Signs of Chickenpox Illness

Chickenpox, also called varicella, is a viral illness considered by a very itchy red rash that appears all over the body. A virus causes this condition. It often affects children and is one of the most common infectious diseases of childhood. Most children get chickenpox before the age of 10. Around 9 in 10 people have had it by the age of 15. Chickenpox is rarely fatal, although it is generally more severe in adult men than in women or children. Non-immune pregnant women and those with a curbed immune system are at highest risk of serious complications.

Signs or symptoms of Chickenpox Illness

Chickenpox may start out seeming like a cold: You might have a stuffy nose, sneezing, and a cough. But after 1 to 2 days, the rash starts, often in bunches of spots on the chest, face and back then spread to the rest of the body, including inside the mouth, eyelids, or genital area. It usually takes 10 to 12 days for symptoms to appear after becoming infected. Other signs and symptoms, which may appear one or two days before the rash, include:
· a headache
· feeling tired
· a general feeling of being unwell
· a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or over
· feeling sick
· aching, painful muscles
· loss of appetite

Once the chickenpox rash appears, it goes through three phases:
· Raised pink or red rash, which breaks out over several days
· Small watery-filled spots, forming from the raised rash over about one day before breaking and leaking
· Skin, which covers the broken blisters and takes several more days to recover

 

New bumps continue to appear for several days. Full recovery from chickenpox usually takes 7–10 days after the symptoms first appear. As a result, you may have all three stages chickenpox-rash, spots and scabbed cuts — at the same time on the second day of the rash. Once infected, you can spread the virus for up to 48 hours before the rash appears, and you remain contagious until all spots recover.

 

Not everyone has these symptoms. They tend to be more common and more severe in older children and adults with chickenpox. Most cases of chickenpox are mild and go away on their own. But see your doctor right away if you develop any of the following symptoms:

· The rash spreads to one or both eyes
· The rash gets very red, warm, or tender. You could have a bacterial skin infection.
· Dizziness
· Shortness of breath
· Vomiting
· Stiff neck
· You can’t control your muscles
· Fever over 102 F

 

Below table shows the various stages including symptoms of chickenpox which may start from Fever and ends to death.

 

Below table shows the various stages including symptoms of chickenpox which may start from Fever and ends to death. STAGES	SMALLPOX	CHICKENPOX
FEVER	2 to 4 days before a rash	At time of rash
RASH Appearance	Pocks in the same stage	Pocks in several stages
Development	Slow	Rapid
Distribution	Added pox on arms and legs	Added pocks on body
On palms and soles	Usually present	Usually absent
DEATH	Usually 1 in 10 die	Very uncommonly

 

For further assistance, please visit Dr.Dinesh Singhal, the best pediatrician in Dwarka Delhi.