Ailments and Situations - Chickenpox

 
Description

Chickenpox is a very common childhood disease. Given the highly visible nature of chickenpox, people are often surprised when they learn it is actually a respiratory viral infection.

Outbreaks often occur among school children during the winter months when they are kept in close confinement. The virus is highly infectious for two days before the rash appears a week later.

Chickenpox rarely occurs in adults, but is more severe when it does. Adults who have not had chickenpox should avoid people who are currently suffering from it or have shingles. This is especially imperative for pregnant women who have not had chickenpox -- if they catch it while pregnant, the newborn may have a severe attack.

 

Symptoms and Signs:

Children experience a rash on their bodies that is typical of this disease. The raised, red, itchy lesions are called papules. They sometimes occur in the windpipes and bronchial tubes, causing a dry cough. Eruptions dominate the upper portion of the body and rarely occur on the face or extremities.

Chickenpox is usually accompanied by a slight fever. Other symptoms include headaches, malaise, and sore throat. The rash heals quickly and usually does not leave any permanent marks behind.

 
Causes:

Chickenpox is caused by a herpesvirus called varicella-zoster virus. It is highly contagious and is passed on to others via infectious droplets that are either airborne or have fallen on to various surfaces such as desks, pencils, et cetera. Incubation time is 14 to 21 days.

The virus enters the respiratory tract where it multiplies and enters the bloodstream to be spread quickly throughout the body. It is for this reason the rash seems to appear so quickly all over the body.

 
What to Expect:

The rash appears one to three weeks after infection. The red, itchy, spots that appear soon become blister-like and are water-filled (vesicular). The blisters dry out and form scabs after a few days. Once the infection is over, life-long immunity to chicken pox is incurred.

Adults who contract chicken pox may have severe pneumonia with breathing difficulties.

Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), pneumonia, myelitis (infection of the spinal cord or bone marrow), meningitis (inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord), Reye's syndrome, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscles), and Guillain-Barré syndrome are all rare complications of chicken pox.

Once the rash is gone, the virus can set up residence in nerve cells, called dorsal root ganglia, in some people. It can remain dormant there for several years without any symptoms. Occasionally, the virus can come up to the skin surface and cause shingles.

Shingles is a painful skin infection that occurs only in skin that is supplied by the affected nerves. Shingles most commonly affects the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems. This often occurs during times of stress or immunosuppression.

 

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