At the initial stage, the ailment in question can easily be confused with other diseases. The first signs of chickenpox in a child and an adult are not much different. And despite the fact that every year it is increasingly difficult to find a person who would not have been ill with this disease, some still suffer the disease already in adulthood. However, there is nothing fun in this, because the older the person, the harder he suffers the disease. In this review, we will consider in detail what chickenpox is, how the disease is proceeding, and by what signs it is possible to conduct an initial diagnosis.
Incubation period
So, what you need to know about this disease? The first signs of chickenpox do not appear immediately after infection. The rash in the form of small pink spots spreads very quickly throughout the body, affecting also the mucous membranes. A few hours later, it enters the stage when a bubble filled with liquid appears in place of each spot. The redness around it lasts for several days. When the bubble bursts, a crust grows in its place. It is not worth stripping it off, because after complete healing it will fall off on its own. To speed up the healing process, experts recommend lubricating the affected areas with green. Also, rashes can be recurring.
Chickenpox forms
Let's dwell on this in more detail. Clinical signs of chickenpox may differ from the form of the disease. Everyone carries chickenpox in different ways, depending on the level of immunity and the general condition of the body, three main forms of the disease can be distinguished. With improper or untimely treatment, they can pass into each other. Consider each form in more detail:
- Light form. Usually observed in children aged 2 to 12 years. In a mild form, the disease can be accompanied by a short-term increase in body temperature and a small rash that remains on the skin for 2-3 days.
- Moderate severity. With this form of chickenpox, more abundant rashes are observed, as well as itching and fever. Rashes stop after 5 days. At the same time, body temperature is normalized, and dried crusts form at the sites of inflammation.
- Severe form. It is accompanied by serious rashes throughout the body, even on the mucous membranes of the eyes and the scalp. In this case, severe headaches, fever and lack of appetite can also be observed. The disease lasts more than one week.
First symptoms
So what do you need to know about this? How does the discussed illness begin? What are the first signs of chickenpox in children? The most characteristic symptom is the appearance of rashes throughout the body. Also there is an increased temperature up to 39 degrees, a headache and chills. The incubation period can reach three weeks. The rash can manifest itself even on the 20th day after infection.
The disease proceeds differently depending on the age of the patient and the body's resistance.
Chickenpox in children
What should you pay attention to first of all? Despite the fact that the signs of chickenpox in children are more pronounced, it is quite difficult to diagnose the disease at the initial stage due to the fact that children can not always explain that they have pain. According to the first symptoms, the disease resembles a common cold more: the child loses his appetite, becomes lethargic and capricious, his body temperature rises, and abdominal pains appear. A few days later, pink pimples can be seen on the skin. It is difficult for young children to control the itch, so at this stage, parents should ensure that the child does not comb the rash. Tracking the appearance of new itchy spots will be easier if you grease them with green.
Chickenpox in infants
This aspect should be given special attention. In infants, rashes accompanied by high fever are symptoms and signs of chickenpox. The disease can occur both in mild form and in more severe, characterized by a strong rash with suppuration. It is worth noting that children under one year of age are rarely infected with chickenpox. Immunity to diseases of this kind is inoculated by antibodies that enter the body along with mother's milk. However, if infection does occur, then the incubation period for a newborn usually does not last more than a week.
Chickenpox in adolescents
What is its feature? Children of high school age have severe cases of chickenpox. This is more due to changes in the hormonal background and reduced immunity. The signs that characterize a rash with chickenpox in this case may vary slightly. Rashes are often purulent and profuse. Even after recovery, severe scars and dimples may remain. The difficulty also lies in the fact that the first smallpox is really confused with teenage acne. As a result, treatment may not be started on time, which will only aggravate the course of the disease.
Chickenpox in adults
Let's dwell on this aspect in more detail. Signs of chickenpox in adults are general malaise, aches, headaches, and fever. A rash appears on the patient’s body a couple of days after the first signs of malaise. Adults usually have a very severe illness. The heat passes only after all the smallpox have dried. The danger of chickenpox in adulthood is the possibility of complications. Usually they appear in the form of arthritis, pneumonia, meningitis, inflammation of the lymph nodes.
In the beginning, the disease is easily confused with the common cold. Headache, muscle ailments and a slight fever are observed. After some time, pink spots appear on the face and head. Also at this stage, the first signs of general intoxication of the body may occur: weakness, nausea, diarrhea. The temperature can rise to 40 degrees, severe itching begins. Gradually, the rash affects the entire body and mucous membranes. During urination, severe pain may appear. The spots are filled with liquid contents, and then burst, and a purulent crust forms in their place. If you regularly treat the rash, it will pass without a trace. Scars at the site of the wound may remain when a secondary infection occurs. In adulthood, rashes usually continue to appear within 10 days. In this case, the patient can also increase inguinal, behind the ear, axillary and submandibular lymph nodes.
Thus, we can say that adults in a more severe form suffer chickenpox. In addition, the risk of complication increases significantly. Therefore, if in childhood it was possible to avoid the development of the disease, then it is better to be vaccinated against chickenpox.
Is a second disease possible?
Until now, there is no consensus on whether a person can be ill twice with this ailment. Symptoms of herpes and chickenpox can be similar, so these two diseases are often confused and make the wrong diagnosis. However, cases of recurrence of chickenpox were still recorded. The development and symptoms of the disease in this case were the same as with the primary disease: high fever, rash, general weakness. Of course, it is likely that for the first time the disease was simply misdiagnosed. Most doctors still believe that you can get an illness only once. But still, if the first signs of chickenpox were found in adults, quarantine should be maintained for three weeks. This will help to avoid infection among others.
Chickenpox during pregnancy
What is her danger? During pregnancy, hormonal changes, as well as weakened immunity, are usually observed. As a result, the body is susceptible to the development of various infections. Therefore, if a woman has not had chickenpox before, she can easily pick her up. During the period of gestation, the signs of chickenpox do not differ much from other cases. The greatest danger is not the disease itself, but the complications that it can cause. The greatest risk occurs with infection in the first and third trimesters. The fact is that in the early stages of pregnancy, the future organs and systems of the child are formed. Chicken pox can cause damage to the cerebral cortex, cause hypoplasia and microphthalmia in the fetus. But at the same time, this disease can not be an indication for artificial termination of pregnancy.
Diagnostics
How is it implemented and what is its feature? Typically, the specialist makes the final diagnosis, focusing on the external signs of chickenpox and patient complaints. However, sometimes ambiguous cases arise when additional studies are required to make an accurate diagnosis. It can be:
- RIF rapid method: detects viral antibodies;
- Virological diagnosis: reveals the causative agent of the disease;
- general blood test: allows you to detect a reduced level of white blood cells;
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: helps detect specific antibodies specific to chickenpox virus in the blood.
It is worth noting that today these diagnostic methods are used extremely rarely. In most cases, a visual examination is sufficient to make a diagnosis.
Differential diagnosis
Signs of chickenpox in children may be similar to other infections. Therefore, differential diagnosis is sometimes required. It distinguishes chickenpox from other infections, such as herpes, rubella, prickly heat, and scarlet fever. The clinical picture of the development of these diseases can be different. For example, the prodromal stage in diseases such as chickenpox, rubella and prickly heat is usually asymptomatic. With measles, there is a cough and mucous discharge from the nose, and with scarlet fever - fever, headache and vomiting. You should also pay attention to the nature of the rashes. With chickenpox, they usually resemble a "starry sky" and are localized on the face and body. With rubella, spots are distinguished by an anemic rim and affect mainly the face. Raspberries are characterized by rare small red spots in the abdomen, neck and legs. With scarlet fever, the rash is very small, densely located and localized mainly in the inguinal region, and measles is characterized by small, fused acne of the papular type, which most often appears on the face.
How else can you distinguish the signs of chickenpox in children? Photos of cases can also help with preliminary diagnosis.
Conclusion
In this review, we examined in detail the signs of chickenpox in various cases of the disease. The easiest aforementioned illness occurs in childhood. At the age of 2 to 12 years, chickenpox usually passes in a mild form. The rash lasts for 2-3 days, and the crusts that appear in its place with proper treatment pass quickly and do not leave scars. If you do not treat smallpox on time, an infection can get into the wounds, which subsequently leads to the development of severe suppuration.
In adolescence and adulthood, the disease usually proceeds in a severe form. Chickenpox is accompanied by intense heat. The rash may last for a week. Also, the disease can cause the development of complications such as meningitis, pneumonia, arthritis and others. However, usually serious cases of the disease occur with weakened immunity. Therefore, it is extremely important to strengthen your immunity, eat right and lead an active lifestyle. Also, if the child has not suffered chickenpox in childhood, it is recommended to be vaccinated to avoid the occurrence of the disease in the future.