Health Talk

Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral disease that causes itchy skin rash with blisters. This rashes are caused by varicella zoster virus, a part of the herpes virus group. The blisters can spread to the whole parts of the body skin but there are cases that only an small part of a skin area is affected.

It spreads through person to person contact with the fluid that came from the broken blisters. This can be acquired through breathing, sneezing and coughing because the said virus are airborne. An individual may suffer chickenpox once in a lifetime, after that the virus stays in the body until it can pass to another victim through shingles (another herpes causing illness).

Chickenpox is considered a mild disease and is not a serious threat to health. However, people with weak immune system or if you let it untreated for a period of time, it can pose serious complications such as pneumonia and skin infections and even death.

Children are more prone to serious complications when hit by chickenpox. Adults and teenagers have more numbers of cases of chickenpox in the United States and 5% of the total numbers died due to complications.

When you get chickenpox, the usual symptoms would be fever and itchiness of the spreading blisters. These blisters can develop in the face, scalp, torso and even to sensitive body parts. These blisters will then dry and will form scars in 5 to 7 days. Once infected, the person is very contagious from 1 to 2 days before the rash appears and until the blisters have dried out.

Who are at risk with this disease? Anyone who has not had this disease is at high risk especially after exposure to an infected person. It is much better to isolate the patient in one room until the condition gets well. Always wear facial mask and hand gloves when you make contact with an infected person. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and sanitizers after exposure.

The most common treatment for chickenpox is by preventing it through anti-virus vaccination. Once infected, avoid scratching the blisters as this may cause skin infections. Keep the skin clean after infections.

Chickenpox is largely not a serious disease and can be avoided. This information will help you understand the properties of the varicella zoster virus that causes chickenpox. Keep yourself and your family safe from this type of diseases all the time.

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