Chicken pox is a viral airborne infectious disease that causes itchy skin rashes and blisters, on the entire body; it usually starts on the face and then moves down to the feet. It is also referred to as vericella after the virus (varicella Zoster) that causes it, and affects almost everybody at least once in a lifetime though it’s more common among young kids. When chicken pox was first identified, it was a major fatal disease; but thanks to medical developments, today it is treatable and heals without scaring.
What Causes Chicken Pox?
Chicken pox is a highly communicable, airborne disease caused by varicella Zoster virus. Anyone who has never been infected can get infected once he comes into contact with someone infected; lack of vaccination puts one at higher risk of getting the infection. Water droplets from the nose or mouth of the infected can cause the disease to pass to the unaffected.
Unvaccinated people who have never been attacked by chicken pox can also get it from people suffering from shingles, which is also a disease caused by varicella zoster virus though chicken pox patients cannot cause shingles to unaffected populous.
Signs and Symptoms
So, how can someone tell that he/she has chicken pox? Following signs and symptoms may be identified if someone is suffering from this disease:
- Severe fever which is more intense in grown up people than in kids
- State of malaise or the feeling of being unwell
- Pain in the muscles all-over for no apparent reason
- Unexplained loss of appetite
- Feeling of nausea, though not at all times
After the above signs and symptoms, the following things will immediately follow if it’s due to chicken pox:
- Sever itchy rashes covering the whole of the body or first starting on the face and then moving down to other parts of the body will appear. The severity may vary from one person to another depending on the body immune system.
- Then the clustered spots follow and can be easily identified in areas like chest, limbs, stomach, ears, face and even underarms.
- The rashes grow up into blisters as the affected person keeps on scratching them.
- When these blisters are left for some time, they start drying, forming crusts, which fall off on their own, leaving spots that can be spotted anywhere.
Prevention and Treatment
Unlike in the past, chicken pox today can be treated with severe cases being referred to the doctors. Vaccination is recommended for its prevention. A good diet that enhances the immune system can conquer chicken pox of this level but if the following persist, medical attention must be sought:
- If the skin around those formed blisters and spots turns red and becomes more painful
- When someone develops a breathing problem
- If the breathing difficulty causes pain in the chest
