But as chickenpox becomes less common due to the success of the vaccine, younger doctors may not be as familiar with the rash. Symptoms other than the telltale rash include:. Treatment suggestions might include:. Children and anyone under the age of 18 should never take aspirin for an illness. If your doctor feels that you or your child are likely to develop a more serious case, they may recommend an antiviral medication such as acyclovir Zovirax.
Doctors also recommend the chickenpox vaccine. According to Vaccines. People who are vaccinated but still get the disease usually experience a much milder version. If you think that you or your child has contracted the virus, visit your doctor. They can usually determine the presence of chickenpox by inspecting the rash and checking for other symptoms.
In the rare case that the diagnosis is unclear, other tests can be done if needed. Also known as varicella, chickenpox is a virus that often affects children. It is characterized by itchy red blisters that appear all over the body.
Shingles, or herpes zoster, occurs when the dormant chickenpox virus is reactivated in nerve tissues. Early symptoms include tingling and pain. Shingles is a condition related to chickenpox. It mostly affects older adults. Learn the causes and how to avoid getting or spreading the virus that…. We'll share some tips for fading chicken pox scars, including natural products, over-the-counter options, and professional treatments. Chickenpox is known for its red, itchy rash, but it may also spread to your mouth.
Chickenpox in the mouth looks different than on the skin. Learn how…. To avoid infecting others in the waiting room, call ahead for an appointment and mention that you think you or your child may have chickenpox. Chickenpox infection is caused by the varicella-zoster virus.
It can spread through direct contact with the rash. It can also spread when a person with the chickenpox coughs or sneezes and you inhale the air droplets. Your risk of becoming infected with the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox is higher if you haven't already had chickenpox or if you haven't had the chickenpox vaccine.
It's especially important for people who work in child care or school settings to be vaccinated. Most people who have had chickenpox or have been vaccinated against chickenpox are immune to chickenpox. A few people can get chickenpox more than once, but this is rare. If you've been vaccinated and still get chickenpox, symptoms are often milder, with fewer blisters and mild or no fever. Chickenpox is normally a mild disease. But it can be serious and can lead to complications including:. Low birth weight and limb abnormalities are more common among babies born to women who are infected with chickenpox early in their pregnancy.
When a mother is infected with chickenpox in the week before birth or within a couple of days after giving birth, her baby has a higher risk of developing a serious, life-threatening infection. If you're pregnant and not immune to chickenpox, talk to your doctor about the risks to you and your unborn child.
If you've had chickenpox, you're at risk of a complication called shingles. The varicella-zoster virus remains in your nerve cells after the skin infection has healed. Many years later, the virus can reactivate and resurface as shingles — a painful cluster of short-lived blisters. The virus is more likely to reappear in older adults and people who have weakened immune systems. The pain of shingles can last long after the blisters disappear.
This is called postherpetic neuralgia and can be severe. The shingles vaccine Shingrix is recommended for adults who have had chickenpox. Shingrix is approved and recommended for people age 50 and older, including those who've previously received another shingles vaccine Zostavax. Zostavax, which isn't recommended until age 60, is no longer sold in the United States. The chickenpox varicella vaccine is the best way to prevent chickenpox.
When the vaccine doesn't provide complete protection, it significantly lessens the severity of chickenpox. Young children. In the United States, children receive two doses of the varicella vaccine — the first between ages 12 and 15 months and the second between ages 4 and 6 years — as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule.
The vaccine can be combined with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, but for some children between the ages of 12 and 23 months, the combination may increase the risk of fever and seizure from the vaccine.
If they get infected, they will develop chickenpox, not shingles. It takes about 2 weeks from 10 to 21 days after exposure to a person with chickenpox or shingles for someone to develop chickenpox.
If a vaccinated person gets the disease, they can still spread it to others. For most people, getting chickenpox once provides immunity for life. It is possible to get chickenpox more than once, but this is not common. For more information about how to prevent chickenpox, see Prevention and Treatment. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Chickenpox Varicella. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages.
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