Chickenpox: Symptoms and Treatment

• Characteristics:
Can occur at any age, but the group most affected is children between 5 and 10 years, so that the scope of transmission is more conducive school. It is highly contagious, so if someone who has had chickenpox is near a patient is likely to be attacked by the varicella zoster virus. It spreads through contact with secretions from the skin but also affects and respiratory droplets of saliva that are expelled when habar can carry the virus.

While this condition does not reproduce the virus can remain in the body for the rest of life, housed in the nerve ganglia. It may happen that at the time when defenses are low is produced, which is a concentrated eruption somewhere in the body.

• How to develop:
The incubation period is about two weeks. The infection occurs from one day before appearing in the vesicles, until the same are covered with scabs, which is about 5 to 7 days after the eruption. The blisters usually appear on the trunk and spread to the extremities in a centrifugal movement. They do not appear all at once but must first fever peak and then an outbreak of blisters, the next day another peak of fever
and another outbreak of blisters and the next day the same. The cycle is characterized by a pink stain on it then displays the gallbladder. This then breaks down, the crust is covered with yellow or brown and when the scab falls is a scar that usually disappears with time.

• Treatment:
It is usually indicated none for chickenpox. There are antiviral drugs such as acyclovir that is active and inhibits virus replication, but as a harmless disease is not given any treatment. The only case that is of some seriousness is that of newborns or immunocompromised patients (patients with cancer or AIDS), who already have weakened immune systems.

More discomfort passes itching. In children must be careful with superinfection, because scratching, bacteria from the skin get into the small wound that is infected gallbladder and producing what is called impetigo. To relieve itching powders are used menthol and antipyretics to control fever peaks. In some cases it is necessary to administer some sort of anti-allergic, prescribed by the physician. Also the use of water d'alibur helps keep skin clean and prevent superinfection. Permanent hygiene is desirable, so that the bath itself is not contraindicated even if the problem can be occasioning injuries drying, because if you rub the skin with a towel break the blisters.

Aspirin should not be given in cases of chickenpox because it increases the risk of Reye syndrome, a neurological disease in which there is a commitment by the liver and consciousness. So it is convenient to control the fever with other medications.