If You Have Chicken Pox Once Can You Get It Again

Chickenpox

Chickenpox (varicella) is a common, preventable childhood infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It'south well-nigh common in young children and is normally mild, but tin can be very uncomfortable for your child. When adolescents and adults get it, they can be very sick.

Chickenpox is very unsafe for people with immune system problems like leukemia, or for people taking medications that weaken the immune system.

What are the symptoms?

• Chickenpox begins with a fever, aches and pains.
• Within ane or 2 days your kid will get a rash. The rash is normally itchy and can make your child uncomfortable. Information technology appears on the scalp and face, spreading quickly downward the body and onto the arms and legs. The spots start as flat pink spots that plough into small h2o blisters. New spots will form even later others turn into blisters. Some children only get a few blisters, but others can have as many as 500. Blisters open, dry up and form scabs in four or 5 days.
• Almost children lose their appetite and have a headache during the start few days.

How is it spread?

Chickenpox spreads to others very easily. Because information technology tin spread from 2 days before the rash appears, it oft spreads without anyone knowing. It tin continue to spread until all of the blisters have scabbed.

• The virus enters the trunk by the nose or rima oris. It usually develops 2 to three weeks after contact with an infected person.
• ​It is mainly spread through the air. The virus tin survive in the air for several hours. It can exist caught by being in a room with an infected person or in a room where someone with chickenpox has been recently.
• It also spreads from person to person through direct contact with the virus. You tin can get chickenpox if you bear on a blister, or the liquid or wet chaff from a blister.
• A meaning adult female with chickenpox can laissez passer information technology on to her baby before birth.
• Mothers with chickenpox can besides give it to their newborn babies after birth.

If one of your children has chickenpox, information technology will probably spread to other members of the household who have not already had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine.

Chickenpox cannot alive on objects similar sheets, counters or toys.

Tin chickenpox cause bigger problems?

• Babies who get chickenpox from their mothers earlier nativity could be born with nascence defects like skin scars, centre problems, brain impairment or arms and legs that are not fully formed.
• Chickenpox can exist very astringent or even life-threatening to babies in the first calendar month of life, to adolescents and adults, and to anyone who has a weak allowed system.
• Children with chickenpox tin can get pneumonia (infection of the lungs) or go inflammation of the brain.
• The blisters can go infected with bacteria and this tin lead to lifelong scars. Though most of these infections are minor and clear up on their ain, some can lead to a serious affliction chosen necrotizing fasciitis (or "mankind-eating disease").

Tin can you lot have chickenpox twice?

In well-nigh cases, y'all can only become chickenpox once. This is called life-long immunity. Merely in rare cases, a person might get it again, specially if they were very young when they had information technology the kickoff fourth dimension.

What is shingles?

Shingles looks like chickenpox and is caused by the same virus. Merely it normally appears on only one part of the body, where it causes pain. Shingles can happen in people who have already had chickenpox just commonly many years later since later on nosotros have chickenpox, the virus stays with us in an inactive form. Shingles is contagious, but just to those who have never had chickenpox.

How tin I care for chickenpox?

• If your child gets chickenpox, do non give aspirin [acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)] or whatever products that comprise aspirin. Taking aspirin increases the gamble of getting Reye'due south syndrome. This astringent illness can damage the liver and encephalon. If y'all desire to control your child's fever, use acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra, Panadol and others).
• Encourage your child not to scratch. Scratching tin can cause infection from bacteria that get into the skin. Adding baking soda to bathwater can be soothing. Your doctor may recommend a foam to help reduce the itch.
• Infants with chickenpox, and older children or adults with a astringent disease may exist treated with antiviral drugs.

When should I phone call the md?

• A new fever develops later on the offset couple of days. That is, the fever goes away for a day or so and returns.
• Your child looks ill (not wanting to play, eat or drinkable), peculiarly if they also take a high fever or accept many spots inside the mouth.
• A chickenpox spot becomes enlarged, red or very sore. Your doctor will decide if your kid has developed a bacterial infection that needs antibiotics.

Can my kid with chickenpox become to child intendance or school?

Many schools and daycare centres have policies that require children with chickenpox to stay dwelling house for five days after the rash appears. The goal is to protect other children from the illness. Unfortunately, this does non cease chickenpox from spreading.

Chickenpox is contagious from 1 to 2 days before the rash appears, and virtually infectious from 12 to 24 hours earlier the rash appears. Information technology spreads through the air, not just by direct contact with the rash. Policies that require that your child stay home for a flow of time don't work because by the time it'south known that a child has chickenpox, it has already been passed on to other children.

If your child is too sick to take office in regular activities or if they have a fever, they should stay home. For mild cases (low fever for a brusque flow of time and simply a little rash, less than xxx spots), children tin can go to school or child care if they feel well enough to take part in regular activities, and if the facility permits.

What if I'm significant?

Pregnant women can develop severe chickenpox. Most adult women are already protected confronting chickenpox by antibodies in their blood. If you are thinking of getting pregnant and accept non had chickenpox, yous should be vaccinated. If you are pregnant and have not had chickenpox, phone call your medico correct abroad if you are exposed to chickenpox. Your doctor may desire to requite you a special type of immune globulin (VariZIG) that has antibodies to chickenpox to help prevent you from getting a astringent infection.

If you catch chickenpox early in your pregnancy, there is a 2% gamble of it harming your unborn baby.

How tin I protect my child?

The best way to protect your child from chickenpox is vaccination. If your child is non yet vaccinated and comes in contact with another child or family member who has chickenpox, they may even so be protected if they are vaccinated right abroad.

If your kid has an allowed system disorder and comes in contact with chickenpox, telephone call your doctor right abroad. The medico tin give a special type of immune globulin (VariZIG) with a large concentration of antibodies to chickenpox to assistance foreclose infection, or early treatment with an antiviral drug.

Reviewed by the following CPS committees

• Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee

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Source: https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/health-conditions-and-treatments/chickenpox

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