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CHICKEN POX

You'll need to stay away from school, nursery and work until all the spots have crusted over. This is usually 5 days after the spots appeared.

Chickenpox is a mild and common childhood illness that most children catch at some point.

It causes a rash of red, itchy spots that turn into fluid-filled blisters. They then crust over to form scabs, which eventually drop off.

Some children have only a few spots, but in others they can cover the entire body. The spots are most likely to appear on the face, ears and scalp, under the arms, on the chest and belly and on the arms and legs.

Chickenpox (medically known as varicella) is caused by a virus called the varicella-zoster virus. It's spread quickly and easily through the coughs and sneezes of someone who is infected.

Chickenpox is most common in children under 10. In fact, chickenpox is so common in childhood that 90% of adults are immune to the condition because they've had it before.

Children usually catch chickenpox in winter and spring, particularly between March and May.

Chickenpox treatment

Chickenpox in children is considered a mild illness, but expect your child to feel pretty miserable and irritable while they have it.

Your child is likely to have a fever at least for the first few days of the illness. The spots can be incredibly itchy.

Do

• Drink plenty of fluid (try ice lollies if your child is not drinking) to avoid dehydration
• Take paracetamol to help with pain and discomfort
• Put socks on your child's hands at night to stop scratching
• Cut your child's nails
• Use cooling creams or gels from a pharmacy
• Speak to a pharmacist about using antihistamine medicine to help itching
• Bathe in cool water and pat the skin dry (do not rub)
• Dress in loose clothes

Don’t

• Do not use ibuprofen unless advised to do so by a doctor, as it may cause serious skin infections
• Do not give aspirin to children under 16
• Do not be around pregnant women, newborn babies and people with a weakened immune system, as chickenpox can be dangerous for them

In most children, the blisters crust up and fall off naturally within one to two weeks.

When to see a doctor?

For most children, chickenpox is a mild illness that gets better on its own.

But some children can become more seriously ill with chickenpox. They need to see a doctor.

Contact your doctor straight away if your child develops any abnormal symptoms, for example:

• If the blisters on their skin become infected
• If your child has a pain in their chest or has difficulty breathing

Chickenpox in adults

Chickenpox may be a childhood illness, but adults can get it too. Chickenpox tends to be more severe in adults than children, and adults have a higher risk of developing complications.

As with children, adults with chickenpox should stay off work until all the spots have crusted over. They should seek medical advice if they develop any abnormal symptoms, such as infected blisters.

Adults with chickenpox may benefit from taking antiviral medicine if treatment is started early in the course of the illness.

Who's at special risk?

Some children and adults are at special risk of serious problems if they catch chickenpox. They include:

• Pregnant women
• Newborn babies
• People with a weakened immune system

These people should seek medical advice as soon as they are exposed to the chickenpox virus or they develop chickenpox symptoms.

They may need a blood test to check if they are immune (protected from) chickenpox.

Chickenpox in pregnancy

Chickenpox occurs in approximately three in every 1,000 pregnancies. It can cause serious complications for both the pregnant woman and her baby. Contact your local doctor for further information on what to do if you are exposed to chickenpox during pregnancy.

Chickenpox and shingles

Once you have had chickenpox, you usually develop antibodies to the infection and become immune to catching it again. However, the virus that causes chickenpox, the varicella virus, remains dormant (inactive) in your body's nerve tissues and can return later in life as an illness called shingles.

It is possible to catch chickenpox from someone with shingles, but not the other way around.

Is there a vaccine against chickenpox?

There is a chickenpox vaccine but it is not part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. The vaccine is only offered to children and adults who are particularly vulnerable to chickenpox complications.