getting dehydrated. Choose water over sugary drinks or sodas, especially if you or your child has chickenpox in the mouth. Sugar-free popsicles are a good choice, too. Avoid hard, spicy, or salty foods that can make your mouth sore. Prescription Medications If you’ve been exposed to someone who has chickenpox but doesn’t have symptoms yet, your doctor may give you an injection of a treatment called immunoglobulin. It can help prevent severe chickenpox. Your doctor may consider this therapy if you’re: • Pregnant • A smoker • • Having Newborn babies under 4 weeks old are also at increased risk for complications from chickenpox. If you’re at risk for severe chickenpox and already have symptoms, your doctor might prescribe an antiviral medication called

Colloidal Oatmeal Baths Finely-ground (colloidal) oatmeal has been shown to contain a number of compounds that can relieve irritation, inflammation, and itching from chickenpox (and other skin problems). You can buy colloidal oatmeal bath products at your drugstore, supermarket, big-box store, or online. These typically come in pre-measured packets that you add to bath water. A small child with the disease may not have the self-control to keep her hands off her rash, so keep her fingernails trimmed and her hands very clean. Adults, of course, can also benefit from this. You also can try putting cotton mittens or socks on a child at night, so she's less likely to scratch in her sleep. Tylenol (acetaminophen) Chickenpox typically causes viral symptoms such as a headache, fever, fatigue, and muscle aches in addition to the itchiness and inflammation of the rash. Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin (ibuprofen), both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can help relieve many of these symptoms. Prescriptions For most people, a prescription medication is not part of their chickenpox treatment plan. If the itching from chickenpox rash is so severe that over-the-counter antihistamines aren't strong enough, your healthcare provider may prescribe a prescription-strength antihistamine, but that is not typically necessary. The timing is tricky, though. To be effective, Zovirax must be taken within 24 hours of the first sign of a breakout. What's more, the payoff of this perfec...

Overview Chickenpox, an infectious disease, produces a blister-like rash. What is chickenpox? Chickenpox is an infection that causes a skin rash. The disease is caused by a germ called varicella-zoster virus. (Chickenpox itself is also called varicella-zoster.) Most people will get the virus when they’re young if they haven’t had a chickenpox vaccine. A child with chickenpox can easily give the virus to other children. Chickenpox today is much less common because most children are Once you’ve had chickenpox, you won’t catch it again from another person. If you’re not vaccinated, you can get chickenpox at any age. Adults who get chickenpox may become very sick, so it's better to have chickenpox when you're a child, or prevent getting it by being vaccinated. How is chickenpox spread? Children can get chickenpox at any age. After being exposed to chickenpox, your child may appear to be fine for one to three weeks before feeling sick. Children can spread the virus from one day before they show signs of illness to about five days after a skin rash appears. The virus is spread by: • Coming in contact with someone who has chickenpox. • Breathing air from an infected person who sneezes or coughs. • Coming in contact with fluids from an infected child's eyes, nose or mouth. What is the difference between smallpox and chickenpox? Chickenpox and smallpox are both diseases that produce rashes on the skin, but they are different. For one thing, smallpox is a much more serious disease, ...

If you're at high risk of complications For people who are at high risk of complications from chickenpox, providers sometimes prescribe medicines to shorten the length of the illness and to help lower the risk of complications. If you or your child is at high risk of complications, your provider may suggest antiviral medicine to fight the virus, such as acyclovir (Zovirax, Sitavig). This medicine may lessen the symptoms of chickenpox. But they work best when given within 24 hours after the rash first appears. Other antiviral drugs, such as valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir, also might make the illness less severe. But these may not be approved or right for everyone. In some cases, your provider may suggest that you get the chickenpox vaccine after you've been exposed to the virus. This can prevent the disease or help make it less severe. Treating complications If you or your child gets complications, your provider will figure out the right treatment. For example, antibiotics can treat infected skin and pneumonia. Brain swelling, also called encephalitis, is often treated with antiviral medicine. Treatment in the hospital may be needed. Lifestyle and home remedies To help ease the symptoms of mild chickenpox, you can follow these self-care tips. Try not to scratch Scratching the skin can cause scarring and slow healing. It also can raise the risk that the sores will get infected. If your child can't stop scratching, trim your child's fingernails. It also may help to pu...

Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious infection caused by the varicella zoster virus. It causes an itchy, blister-like rash. Most people recover within 1-2 weeks, but some develop complications. Chickenpox is a viral illness that causes a blister-like rash. The rash first appears on the face and trunk and then spreads throughout the body. Among people who are not vaccinated, it is extremely contagious. Although chickenpox is not a life-threatening illness, it can sometimes cause complications. Chickenpox is most commonly a childhood illness. Before the chickenpox vaccine was introduced in Today, some vaccinated people can still get chickenpox, as well as some people who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised. Those vaccinated people who still get infected may develop milder symptoms. This is called breakthrough chickenpox. Stages of chickenpox Chickenpox develops in stages. Before the rash appears, there may be: • fatigue or a general feeling of being unwell (malaise) • • loss of appetite • Muscle or joint aches • cold-like symptoms such as a cough or runny nose • headache After these symptoms, the following will happen: • An itchy rash will present on the face, body, or inside the mouth. The rash will develop in spots and sometimes can also appear on the eyelids or the genitals. The severity of the rash can vary. • The rash will develop into fluid-filled blisters that will turn cloudy. These blisters make take • The blisters will become scabs. The sca...

Overview Chickenpox, an infectious disease, produces a blister-like rash. What is chickenpox? Chickenpox is an infection that causes a skin rash. The disease is caused by a germ called varicella-zoster virus. (Chickenpox itself is also called varicella-zoster.) Most people will get the virus when they’re young if they haven’t had a chickenpox vaccine. A child with chickenpox can easily give the virus to other children. Chickenpox today is much less common because most children are Once you’ve had chickenpox, you won’t catch it again from another person. If you’re not vaccinated, you can get chickenpox at any age. Adults who get chickenpox may become very sick, so it's better to have chickenpox when you're a child, or prevent getting it by being vaccinated. How is chickenpox spread? Children can get chickenpox at any age. After being exposed to chickenpox, your child may appear to be fine for one to three weeks before feeling sick. Children can spread the virus from one day before they show signs of illness to about five days after a skin rash appears. The virus is spread by: • Coming in contact with someone who has chickenpox. • Breathing air from an infected person who sneezes or coughs. • Coming in contact with fluids from an infected child's eyes, nose or mouth. What is the difference between smallpox and chickenpox? Chickenpox and smallpox are both diseases that produce rashes on the skin, but they are different. For one thing, smallpox is a much more serious disease, ...