As a concerned parent, I really do not like to see anything on my child's body, any form of spot annoys me so much that I instantly begin to look for treatment. There is a common cause of spots in kids when a child has spots, we immediately begin to relate it to chicken pox, while that may not always be the case, chicken pox is also a very common reason why a child would have a rash. Chickenpox mostly affects children but it is not to say it does not affect adults as well.
Chickenpox is that itchy, spotty rash that can show up on any part of the body, it is also called varicella-zoster, and it can happen in three different stages;
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Stage 1: This stage of chicken pox is when the spot can appear on any part of the body and this includes even the side of the mouth, and the genital areas which can really get painful, the spots can also at this point either spread or stay in small areas, it could be red, pink, or similar to skin tone color, it is as well more difficult to see on brown or black skin.
The stage 2 of chicken pox is when those spots begin to turn into blisters, these formed blisters would be really itchy and may even burst.
Stage 3 is when the spots form a scab, some of the scabs are flaky while other ones leak fluid.
When a child has chicken pox, there is a great tendency that he is able to transfer the virus to other children. The good news is, it is no longer as common as it used to be, all thanks to vaccination. Before a rash appears, other symptoms you may experience are; high temperature, loss of appetite, aches,stomach pain that goes beyond a day or two, skin that appears blotchy, headache, and pains. Chickenpox can make kids feel highly miserable even if there is no spot, it gets so itchy most of the time. The virus is spread through;
Breathing the air from an infected person either through cough or sneezes.
Contact with fluid from an infected child's eyes, mouth, or nose.
Contact a person who has chickenpox.
Most medical experts are able to easily identify chicken pox, most times, they do so by simply looking at the child's skin. To help your child feel better during this period of chicken pox, you can follow through on these routines;
- Encourage your child, not to scratch.
- Press a cool, moist rag on the surface of the sores.
- Help your child with maintaining a cool body temperature.
- Get over-the-counter prescribed medications.
- Apply antihistamines on the rash.
Chickenpox is more dangerous to newborn babies, if your little baby gets chicken pox, contact your healthcare provider instantly. While we speak about chicken pox as if it is not so much of a medical condition, we need to also look out for the possible complications that could result from it, some of the complications are; pneumonia, blood clotting, bacterial infections of the blood, skin and soft tissues, liver issue, encephalitis, and dehydration. However, those who are healthy do not often experience complications, but a severe case of complication can happen to either a young or an old person, pregnant women, people who have immunity issues, or those who have cancer/infection.
The best way to prevent chickenpox is simply through vaccination, it is recommended that children are given the vaccine when necessary. The first shot of the vaccine is often given at 12-15 months old of the child, and then a boost shot at the age of 4-6.
References.
https://www.webmd.com/children/what-is-chickenpox
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/chicken-pox.html
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chickenpox-in-children
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/itchy-skin/rash/chicken-pox
https://patient.info/skin-conditions/viral-rashes/chickenpox-in-children
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/chicken-pox.html
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4017-chickenpox
Can chicken pox leads to death if not quickly treated
I have a friend that suffered from chicken pox as a child, and it affected his speech. He finds it hard to communicate properly now.