What is chickenpox?

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

Chickenpox (known medically as varicella) is caused by a virus called the varicella-zoster virus. It is spread quickly and easily from someone who is infected.

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

Children usually catch chickenpox in Winter and Spring, particularly between March and May.

Symptoms

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 other children can have spots that cover their entire body. These 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.

What to do

To prevent spreading the infection, keep children home from nursery or school until all their spots have crusted over.

Chickenpox is infectious from one to two days before the rash starts until all the blisters have crusted over (usually five to six days after the start of the rash).

If your child has chickenpox, try to keep them away from public areas to avoid contact with people who may not have had it, especially people who are at risk of serious problems such as; newborn babies, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system (for example, people having cancer treatment or taking steroid tablets).

Chickenpox treatment

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

Your child may have a fever for the first few days of the illness and the spots can be incredibly itchy.

There is no specific treatment for chickenpox, but there are pharmacy remedies that can alleviate symptoms. These include paracetamol to relieve fever, and calamine lotion and cooling gels to ease itching.

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.

However, some children can become more seriously ill with chickenpox and need to see a doctor.

Contact your GP straight away if your child develops any abnormal symptoms, such as:

• 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 more commonly 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, and should seek medical advice if they develop any abnormal symptoms, such as infected blisters.

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

Who is 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 protected from (immune to) chickenpox.

Chickenpox in pregnancy

Chickenpox occurs in approximately 3 in every 1,000 pregnancies. It can cause serious complications for both the pregnant woman and her baby.

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-zoster virus, remains inactive (dormant) 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.

Visit your local CarePlus Pharmacy for more advice.