Chickenpox

Chickenpox (or chicken pox) is a highly contagious disease caused by primary infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). It usually starts with vesicular skin rash mainly on the body and head rather than at the periphery and becomes itchy, raw pockmarks, which mostly heal without scarring. On examination, the observer typically finds lesions at various stages of healing.

C hickenpox is an airborne disease spread easily through coughing or sneezing of ill individuals or through direct contact with secretions from the rash. A person with chickenpox is infectious one to two days before the rash appears. They remain contagious until all lesions have crusted over (this takes approximately six days). Immunocompromised patients are contagious during the entire period as new lesions keep appearing. Crusted lesions are not contagious.

Signs and symptoms

The early symptoms in adolescents and adults are nausea, loss of appetite, aching muscles, and headache. This is followed by the characteristic rash, malaise and a low-grade fever that signal the presence of the disease. In children the illness is not usually preceded by prodromal symptoms and the first sign is the rash. The rash begins as small red dots on the face, scalp, torso and upper arms and legs; progressing over 10–12 hours to small bumps, blisters and pustules; followed by umbilication and the formation of scabs.

To relieve the symptoms of chickenpox, people commonly use anti-itching creams and lotions. These lotions are not to be used on the face or close to the eyes. Neem leaves can be made into paste form and can be applied on the rashes. Warm water bath with neem leaves may be helpful. Water bath may be done at least seven days from the onset of the vesicles. It should be done so because the vesicles contain the virus and may splash while bathing and it may cause the vesicles to appear on subsequent regions. An oatmeal bath also might help ease discomfort.

	primary	первинний, початковий
	skin rash	шкірний висип
	itchy	сверблячий
	scarring	зарубцьовування
	lesion	пошкодження, рана
	adolescent	юнак, молода особа
	loss of appetite	втрата апетиту
	aching muscles	біль у мязах
	blister	пухир
	pustule	прищ
	bump	набряк
	sneezing	чхання
	prodromal symptoms	ранні симптоми, що вказують на початок захворювання
	umbilication	ямка, заглиблення
	scab	струп
	to ease discomfort	полегшити неприємні відчуття