Chickenpox | Symptoms & Causes
What causes chickenpox?
Chickenpox is extremely contagious. It spreads from person to person by direct contact or through the air.
- Chickenpox is contagious for one to two days before the appearance of the rash and until the blisters have dried and become scabs.
- Children should stay home and away from other children until all of the blisters have scabbed over.
- Family members who have never had chickenpox have a 90 percent chance of becoming infected when another family member in the household is infected.
- Most individuals who have had chickenpox will be immune to the disease for the rest of their lives. However, there is a chance of developing shingles later in life, or even a secondary case of chickenpox.
What are the symptoms of chickenpox?
Symptoms are usually mild among children, but may be life-threatening to infants, adults and people with weak immune systems. While symptoms vary from child to child, the most common include:
- Fatigue and irritability one to two days before the rash begins
- Itchy rash on the trunk, face, under the armpits, on the upper arms and legs, inside the mouth, and, sometimes, in the windpipe and bronchial tubes
- Fever
- Decreased appetite
- Muscle and/or joint pain
- Cough or runny nose
Infants, adults and people with weak immune systems who get chickenpox are at risk for serious complications. They include:
- Secondary bacterial infections
- Pneumonia
- Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
- Cerebellar ataxia (defective muscular coordination)
- Transverse myelitis (inflammation along the spinal cord)
- Reye syndrome (a serious condition which may affect all major systems or organs)
- In extremely rare cases, death
Chickenpox | Diagnosis & Treatments
How does a doctor diagnosis chickenpox?
The chickenpox rash is unique, and a diagnosis can usually be made from a physical examination.
How is chickenpox treated?
For the most part, the chickenpox virus needs to run its course, but there are several things you can do to help reduce the symptoms and prevent other infections. It's very important that you don't let your child scratch the blisters, as this could lead to secondary bacterial infections. Keep your child's fingernails short to decrease the likelihood of scratching. In addition, treatments may include:
- Acetaminophen for fever (do not give aspirin)
- Antibiotics for treating bacterial infections
- Calamine lotion (to relieve itching)
- Antiviral drugs (for severe cases)
- Bed rest
- Increased fluid intake (to prevent dehydration)
- Cool baths with baking soda or Aveeno (to relieve itching)
How we care for chickenpox
The Boston Children's Hospital Informatics Program created HealthMap, an online resource and smart phone application that helps track the spread of contagious diseases, including chickenpox, in real time.
