Children's disease chickenpox treatment. Why is it still itchy? Means of local action from chickenpox

Windmill is a household name terrible disease- chicken pox, which has haunted mankind for several centuries. Most endure it in childhood, acquiring immunity for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, the myth that chickenpox only gets sick once is very common. Under the influence or other reasons, immunity can be weakened so much that you can become infected again.

Chickenpox is transmitted only by airborne droplets. The patient is contagious from the end of the incubation period (one day before the rash appears) until the crusts fall off on the fifth day after the appearance of the last smallpox vesicle.

Rashes appear only 2 weeks after. The pathogen takes time to penetrate deeply into the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, respiratory tract, from which it enters the air, and then penetrates into new organism when inhaling.

The causative agent is the Varicella zoster virus, which appears in smallpox vesicles. He dies under the influence ultraviolet radiation and high temperatures.

“After leaving” the infected, this herpes virus is dangerous for only 10 minutes, but even this time can be enough to infect those who are nearby.

Children most often become infected in kindergartens or schools where they come into contact long time.

Ways of infection

• sneezing
• conversation
• contact with the contents of the patient's smallpox vesicles (for example, kissing)

There are also cases where infection occurs in an unusual way. For example, a sick child (there are no symptoms of the disease yet, and no one yet suspects that he is contagious) held a toy in his mouth, and then (an interval of less than 10 minutes) a healthy baby pulls it into his mouth or kisses it.

Diagnosis of chickenpox is usually carried out without prescribing additional procedures. It is enough for the doctor to talk with the parents and examine the patient.

The main symptom of chickenpox for a pediatrician is the nature of the rash. It is scattered throughout the body, including on the mucous membranes. Upper layer skin is covered simultaneously with all types of rashes, which indicates the jerky nature of the disease. New sores appear even before the old ones have had time to heal - this is polymorphic.

After the penetration of the virus into the surface layer of the skin, the capillaries expand, and a pink spot with a diameter of up to 4 mm appears. Then there is a papule, serous edema, and a vesicle - detachment of the epidermis. The sores dry out and dark red or brown crusts form.

The main distinguishing feature of smallpox is the transparent, rather than purulent content of the vesicles, the polymorphic nature of the rash. In this it differs from pyoderma (for example, impetigo), strophulus - children's pruritus, mosquito bites.

How to treat chickenpox in children?

Treatment is not required. The main and most powerful medicine from is time. The therapeutic course involves only measures to restore the body, reduce the manifestations of unpleasant symptoms, and maintain the patient's well-being.

The child needs rest and peace, the so-called home regimen. It cannot be wrapped up, because. when overheated, itching increases significantly.

Some doctors prescribe antiviral drugs: in tablets, in suppositories, although it has been proven that there is no cure for chickenpox. These medicines slightly alleviate the patient's condition and help to avoid complications.

Parents of a child with chickenpox can only support the baby throughout the illness, surround him with care and attention. Then he will endure the disease more easily and will recover faster.

Itching Relief Methods

Before all smallpox vesicles are covered with crusts, the child usually suffers from constant itching. This unpleasant symptom disappears within about a week, but how can the suffering of a little man be alleviated during this period?

Preparations

• Diazolin
• Tavegil
• Loratadine
• Claritin
• Zyrtec
• Cetrin in the form of syrup or tablets
• Feksadin
• Telfast
• Rinecold
• Rinza
• Fenistil in the form of a gel and drops
• in tablets
• Acyclovir - ointment or cream
• calamine lotion
• Zovirax
• Viralex
• Flacoside
• Allizarin
• Heleperin
• Delaskin in the form of a powder, cream and / or bath additive (this is a synthetic tannin)

It is these bacteria that can cause such complications after chickenpox as:

• Skin lesions - pyoderma (including streptoderma), erysipelas, gangrene.
• Lymphadenitis, pathologically enlarged lymph nodes.
• Disorders of the heart - endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart - endocardium),.
• Encephalomyelitis and encephalitis in the form of acute cerebellar ataxia — viral disease brain. Symptoms may appear as early as a week after the rash appears. These are high temperature, tremor (trembling) of the limbs, convulsions, paralysis, fainting, impaired coordination of movements, as well as symptoms of inflammation of the soft membrane - meningitis.
• Ulcers on the mucous membrane of the eyes provoke various eye diseases from conjunctivitis to blindness. Neuritis may also occur. optic nerve.
• joints causes pain.
• Nephritis is kidney damage.
• Viral varicella pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs.
• - inflammation in the ear.

This is just a small list of diseases that chickenpox can provoke. It is encouraging that such serious complications are extremely rare in children.

From the program of Dr. Komarovsky, you will learn more about the course of chickenpox in children.

With careful care for a sick child, compliance with measures to strengthen the baby's weakened body, chickenpox will pass quickly and without consequences.

What is chickenpox Chickenpox (chickenpox) is a viral disease transmitted by airborne aerosol from an infected person to a healthy one and is characterized by specific skin rashes in the form of vesicles that appear against the background of severe fever and other signs general poisoning organism.

Chicken pox has been known since antiquity. Until the second half of the eighteenth century, the disease was considered as easy option currents of smallpox or smallpox, which in those days was a real disaster, devastating entire settlements.

It was not until the beginning of the last century that a link was discovered between chickenpox and herpes zoster (shingles). At the same time, a hypothesis arose about the general nature of the disease. However, the causative virus was isolated only in 1951.

At the same time, it turned out that a person who has had chickenpox has a so-called intense lifelong immunity, when immunity to an infection is explained by the presence of a pathogen in the body.

In an unfavorable combination of circumstances, the virus “sleeping” in the nerve nodes is activated, causing clinical manifestations of herpes zoster - bubble rashes along the affected nerve.

Shingles. Eruptions along the intercostal nerve.

Today, chicken pox is one of the most common diseases (ranks third after influenza and SARS). Mostly children are ill (patients under the age of 14 make up about 80-90% of all cases), it is this category of the population that has almost 100% susceptibility to the causative agent of chickenpox. Therefore, chickenpox refers to the so-called "children's" infections.

The disease is usually mild and moderate form, so deaths are extremely rare. For this reason, many experts have long treated chickenpox as a "non-serious" disease.

However, recent studies have shown that with chicken pox not only the skin and nervous tissue are affected, but also the digestive system, lungs, and organs of the genitourinary sphere. In addition, the chickenpox virus can be extremely Negative influence on fetal development and pregnancy.

Chickenpox causative agent

All herpesviruses have a genome consisting of double-stranded DNA. They are quite sensitive to external physical and chemical attack, including high temperature and ultraviolet radiation.

Most viruses of this group can stay in an infected organism for a long time, sometimes even for life, without causing any clinical symptoms. Therefore, they are classified as so-called slow infections (herpes, shingles, etc.). Under adverse circumstances, a dormant infection can become more active and manifest itself as pronounced signs of the disease.

Herpesviruses are easily transmitted from person to person, so that the majority of the population on the planet has time to become infected even in childhood. The causative agents of this group are characterized by polyorganic and polysystemic lesions, which is associated with a teratogenic effect (the occurrence of deformities in the fetus) and the death of debilitated patients, especially newborns.

It should be noted that all herpesviruses have a depressing effect on the immune system and are activated against the background of other diseases that occur with a pronounced decrease in defensive forces organism (AIDS, leukemia, malignant tumors).

The varicella-zoster virus (Varicella zoster virus) is capable of reproducing exclusively in the nucleus of cells. infected person, in the external environment, it quickly dies under the influence of sunlight, heating and other adverse factors. In droplets of saliva and mucus, the chickenpox virus can persist for no more than 10-15 minutes.

How does the chickenpox virus spread?

Traditionally, chickenpox is classified as respiratory diseases, however, the virus appears in the nasopharyngeal mucus only in cases where the surface of the mucous membrane is also covered with rashes. But even in such cases, swabs from the nasopharynx contain a significantly smaller number of pathogens than the contents of the vesicles located on the skin.

The crusts formed at the site of bursting varicella vesicles do not contain pathogens, therefore, the period of the patient's greatest contagiousness is determined from the moment the rash appears to the period of crust formation.

Infection occurs by airborne droplets - through the inhalation of air containing mucus elements. It should be noted that chickenpox got its name because of the special volatility of the infection - the virus can spread to a distance of up to 20 m, penetrating through the corridors of residential premises and even from one floor to another.

In addition, chickenpox can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby through the placenta. It should be noted that adult women rarely get chickenpox. So most often, infection of the fetus occurs when a persistent (dormant) infection is activated in the form of shingles.

If infection of the fetus occurs in the first trimester (in the first 12 weeks from the first day last menstrual period), then there exists big risk the birth of a child with severe malformations. Infection at a later date, as a rule, leads to the manifestation of infection after birth, but not in the form of chickenpox, but in the form of herpes zoster.

Who is most susceptible to chickenpox?

However, maternal antibodies are gradually washed out of the body and can fully restrain the development of the disease only during the first year of a child's life.

Then the susceptibility to chickenpox increases, reaching almost 100% of the maximum at the age of 4-5 years. Since the vast majority of the population has time to catch chickenpox in childhood, in adults given form Varicella zoster virus infections are rare.

Shingles, which develops in those who have had chickenpox, on the contrary, usually occurs in old age (65% of cases of the disease are recorded in patients over 65 years of age).

Thus, chickenpox mainly affects children, and shingles - the elderly. However, both diseases can develop at almost any age.

Chickenpox is quite dangerous in terms of epidemics, so outbreaks of chickenpox are often recorded in children's groups (kindergartens, schools, sanatoriums, etc.). At the same time, such a mini-epidemic may also occur as a result of contact with an adult patient with herpes zoster.

At the same time, there are also sporadic (outside the epidemic outbreak) cases of chickenpox, when the patient can be isolated in a timely manner, preventing the spread of infection.

The incidence of chickenpox is characterized by a peculiar cyclical appearance of epidemics. At the same time, small cycles of epidemics are distinguished, repeating after several years, and large ones - with an interval of 20 years or more.

In autumn, there is a significant increase in the incidence of chickenpox, associated with the mass return of children to kindergartens and schools. The rise in incidence in spring period called sharp fluctuations temperature and seasonal decrease in immunity.

Signs, symptoms and clinical course of chickenpox

Classification of clinical manifestations of chickenpox

In the localized form of the lesion are limited outer surface body, when specific pathological elements appear on the skin and mucous membranes. Generalized forms are found in debilitated patients and are characterized by damage not only to the external integument, but also internal organs.

In addition, there are three degrees of severity of the course of the disease - mild, moderate and severe. severity clinical course is determined by the nature of the pathological elements, the area of ​​the affected surface, the severity of intoxication and the prevalence of the process.

When establishing a diagnosis, the doctor indicates the severity of the course, the prevalence of the process and the presence of complications. For example: “Chicken pox, generalized form, severe course. Complication: bilateral focal pneumonia.

During chickenpox, like any other infectious disease, there are four periods:

• incubation (the period of latent course of infection);
• prodromal (period of general malaise, when specific symptoms infection has not yet manifested itself clearly enough);
• the period of developed clinical symptoms;
• recovery period.

Incubation and prodromal period in chickenpox

Once in the upper respiratory tract, viral bodies penetrate the epithelial cells of the mucous membranes and begin to multiply there intensively. The entire incubation period is the accumulation of viral bodies. Having reached a significant concentration, the infection breaks through local protective barriers and massively enters the bloodstream, causing viremia.

Clinically, viremia is manifested by symptoms of the prodromal period, such as malaise, headache, loss of appetite, aching muscles. However, chickenpox is characterized by a rapid and acute onset, the prodrome is usually only a few hours, so that patients often simply do not notice it.
Infection with blood through the bloodstream and with the flow of interstitial fluid through lymphatic vessels spreads throughout the body and is fixed mainly in the cells of the epithelium of the skin and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. It is also possible to damage the nervous tissue - the cells of the intervertebral ganglions, the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures.

In those rare cases when the disease proceeds in a generalized form, cells of the liver, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract are affected.

Intensive reproduction of the virus causes symptoms characteristic of the period of rashes: rash, fever and signs of general poisoning of the body.

The period of rashes with chickenpox

In the future, the upper layers of the skin are peeled off, as a result of which a bubble is formed filled with a clear liquid - a vesicle. Sometimes the vesicles suppurate, turning into pustules.

Vesicles filled with serous fluid or pus can open, in such cases a weeping surface opens under them. However, more often they dry out, forming crusts.

Initially, the rash appears on the skin of the trunk and limbs, and then on the face and scalp. Less commonly, a rash appears on the palms, soles, mucous membranes of the mouth, nasopharynx, external genital organs, and on the conjunctiva of the eyes. As a rule, such rashes indicate a severe form of the disease. In such cases, the rash appears on the mucous membranes earlier than on the surface of the skin.

Chickenpox is characterized by the appearance of new elements of the rash - the so-called "sprinkling". As a result, on the 3-4th day from the moment the rash appears, different elements can be found on one area of ​​​​the skin - spots, papules, vesicles and crusts

chicken pox elements

Vesicles with chickenpox, as a rule, are single-chamber and, with a favorable course of the disease, quickly dry out, transforming into crusts. At the same time, the number of elements of the rash can be different - from single vesicles, which can be easily counted, to abundant rashes that cover the skin and mucous membranes in a continuous layer.

Rashes on the surface of the skin are accompanied by severe itching. Lesions of the mucous membranes of the mouth, which occur in about 20-25% of cases, are accompanied by profuse salivation. In the oral cavity, the bubbles quickly open and expose the eroded surface, which leads to a pronounced pain syndrome and difficulty eating.

Fever and signs of general poisoning of the body most pronounced during the period of mass entry of the virus into the blood. Therefore, the temperature rises sharply during the onset of the rash. Each repeated rash is accompanied by a rise in temperature and a deterioration in the patient's condition.
General poisoning of the body is manifested by weakness, loss of appetite, headache, muscle aches, sleep disturbance. Nausea and vomiting often occur. There is a tendency to lower blood pressure.

With common forms of the disease elements characteristic of chickenpox are formed on the mucous membranes digestive tract and also in the bronchi. At the same time, erosion quickly occurs in place of the bubbles, which threatens the development internal bleeding. In severe cases, the virus multiplies in the liver cells, causing foci of necrosis.

The causative agent of chickenpox often affects the nervous tissue, and the changes may have different character from minor reversible deviations to gross organic defects.

Among the common forms of the disease, varicella pneumonia is most common. In such cases intoxication syndrome increases, the fever reaches 39-40 degrees and above. Pallor and cyanosis of the skin, dry painful cough, shortness of breath appear.

It is also quite common to develop lesions nervous system such as meningitis (inflammation meninges) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). In such cases, various kinds of disturbances of consciousness are often observed up to the development of a coma. Chickenpox encephalitis is especially severe - mortality reaches 20%.

Damage to the heart (myocarditis, endocarditis), liver (hepatitis), kidney (nephritis) and other internal organs are relatively rare.

Recovery period for chicken pox

Since only the superficial layers of the skin are affected in chickenpox, the rash usually disappears without a trace. For some time, in place of the fallen crusts, the so-called pigmentation remains - a change in skin color. Over time, this symptom disappears completely.

The clinical symptoms of periods of chickenpox depend on the severity of the course of the disease.

How can chickenpox occur?

When sick moderate fever rises to 38-39 degrees and lasts for about a week. Rashes are located mainly on the skin. The prognosis for such a course of chickenpox is favorable - complications, as a rule, do not develop, and the disease passes without a trace.

At severe course chickenpox develops extremely high fever(40 degrees Celsius and above), there is an increasing weakness, profuse rashes appear covering the surface of the skin and mucous membranes. Severe course is also spoken of in cases where the disease occurs in a generalized form. In addition, hemorrhagic, bullous and gangrenous-necrotic forms of the disease are characterized by a severe course.

The hemorrhagic form of chickenpox occurs against the background of increased vascular permeability and is characterized by the appearance of blood-filled vesicles, multiple hemorrhages on the skin and mucous membranes. Often there are complications in the form of nasal, uterine and gastrointestinal bleeding.

The bullous form of the disease is less commonly observed, when large flaccid blisters filled with pus appear on the skin. The overwhelming majority of patients with the bullous form are young children with a sharply weakened immune system.

The purulent-necrotic form of chickenpox is extremely rare, which is a combination of bullous and hemorrhagic forms. In such cases, deep necrosis forms at the site of the opened blisters, and blood infection develops.

The severe course of chickenpox, as a rule, indicates a lack of body defenses (AIDS, leukemia, dystrophy, malignant tumors, tuberculosis, sepsis (blood poisoning)).

Features of the course of chickenpox in adults

• higher and longer fever;
• the rash appears later (the prodromal period is better expressed), but it is more abundant and the crusts form much later;
• much more often the mucous membranes are affected (in 40-60% of cases).

Effect on the fetus

At later stages of pregnancy, intrauterine infection of the fetus is not so dangerous. However, in cases where infection occurred on the eve of or during childbirth, congenital chickenpox develops. This disease is always quite severe (mortality reaches 20%).

Chickenpox care: how to protect yourself and others from infection

The only consolation is that most adults, as a rule, have time to endure this disease in childhood, and in babies, chickenpox is relatively mild.

Doctors advise children who have been in contact with a person with chickenpox not to visit children's institutions for 21 days so as not to endanger others.

A sick child can be sent to children's institution on the day when all the elements of the rash are covered with crusts - from that moment the patient is no longer contagious.

The virus is unstable in the external environment, so no special disinfection measures should be carried out.

Chickenpox treatment

Medical therapy

In mild to moderate cases, treatment is usually carried out at home. In severe forms of chickenpox, as well as in cases of high risk of complications (the presence of concomitant diseases leading to a decrease in immunity), the patient is placed in a closed box of the infectious diseases department.

To date, antiviral therapy for chickenpox has been developed. Adolescents and adults are prescribed the drug acyclovir 800 mg orally 5 times a day for a week. The same drug will also help children under 12 years of age, if it is prescribed no later than on the first day of the disease (20 mg / kg of body weight 4 times a day).

In immunocompromised patients with chickenpox, it is recommended to administer intravenously 10 mg/kg of body weight 3 times a day for 7 days.

It should be noted that many doctors consider antiviral therapy for chickenpox in mild and moderate disease inappropriate.

If the disease occurs with a fever above 38-38.5 degrees, it is best to take paracetamol (Efferalgan, Panadol) as an antipyretic, which does not adversely affect the immune system.

The use of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is strictly prohibited, since this medicine can cause hemorrhagic syndrome in chickenpox (the appearance of a bloody rash, nosebleeds, etc.).
Many experts advise taking antihistamines such as claritin instead of antipyretics. Children from 2 to 12 years old are prescribed one spoonful of syrup 1 time per day, adolescents and adults 1 tablet (10 mg) 1 time per day.

General care

Many experts are very skeptical about the therapeutic effect of brilliant green, because similar procedures ultimately do not contribute to the speedy healing of the rash. However, such cauterization temporarily reduces the painful itching and has a disinfecting effect, preventing the penetration of bacteria and the development of pustules.

In addition, lubricating chickenpox elements with brilliant green makes it easy to identify fresh rashes and monitor the course of the disease.

For rashes in the oral cavity, it is advised to use the antiseptic furatsilin and preparations for rinsing medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory action (colanchoe juice, calendula, oak bark). In cases where rashes are located on the conjunctiva of the eyes, interferon drops are prescribed.

Since the disease proceeds with signs of general poisoning of the body, patients are advised to drink enough fluids so that toxins are quickly removed from the body.

Nutrition should be complete and contain an increased amount of proteins and vitamins. It is best to give preference to easily digestible food (dairy-vegetarian diet). In case of mucosal injury oral cavity spicy and sour foods should be avoided.

Bed rest with chickenpox is prescribed only in severe cases of the disease, it is necessary to avoid overheating, since excessive heat increases itching.

Of course, in cases where the room is too hot and the child suffers from itching, it is better to take a shower and then gently pat the skin dry with a towel.

Prevention of chickenpox through vaccination

However, since chickenpox in children is mild, vaccination is prescribed only according to indications (the presence of severe diseases that reduce immunity).

The consequences of chickenpox

More serious consequences occur when skin rashes are combined with lesions of the central nervous system. Possible development mental retardation, epilepsy attacks, paralysis, etc.
Unfavorable prognosis different malignant forms chicken pox, such as bullous, hemorrhagic, gangrenous, as well as generalized infection. In such cases, mortality can reach 25% or more, and the survivors may have rough scars on the skin in places of pathological rashes, severe irreversible changes in the internal organs and the nervous system.

In general, the outcome of chickenpox depends on comorbidities and the state of the immune system. Severe complications and deaths are more common in young children and the elderly.

Can you get chickenpox again?

How to treat chickenpox during pregnancy?

In addition, the chickenpox virus is able to cross the placenta and cause gross developmental disorders of the fetus (in the first half of pregnancy) and extremely severe forms of congenital chickenpox in newborns (if infected on the eve of childbirth).

To avoid a tragic development of events, pregnant women are given passive immunization(introduction of specific immunoglobulin).

Otherwise, the treatment of chickenpox during pregnancy is the same as in other categories of patients.

Chickenpox, well known to everyone under the name chickenpox, belongs to the group of highly contagious infectious diseases and affects mainly children under the age of 12 years. Relapses of the disease are unlikely, since during the initial contact with its pathogen, the body produces antibodies that circulate in the blood throughout life. specific antiviral treatment with chickenpox in a child in most cases is not required. All therapeutic measures taken are aimed only at alleviating the patient's condition and preventing complications.

Content:

The causative agent of the disease

Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella zoster virus, which belongs to the Herpesviridae (herpes) family. It is unstable in the environment and outside the human body can only exist for about 10 minutes, as it dies under the influence of high temperature, light and ultraviolet rays. Despite this, the chickenpox virus is very easily transmitted from one person to another, which is associated with its ability to quickly move hundreds of meters with air currents. The likelihood of chickenpox in people who have not had it before and who have not been vaccinated is 100%.

After chickenpox, the virus in an inactive form remains in the human body for life, localizing in spinal ganglia, cranial nerves associated with areas of the skin that were most affected during primary infection. With a significant weakening of the immune system, oncological diseases, nervous stress, blood diseases and other adverse factors in humans middle age it can reactivate, causing herpes zoster (shingles).

Ways of infection

From sick children to healthy chickenpox is transmitted only by airborne droplets. The virus enters the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, mouth and eyes during a conversation, when coughing, sneezing, kissing. The source of infection is people who get chickenpox or herpes zoster, about 1-2 days before the appearance of a characteristic rash on the skin and another 5 days after the last rash appears. The disease is also transmitted through the placenta from a future mother with chickenpox or herpes zoster to the fetus.

At an increased risk of contracting chickenpox are children attending kindergartens, and younger students who are constantly in the team. Most often, cases of chickenpox in kindergartens and schools are recorded in late autumn, winter and early spring.

Important: For babies under 6 months old, whose mothers had chickenpox in childhood, the virus, as a rule, is not dangerous, since antibodies to it, betrayed by the mother through the placenta, still remain in their blood. After having chickenpox, 97% of people develop lifelong immunity, therefore reinfection is rare.

Video: E. Malysheva about chickenpox in children. How to recognize and alleviate the condition

Incubation period

Chickenpox is characterized by a long incubation period. After contact with a source of infection, it takes from 7 to 21 days (usually 14 days) before the clinical signs characteristic of this disease appear.

Once in the body, the varicella-zoster virus is first fixed on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, begins to adapt and multiply. During the incubation period, there are no signs of the disease, the child is not contagious to others. When the virus accumulates in sufficient volume, it overcomes the local immunity of the mucous membranes and begins to penetrate into the blood.

When a certain concentration of viral particles is reached in the blood, a response of the immune system is triggered, which may be accompanied by a rise in body temperature, headache, and weakness. This condition lasts 1-2 days and is called the prodromal period, after which rashes characteristic of this disease appear on the skin. In children, the symptoms of chickenpox of this period are often mild or absent.

Chickenpox symptoms

The clinical picture of chickenpox, which occurs at the end of the incubation period of the virus, is characterized by a sharp and fast development. At first, children may experience:

• weakness, drowsiness;
• an increase in body temperature to about 38-40 ° C;
• capriciousness, irritability;
• headache.

Subsequently, or simultaneously with the listed symptoms, a rash appears. Sometimes there is an increase in the size of the lymph nodes.

Chickenpox rashes are at first reddish-pink spots (maculae), somewhat reminiscent of mosquito bites, 2-5 mm in diameter with uneven edges. After a while, they are filled with a yellowish liquid, begin to itch a lot, cause discomfort and anxiety in children. The liquid inside the vesicles is transparent, becomes cloudy on the second day.

After 1-2 days after this, the bubbles spontaneously burst, the liquid flows out, they dry out, become covered with a crust and gradually heal. At the end of the healing process (after about 1-2 weeks), the crust falls off, leaving light skin pigmentation, which subsequently disappears. If the child combs the wounds or prematurely peels off the crusts, scars and scars remain on the skin in the form of small depressions or craters.

Rashes with chickenpox can be not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, conjunctiva of the eyes and on the external genitalia. They usually first appear on the face, scalp, shoulders, back and abdomen, and then spread to the upper and lower limbs, while on the palms and feet are most often absent.

New elements of the rash with chickenpox appear every 1-2 days, so a couple of days after the onset of the disease, different stages can be detected on the skin of children at the same time: nodules, vesicles and crusts. Each wave of rashes is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. The number of elements of the rash for the entire period of the disease can vary from 10 to 800, but on average it is about 200-300 pieces. Sometimes chicken pox occurs without rashes or with a minimum number (up to 10 pieces).

After the cessation of the appearance of new rashes and a decrease in the severity of other symptoms of chickenpox in a child, the disease begins to decline, a period of recovery begins.

windmill shapes

Depending on the type of clinical picture in chickenpox, typical and atypical forms are distinguished. typical shape according to the nature of the flow, it happens:

1. Light. The child's condition is satisfactory, the temperature remains within the normal range or does not rise above 38°C, the duration of the rash period is 4 days, the rash is not numerous.
2. Medium. Minor intoxication (headache, weakness, drowsiness), the temperature rises above 38 ° C, rashes are plentiful, appear within 5 days.
3. Heavy. General intoxication body (nausea, repeated vomiting, loss of appetite), the temperature rises to 40 ° C, the period of rashes is 9 days, they almost completely cover skin the patient, and are also present on the mucous membranes, the elements of the rash can merge with each other.

Atypical forms of chickenpox are divided into rudimentary and aggravated. The rudimentary form is characterized by a mild course, single rashes, body temperature is normal or subfebrile. The aggravated form is characterized by a very intense clinical picture diseases. It includes visceral, gangrenous and hemorrhagic forms, which are treated in a hospital.

At hemorrhagic form disease, the patient has a high temperature, severe intoxication, damage to internal organs, blood appears in the vesicles, they bleed. There is hematuria, hemorrhages in the skin and tissue, mucous membranes and internal organs.

The visceral form of chickenpox is predominantly detected in premature babies, newborns and in children with immunodeficiency. She is characterized prolonged intoxication, profuse rashes, severe fever, damage to the nervous system and internal organs (kidneys, lungs, liver, heart).

The gangrenous form is diagnosed extremely rarely, mainly in patients with immunodeficiency. Severe intoxication is observed. Bubbles in this form are large, quickly covered with a crust with a zone of tissue necrosis. When the crust falls off, deep, very slowly healing ulcers appear on the skin.

Treatment of chickenpox in children

In most cases, chickenpox in children goes away on its own within 7 to 10 days. It is most easily tolerated by children aged 1 to 7 years. For treatment, drugs are used to eliminate or reduce the severity of the main symptoms: fever, rash and itching. Special antiviral or immunostimulating therapy is used only for moderate and severe forms of the disease.

With chickenpox, it is very important to prevent the suppuration of the vesicles caused by the ingress of a bacterial infection into them. To do this, parents must carefully monitor that children do not touch them and in no case comb them, distracting them. different ways. The child's nails should be cut short. Very small ones can be put on light cotton mittens (“scratches”) on their hands, and have a conversation with older ones. To reduce itching with chickenpox, pediatricians often prescribe children internal reception or topical application of antihistamines (fenistil, erius, suprastin, zodak, diazolin).

To prevent infection of the vesicles, the following antiseptic disinfectants are used:

• 1% alcohol solution brilliant green (brilliant green);
• Castellani liquid;
• water solution fucorcin;
• an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

When processing the elements of the rash with brilliant green, despite all its shortcomings, you can easily and quickly determine when new rashes stop appearing.

With chickenpox, especially if the disease happened in the summer, to prevent a secondary infection of the skin, it is necessary to wash the child once a day, rinsing it with boiled water or making short-term cool baths with a solution of potassium permanganate, baking soda or decoction of chamomile. It is not allowed to use any detergents(soap, gels, etc.) and rub the skin with a washcloth. After bathing, it is necessary to gently blot the body with a soft towel and treat the wounds with an antiseptic solution.

It is better if the room where the sick child is located is cool in order to prevent overheating and not provoke profuse sweating. They will only increase the itching and provide irritant effect on the elements of the rash, to which the well-known pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky especially draws the attention of parents. During the period of illness, it is recommended to change the child's bed linen and home clothes daily, especially if he sweats a lot. Clothing should be made of natural fabrics, light and comfortable, so as not to injure the skin.

Of the antipyretic drugs for chickenpox in children, if the temperature rises above 38 ° C, drugs based on paracetamol or ibuprofen are used. It is strictly contraindicated to give children with chicken pox any drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid because it is fraught severe violation liver function and even death.

During the treatment period, the child is also recommended a home regimen, plentiful drink and diet food. It is recommended to take children to a kindergarten or school no earlier than 1-2 weeks after recovery, since the chickenpox virus significantly weakens the immune system for a while.

Video: Pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky about the symptoms and methods of treating chicken pox in children

Complications of chickenpox

With proper treatment of the child and personal hygiene, complications from chickenpox in children are rare. One of the most likely complications is suppuration (abscess, impetigo) of the elements of the rash due to ingestion of pathogenic microorganisms. Then topical application is added to the main treatment of chickenpox antibacterial ointments, which treat inflamed wounds.

More serious complications may occur in children:

• patients with leukemia or other oncological diseases;
• With congenital pathologies immune system;
• HIV-infected;
• first year of life.

In these cases, there may be atypical forms chickenpox in children with symptoms of severe intoxication of the body, the development of sepsis, damage to the kidneys, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, adrenal glands, pancreas. Severe complications of chickenpox are viral pneumonia and inflammation of the meninges (encephalitis and meningoencephalitis), but they are rare.

Important: It is especially dangerous for unborn children when pregnant women get chickenpox. Chicken pox, suffered by a woman before the 20th week of pregnancy, leads to the development of chickenpox syndrome in a newborn. A baby can be born with underdeveloped limbs, rudimentary fingers, small stature, malformations of the eyes, and disorders of the nervous system.

It is very dangerous for a child to become infected with the chickenpox virus at the very end of pregnancy (4-5 days before childbirth), during childbirth or within 5 days after childbirth, as he does not have time to get enough antibodies from the mother necessary to fight the infection. In newborns and children up to 3 months, the disease is severe with the development of pathologies of vital important organs and nervous system.

Prevention measures

To prevent chickenpox or its complications, vaccination (introduction of a weakened live virus) or the introduction of immunoglobulins (antibodies specific to the Varicella zoster virus) can be used.

Vaccination is recommended for children after one year. It protects the body from chicken pox for 10 years or more. Although sometimes vaccinated people can still get chickenpox, it will already be in a mild form. The introduction of vaccines (drugs "Okavaks", "Varivaks" and "Varilriks") is especially important for women planning a pregnancy, if they have not had chickenpox before. With their help, it is possible to carry out emergency prophylaxis chickenpox if there was contact with a carrier of the infection. To prevent the development of the disease, the vaccine must be administered within 48-72 hours after contact with the carrier of the infection.

The introduction of anti-varicella immunoglobulin (the drug "Zostevir") is relevant for people who have been in contact with patients with chickenpox or herpes zoster, who are highly likely to develop severe complications in case of chickenpox. These people include pregnant women, children with cancer, HIV-infected people who have undergone organ transplantation, children with severe chronic systemic diseases, premature babies weighing up to 1 kg, newborns whose mothers did not have chickenpox.

Few of the kids manage to avoid the unpleasant itchy blisters that chicken pox generously endows with children. The attitude to this disease is twofold - some mothers are afraid of it like fire, others are even glad that the child suffered it in childhood and earned strong immunity (see photo of chickenpox in children below).

A dangerous virus with the beautiful name Varicella-Zoster (VVZ), discovered in 1958, affects a person at any age, only chickenpox occurs in adolescence and mature years more hard.

What is chickenpox (chickenpox)

The very name of the disease signals that its pathogen freely flies in the air and lands where it wants. Chickenpox - extremely contagious disease which is caused by the herpes virus. Having chosen his owner, he settles in his body for life. More than 1.5 million people develop chickenpox each year, 90% of whom are children under the age of twelve. Most often, little fidgets "catch" a viral infection in children's institutions - when at least one VVZ carrier appears in acute stage it is extremely difficult to avoid infection.

Chickenpox in children - how does infection occur

The main source of infection is not bubbles, as some people think, but droplets of mucus from the nasopharynx of a sick child. That is why, even two days before the rash on the skin, an infected baby infects the friends around him. When speaking, during joint games and just when in the same room, the virus from the patient first enters the air, and then settles on the mucous membrane of the nose, pharynx and mouth of others. With the flow of blood and lymph, it quickly spreads throughout the body and begins to multiply.

Within 1-3 weeks, this is how long the incubation period lasts, the causative agent of chickenpox does not bother the child and does not manifest itself in any way. Given the "volatility" of the virus, which easily spreads over a distance of twenty meters, it is possible to get infected even through ventilation holes. An adult with shingles can also become a source of infection. The causative agent of this disease and chickenpox is one - the herpes virus Varicella-Zoster.

Chickenpox in children - stages of the course of the disease and symptoms

Chickenpox in children occurs in several stages, differing characteristic features:

1. The incubation period is from 1 to 3 weeks - the virus multiplies and accumulates without external manifestations.

2. Prodromal period - in young children, it may be absent or occur with minor manifestations. This stage lasts about a day or a little more and can manifest itself as a common cold:

- an increase in temperature, most often not too large;

- headache, weakness;

- loss of appetite, nausea;

- sore throat;

- short-term appearance of reddish spots on some parts of the body is possible.

3. The period of rashes - as a rule, is accompanied by a sharp rise in temperature to 39-39.5 degrees. Observations show that the higher the thermometer reading on the first day, the more abundant the rash and the more severe the course of the disease. Sometimes, with a mild form, the disease proceeds with a slight rise in temperature or without it at all, and the only sign of chickenpox is a rash.

What does chickenpox look like in children (photo)

In order not to be mistaken with the diagnosis, not to miss the first symptoms that appear, it is very important to know what it looks like. unpleasant disease.

1. This is how the baby's skin looks on the first day of the disease - pimples look like bites from annoying insects.

2. Spots quickly turn into bubbles filled with a clear liquid, bordered by reddish skin. Gradually, their contents become cloudy, and they themselves burst.

3. When the bubbles dry, a crust forms, which under no circumstances should be torn off.

4. At the same time, all stages of manifestation of rashes can be observed - specks, vesicles filled with contents, crusts (see photo of chickenpox in children below).

Features of a rash in children with chickenpox

The first reddish spots resemble mosquito bites and appear on the body. However, the rash is rapidly gaining new positions, spreading over the arms, legs, then passes to the face and hairy part heads. Appearance skin rash changes rapidly - red dots turn into fluid-filled blisters, which burst after 8-10 hours and cause unbearable itching. After a while, they dry out and become covered with a crust, but new ones appear, passing the same cycle. On any part of the body, you can simultaneously see all stages of the development of rashes, and each next one causes a jump in temperature. Bubbles, the number of which reaches several hundred and even thousands, can affect the mucous membranes of the mouth, genitals, eyes, and in severe cases even cover the soles and palms.

The period of rashes lasts from 4 to 8 days, after which recovery begins. The yellow-brown crusts that appear in place of the vesicles disappear after about a week, leaving no trace. But this is only if the mother helped the baby survive the period of severe itching - she did not allow combing and infection into the wound. Premature tearing off of the cortical layer can lead to the appearance of a "pockmark", which can remain for life. Five days after the last bubble appears, the baby is considered non-infectious and can be taken for a walk.

Treatment of chickenpox in children

There is no specific treatment for chickenpox, chickenpox does not respond to antibiotics and antibacterial drugs. Helping a baby who has caught an unpleasant virus is to combat the symptoms of the disease:

- if the thermometer, quickly and confidently, rises above 38 degrees, the child should be given an antipyretic - ibuprofen or paracetamol;

Carefully! Aspirin and chickenpox are incompatible!

- do not force the baby to eat by force, but provide plenty of drink;

- carefully monitor the appearance of new bubbles and prevent them from combing;

- you can use brilliant green, which slightly dries the rashes and allows you to control the appearance of new bubbles. The same effect has an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate or 2-3% tincture of iodine;

- if the child suffers from too much itching, ask the doctor to prescribe antiallergic drugs;

- for a period with symptoms of fever and intoxication, bed rest is desirable.

Treatment of chickenpox in children takes place at home, only if any complications occur, the doctor may suggest hospitalization. Parents should help the baby cope with an unpleasant condition, alleviate suffering from an itchy rash. Specialists give useful advice, which are not at all difficult to perform:

- the apartment should be cool, with the release of sweat, the itching intensifies;

- bathing a baby with chickenpox is essential - cool water will help him not to itch, so you can arrange bathing several times during the day. It is very effective to add a little soda or a weak solution of potassium permanganate to some water - the first will relieve itching, and the second will dry the wounds. Be careful with wiping, it is better to lightly blot the skin with a soft towel;

- clothing should be made of natural materials and not fit to the body. Change it, like bed linen, you need daily;

- light gloves for the night will protect damaged skin sick child from scratching. If an infection gets into the wound, an inflammatory process may occur and, as a result, the smallpox from the wound will remain for life. The same result is expected from the forcible peeling off of the formed crusts - they must fall off on their own;

On the sixth day after the appearance of the very last bubble with the baby, you can go for a walk. He no longer poses a danger to others, but is still very weak. It is better to postpone the return of the little martyr to kindergarten, giving him the opportunity to recuperate and get stronger.

Ways to prevent chickenpox in children

A fairly reliable way to protect against chickenpox is vaccination, but it is carried out at the request of the parents. After vaccination, the child receives protection for ten years - he either avoids infection altogether, or the disease proceeds in an extremely mild form. Many mothers believe that instead of vaccinating, it is better to let the baby get infected in preschool age. In this case, they believe, the disease will pass in a mild form, and the beloved child will receive guaranteed protection for life.

However, the opinions of experts on this issue are divided. Opponents of this method argue their position quite logically: there is real danger the occurrence of complications during the illness of babies, and settled in children's body the herpes virus can cause shingles in the future. So parents will have to make the right decision, after carefully weighing all the pros and cons.

Note to moms: studies convincingly show: out of 100 vaccinated children, 90-95% do not get chickenpox and have very little chance of getting sick in the future with shingles. The remaining 5-10% may get sick, but in a very mild form. The duration of the vaccine is 10-20 years.

Attention! If a child has come into contact with a person with chickenpox, the mother has 96 hours to decide on an urgent vaccination. Later, the vaccine will no longer help, and the baby is almost guaranteed to get sick.

In children's institutions, chickenpox quarantine is declared for 21 days.

What Dr. Komarovsky says about chickenpox in children

Most frequently asked question, which concerned parents ask their beloved doctor, concerns the effects of brilliant green in children with chickenpox. Yevgeny Komarovsky's answer is unequivocal - no therapeutic effect from such an action is not present, brilliant green serves only as an indicator of the period of contagiousness. Daily lubricating the bubbles with a colored solution, one day mommy notices that there are no new rashes. From this moment begins the countdown of the last five days when the baby can be a danger to others.

The doctor draws the attention of parents to the fact that viral infection, which is chickenpox in children, is not subject to the effects of antibiotics and does not require special preparations in the normal course of the disease. Only in adolescence when the disease is too severe, doctors prescribe antiherpetic drugs. The main advice given by Dr. Komarovsky for mothers of sick children:

- avoid overheating, which increases itching;

- cut your nails short, put on gloves if necessary, in every possible way distract the baby from combing the bubbles;

- do not give aspirin, so as not to cause complications from the liver;

- combing the bubbles leads to bacterial infection and the likelihood of traces for life;

- chickenpox depresses the immune system quite strongly, so after past illness you should refrain from visiting kindergarten and devote more time to walking.

Regarding vaccinations, Komarovsky believes, sane parents should not have any discussions. However, he recalls that chickenpox vaccination is a voluntary matter, so mothers and fathers will have to take responsibility for its implementation.

It is unlikely that there will be at least one person who managed not to get chickenpox. It is considered a childhood infection, since it mainly affects children under the age of 10 years. How is chickenpox in children? Incubation period, treatment, symptoms and other important information- in our today's article.

Chickenpox: causes and symptoms

The causative agent of the disease is a virus of the Herpes family. A person becomes contagious not when he has a rash, but two days before he begins to show the first symptoms - a nodular blister rash and fever. The patient ceases to be the source of infection a couple of days after the crusts from the rash disappear.

Symptoms of the disease are a temperature of 38 degrees, weakness, fever, after which the first rash begins to appear. It is not only localized on the hands, face, but also on the scalp. At first, the rash has a rounded flat shape, after which it begins to rise above the level of the skin. After a couple of hours, bubbles appear in place of the tubercles, which, drying up, turn into yellow crusts, and after a week they completely disappear.

How long does a fever last with chicken pox?

How long it lasts depends on what form of chickenpox the person has. There are forms such as:

• Light - with it, the temperature does not rise above 37.5 degrees A, while it lasts only 1-3 days. Also, often with this form of chickenpox, the temperature may not rise.
• Average - with this form of the disease, the temperature keeps from 38 to 39 degrees and can disturb 3-4 days.
• The severe form of chickenpox is characterized by a longer period of the course of the disease - up to seven days, while it can rise up to 40 degrees.

In many ways, what will be the course of the disease depends on the age of the child and the state of his immune system.

First steps

What to do if your child has chickenpox? As soon as you notice a rash on the body, accompanied by a high fever and other symptoms of the disease, the first thing to do is call the pediatrician. Only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. Often additional tests are required to confirm the diagnosis.

As soon as parents become aware that their child is infected with chickenpox, they should immediately exclude the baby from contact with other people, that is, visits to kindergarten and other children's institutions are excluded.

In order to cure the disease, it is not always necessary to go to the hospital, most often treatment at home is enough. Usually, the doctor suggests hospitalization if the intoxication threatens the life of the child, and also if the disease is severe. All Taken measures should be aimed at preventing the development of complications.

stages

What to do with windmill? This will depend on the period of the disease. They are the following:

• incubation period.
• prodromal period.
• Windmill heat.
• Recovery period.

What is the incubation period? It lasts 11-21 days. At this time, a person is already considered contagious, since the virus is in his body and actively begins to multiply. There may still be no symptoms of the disease, which is why chickenpox is insidious, since during the incubation period the disease is hidden.

The prodromal period is the stage of the disease in which symptoms such as fever up to 38 degrees, weakness and malaise appear. The period lasts 1-2 days - before a rash begins to appear on the body.

What to do with chickenpox if it is in full swing? This is the period of appearance of active rashes, lasting 4-5 days. Bubbles do not appear at the same time, until the rash begins to crust on the hands, new rashes appear on the face or trunk. At this stage of the disease, the patient suffers from severe itching.

The recovery period is characterized by the appearance of crusts. The bubbles burst, the contents come out of them and they begin to dry out, becoming covered with crusts. From the moment they appear on the body, the condition of the child improves. Gradually, the crusts fall off, the condition normalizes, the patient no longer suffers from headaches.

Treatment of chickenpox during the incubation period and other stages of the disease

What to do with windmill? The main task in its treatment is the maximum relief of symptoms. The incubation period does not require treatment, as it passes hidden. As soon as the first symptoms of smallpox appear, the patient is immediately shown bed rest.

A rash appears as a result of severe intoxication of the body as a reaction to an infection. Babies up to five years old carry smallpox quite easily, but how older child, the more likely the risk of complications. The main thing is to prevent the rash from combing, as scars may appear in its place. There is also a high chance of wound infection. pathogenic bacteria. So that the rash does not itch and does not cause discomfort, you need to take antihistamines. Also, do not allow overheating, as more people sweats, the more it itchs.

Also, all bubbles that appear, regardless of their location, must be lubricated with green paint or other antiseptic in order to control the appearance of a new rash.

To bring down the temperature (not lower than 38 degrees), you can use suppositories based on paracetamol or ibuprofen. Also, at high temperatures, the drug "Efferalgan" is effective. It is very important to use medications to lower the temperature according to the age of the patient. It is forbidden to use vinegar or vodka to treat the rash. This is due to the fact that it is possible to poison the body or burn the epidermis.

If bubbles with transparent contents appear in the mouth, it is necessary to rinse it with a decoction of chamomile. It also happens that bubbles appear on the conjunctiva of the eye. Do not beware of complications for vision, as chickenpox does not harm it. However, treatment still needs to be done. So, the eyelids should be washed with a decoction of chamomile. It would also be useful to use physiological saline, which drip eyes.

Antibiotics are used in the treatment of chickenpox only if there is a complication in the form of a bacterial infection.

Antiviral for chickenpox

Reception antiviral drugs causes a lot of controversy, since some doctors believe that this is a mandatory measure to speed up the healing process, while others are sure that the body should cope with chickenpox on its own. Considering that the disease is caused by a virus, taking antiviral for chickenpox is desirable, since it will be easier for the patient to tolerate the disease. Due to the effects of drugs, the herpes virus will weaken significantly and, accordingly, its manifestations on the skin will not be so bright and intense.

Chickenpox tablets

With chickenpox, the set of medicines is as follows:

• Antihistamines - Suprastin, Claritin, Tavegil.
• Antiviral - "Alpizarin", "Acyclovir-acry", "Zovirax".
• Antipyretics - Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Ibuklin.

Many medicines from the above list are available in tablets. In what form it is better to take the medicine depends on the individual patient. If the child is very small and cannot swallow the pill on his own, you should find more suitable shape release of the drug - syrup or suppositories. Schoolchildren are more suitable for chickenpox pills. Manufacturers indicate the dosage for taking the medicine for adults and children, therefore, medicines should be taken in strict accordance with the instructions.

What to smear, except greenery

Brilliant green solution has been used for chicken pox since Soviet times. Use it to control the amount of bubbles that appear. The advantage of brilliant green is that it is clearly visible, but many refuse to use it, because, being an antiseptic, it dries the skin a lot, and also leaves marks on both bed linen and clothes.

How to smear chickenpox in children, except for brilliant green? In addition to this medication, you can also use:

1. Five percent solution of potassium permanganate. The drug dries the rash well and disinfects it.
2. Fukortsin. This medicine also dries up the bubbles, its advantage is that after drying, ointment can be applied to it. The only drawback of fucorcin is that it does not differ much in color from the rash, so it is quite difficult to control the rash using it.
3. Still in children, except for greenery? You can use 0.5-3 percent methylene blue solution. medical drug of blue color cleans up and works great effective tool with windmill.
4. Salicylic alcohol. It is used to treat various skin diseases and skin lesions, therefore it can be used for chickenpox.
5. Ointment based on cindol. This drug is available in the form of a suspension and contains zinc oxide, which acts as a drying and anti-inflammatory agent. Having added the indicated amount of water to the suspension, it should be left for a while in a dark place, and after draining the upper liquid, it is necessary to lubricate the skin with a thickened sediment.

Effective ointment for chickenpox

What is a good ointment for chickenpox? With a disease, ointments can be used, depending on what effect should be - the elimination of itching, the rapid healing of wounds, or the suppression of the herpes virus. Among the most effective drugs, zinc cream is distinguished, due to which the blisters quickly open and heal, as well as "Gistan" or "Fenistil" gel, which have a calming and cooling effect, making itching easier to endure.

Chickenpox hygiene rules

Many parents are interested in the question of how much you can not wash with chickenpox? There is an opinion that it is strictly forbidden to swim in case of illness, but this is a misconception, since it is on these days that all hygiene rules must be observed. Baby can be gently washed warm water using ordinary soap free of fragrances and fragrances. You can add a couple of crystals of potassium permanganate to the water. Promote rapid healing wounds will be used when bathing decoctions oak bark, chamomile or calendula. You can’t bathe the patient for a long time, you should limit yourself to ordinary washing.

It is impossible to use hard sponges so as not to tear off the crusts and prevent infection of the wound. After graduation water procedures, you should blot the baby's body with a towel and put on clean underwear.

Bed linen should be changed as often as possible, it should be soft so as not to cause discomfort.

What not to do when sick

Chickenpox is far from a harmless disease, as was previously thought. Therefore, all prohibitions should be adopted during the treatment of the disease in order to prevent complications after chickenpox. What can not be done with chickenpox?

1. The child should not be allowed outside before the end of the incubation period to avoid infecting other people with chickenpox.
2. Do not give any antipyretic or other medicine during the treatment of the disease, as it is in without fail must be prescribed by a pediatrician. It would seem that it is enough for a medication to bring down the temperature, but an improperly selected antipyretic can lead to an increase in the number of rashes, to a longer healing process, or to blood poisoning. Doctors insist that when treating chickenpox, aspirin should not be given to the child. This is due to the fact that this medicine causes damage to the brain and liver - Reye's syndrome. The risk of the disease is especially high in children during the course of chickenpox, when the immune system is weakened.
3. You can not wash the child with hard sponges and brushes, because if the blisters are injured, they may become infected bacterial infection, as a result of which pockmarks (scars) may appear. For the same reason, you can not comb the rash, so you need to make sure that the child does not itch.
4. Since chickenpox in a child has intoxication, weakness and fever, you should not introduce fatty and fried foods. You should also give up everything spicy, very sweet, salty and spicy, as such food can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract, as a result, itching may increase. Also, such food has an extremely negative effect on the functioning of the liver, and during chickenpox, it is already subjected to a serious load.

Quarantine in kindergarten

A feature of chickenpox is that it is highly contagious. You can become infected with the disease through simple contact with a sick person and in the case of using the same things with him. Therefore, given the high degree of contact between children in kindergarten, institutions are closed for quarantine in order to prevent complications after chickenpox. As soon as a child with chickenpox is found in a kindergarten, a pediatrician is immediately called, who must confirm the diagnosis and report the case to the district clinic. Quarantine for chickenpox in kindergarten is introduced through the order of the head physician of the clinic.

It is introduced on the 21st day from the moment the doctor identified the last child with chickenpox. It is during this time that the incubation period of the disease must pass, in which its main symptoms may be absent. If more cases of chickenpox are detected among children attending kindergartens, the quarantine will be extended again.

What to do with chickenpox in adults

The herpes virus that causes smallpox can cause illness in both a child and an adult, if he has not previously had chickenpox. The older a person is, the more difficult it is for him to endure a viral disease.

The incubation period of the disease in adults is 23 days, during which time no symptoms of chickenpox appear.

Symptoms of chickenpox in an adult can be:

• Malaise.
• Lethargy.
• Sore throat.
• Heat, fever.
• The appearance of pink spots on the skin.

What to do with chickenpox in adults? As soon as the first symptoms of smallpox appear, you need to urgently consult a doctor to prescribe antiviral, antihistamine and antipyretic drugs. Among antiviral drugs, Valacyclovir, Viferon and Acyclovir are most effective. Paracetamol or Ibuprofen will take the temperature. For the treatment of wounds in the mouth can be used sea ​​buckthorn oil or "Chlorophyllipt". Also, there will be no extra rinses. herbal preparations such as chamomile and string. The use of antihistamines is mandatory because of the itching of the wounds, so that it does not bother, you can use "Diazolin" in strict accordance with the instructions.

As in children, the course of the disease depends on the form of chickenpox. Often the period of active rashes takes 2-3 days, it happens that the temperature lasts 9 days.