Chickenpox: painful, but not dangerous

The causative agent of chickenpox or the chickenpox is varicella-zoster virus (VZV). VZV - is double-stranded DNA virus, a member of the subfamily alfagerpesvirusov. Infection with chickenpox, usually occurs by airborne droplets. This is one of the most common childhood diseases, although adults are sick with chickenpox. The skin of the patient is covered with chicken pox rash of fluid-filled blisters hundreds that burst after a while. The rash causes itching and can be very painful.

The mechanism of chickenpox

In most cases, a sick chickenpox child has to stay at home at least a week. The first half of the week, he feels bad because of severe itching and other symptoms, and the second week - is not very good, but because of boredom. Now, many are doing vaccinated against chicken pox and the disease is less common. The vaccinated person either can not get sick, or in the case of infection, the disease is much easier than usual.

Chickenpox is highly contagious. It can be infected by contact with pus from the blisters (it can be on the skin, on clothing and on subjects that relate to the patient), and if next to you sneezes or coughs infected.

How is chickenpox

Infection with chickenpox occurs by droplets through close and even distant (20 m) in contact with the patient. Chickenpox virus hit the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, cells embedded in its surface layers and it propagates throughout the incubation period. When the virus multiplied in sufficient numbers, they go to nearby lymph nodes first Lymph nodes - what keeps our immune system And then into the blood. Release of virus in blood due to the onset of the disease. With viruses enter the bloodstream into the surface layers of the skin and mucous membranes, which actively proliferate, causing the development of the characteristic elements of an eruption.

Chickenpox is highly contagious. Most often, it affects children who attend children's group, Group nurseries and kindergarten one sick child usually infects all children. Therefore quarantine chickenpox lasts 21 days from the time the last child of the disease.

If contamination does occur, the disease is likely to occur in a mild form, so as antibodies received by the blood of the baby in utero from maternal blood (their activity usually results in the first three months of life) and in breast milk yet protect the baby. If the mother is not in the body of antibodies Antibodies - "soldiers' immunity   to the chickenpox virus infection in infants can be severe. Just hard chickenpox can occur in infants after the age of three who are bottle-fed.

How to recognize chicken pox

How to determine the chickenpox? Usually it is not difficult, as has the characteristics of chicken pox. In doubtful cases, a laboratory diagnosis of chickenpox - in the blood of antibodies to detect the presence of this infection.

Health chickenpox is of particular importance, as can prevent a bacterial infection. Child nails are cut short, daily changing bed linen and clothes, all the elements of the rash smeared with green paint. Contraindications chickenpox - a sharp, fried, smoked, sweet foods, strong tea and coffee, and especially alcohol.

The symptoms of chickenpox

Symptoms of chickenpox occur in a period of 10 to 21 days after infection. A person becomes contagious 1-2 days before the appearance of overt symptoms. Teenagers and adults usually suffer chickenpox is much heavier than small children.

On average, the skin appears of 250 to 500 small, itchy blisters. Often, the first of which occur on the face, head and torso, and from there spread throughout the body. The presence of rash on the scalp is usually used to confirm the diagnosis. After one or two days they burst, and in their place the skin covered with a crust, and yet there are new blisters. They may appear anywhere, including the mouth, vagina and eyelids.

People with skin diseases such as eczema, diseases chickenpox may receive up to 1,500 blisters.

For diagnosis, usually using a simple medical examination; if a doctor in doubt, do a blood test.

How is and how many days lasts chickenpox

Allocate the following stages (periods) of chickenpox:

• The incubation period - lasting from 10 to 21-23 days), at the time a person looks healthy, but in the cells of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract is an active virus replication chickenpox;
• prodrome - lasts for 1-2 days, at which time their viruses and toxins into the blood, causing the overall toxicity of the body; in this period, chickenpox difficult to distinguish from other acute infection;
• during eruptions on the skin and mucous membranes - it lasts an average of about 3 to 10 days but can be shorter or longer; at this time the viruses enter the bloodstream into the cells of integument, multiply there and cause the appearance of bubble rash;
• convalescence - lasts 5 days after the last rash; all the bubbles turn into crust.

How many days sick with chickenpox is hard to say - it depends on the severity of the infection and rashes dlite5lnosti period. On average, the disease lasts 7-10 days, but severe visceral continue much longer.

The initial stage of chickenpox - prodrome

Symptoms of chickenpox occur in a period of 10 to 21 days after infection. In fact, the beginning of chickenpox occurs earlier as the patient becomes contagious 1-2 days before the appearance of overt symptoms. Teenagers and adults usually suffer chickenpox is much heavier than small children from two to 12 years.

The first signs of chickenpox - a fever, headache, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, muscle and joint pains. Prodromal period of chickenpox is more pronounced in adults, in children with mild chickenpox during his might not be. In adults, the temperature of chickenpox may be high (up to 39˚S and above) and stay two or three days, along with pronounced symptoms of intoxication.

As the chicken pox begins yet? Sometimes the skin appears the so-called prodromal rash - dec. This rash, unlike chicken pox has Punctate (scarlatiniform) or maculopapular (morbilliform) character. With the transition to the next stage of chickenpox dec disappear, but in some cases it appears simultaneously with bubbly rash, but it quickly passes.

Period rash of chickenpox

What are the symptoms of chickenpox during this period? Against the backdrop of rise in temperature there are elements of the rash. First - a few small red spots on different areas of the skin or mucous membranes. Very quickly specks appear on the surface of fine bubbles, surrounded by a red border, with clear content that quickly becomes cloudy. Skin rashes occurring in waves at intervals of 1-2 days at the background of the temperature rise. Bubble rash appears on any areas of the skin, including the scalp.

On average, the skin appears of 250 to 500 small, itchy bubbles (vesicles). After one or two days, they dry up, and the skin on their site is covered by a crust, but also on the skin, new bubbles. It is important to present it looks like chicken pox. The skin of the patient is a mixed picture: it contains both red spots, blisters and brown.

Bubble rash often appears on the mucous membranes, including the mouth, on the conjunctiva of the eyes and genitals. Chickenpox on the genitals in women manifests itself mainly in the form of a rash on the skin and mucous membranes of the vulva (the external genitalia), primarily on the large and small labia, the clitoris and to the pubic.

First of all, often develop severe forms of the infection with brain damage. In addition, chickenpox is dangerous and that can affect not only the skin of the genital organs, but also extend to the wall of the urethra, causing severe itching and pain. It is also possible viral infection of the testicles - orchitis. But the consequences of chickenpox in men and women do not usually extend to the condition of the reproductive system: all the inflammatory processes end without consequences.

The effects of chickenpox are rare. Traces after the chicken pox on the skin in the form of bright spots are usually a few weeks. But traces of chickenpox, complicated by a bacterial infection can remain for a lifetime, as this scar, which can remove only in the beauty parlor.