His chickenpox “vomit of the wind” is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which usually occurs in outbreaks with greater frequency in autumn and spring.
Right Dr. AS Teodora Moisilprimary infectious physician at the Victor Babeș hospital in Timișoara, the virus is transmitted through direct contact with the respiratory secretions of patients with chickenpox or through contact with the contents of vesicular skin lesions.
How long are you contagious if you have chickenpox?
Chickenpox is contagious starting 2-3 days before the blisters appear and lasts until they turn into scabs.
“After infectious contact, any person, regardless of age, can contract the disease. Exceptions are those who have acquired immunity after the disease, after vaccination and children born to immunized mothers. The incubation period is, on average , of 14 days “, explains the infectious doctor.
What are the symptoms of chickenpox?
The onset of the disease is with fever, chills, fatigue, headache. 1-2 days later, the first eruptive elements appear on the skin.
“It is characteristic that in this condition there can be, at the same time, eruptive elements in different stages: macules, papules, blisters and crusts. It takes 10 to 14 days for all of this to become encrusted (dry).
The rash is very itchy and appears both on the integuments and on the mucous membranes (oral mucosa, genital), in the scalp and can be generalized “, adds Dr. Moisil.
Complications of chickenpox
In children with a good immune system, chickenpox causes mild clinical forms. There is, however, a very rare exception, when the disease presents neurological manifestations of the cerebellar type (inflammation of the cerebellum), but with favorable evolution.
“Severe forms, with abundant rashes and complications, such as chickenpox pneumonia, encephalitis, polyradiculoneuritis, occur more frequently in adolescents, adults, immunosuppressed people, pregnant women, newborns and require hospitalization and appropriate treatment .
If chickenpox occurs in pregnant women, 5-7 days before or shortly after birth, the risk of neonatal chickenpox is very high (newborns can develop severe forms with a risk of death in 30% of cases) “, explains the Dr. Teodora Moisil.
How to treat chickenpox
Treatment of mild forms of chickenpox is symptomatic and does not require hospitalization. In these cases antithermals are recommended, to control fever, without using them aspirinlocal skin applications with menthol alcohol, for disinfection and reduction of itching, and isolation.
“Antiviral treatment is indicated for people at high risk of developing a severe form (adolescents, adults, pregnant women, immunosuppressed patients, newborns). Treatment with antibiotics it is only recommended in case of skin superinfection “, emphasizes the doctor.
Chickenpox confers lifelong immunity. Vaccination against chickenpox it is the most effective measure to prevent the disease. People who have not been able to receive the chickenpox vaccine can benefit immediately after infectious contact from specific immunoprophylaxis.
–
