Your child began to attend kindergarten? Now his circle of friends has grown significantly. This means that the risk of contracting various diseases has increased. A separate group are viral infections transmitted through the air. Chickenpox in a child is one of the first places among them. She was known already at the time of Avicenna.
The causative agent and the course of the disease
The causative agent of this damage to the body is a virus belonging to the herpes family. The most favorable places for its functioning are the mucous membrane and skin cells. Once in the body of the child, it begins to multiply actively. The defense mechanism is trying to fight the "stranger." Thus, the manifestation of chickenpox can begin with an increase in temperature (not always).
Then there is a rash in the form of red dots, which later turn into vesicles with living pathogens. After 2-3 days, the blisters burst and crust. After some time, the affected area is cleansed of scabs. The rash can be located in various places (including the groin, genitals, and head).
Repeated rashes are smaller and more common, as antibodies against the pathogen are produced.
There are practically no traces of skin lesions. Scars and scars are evidence that the wounds after the vesicles were combed and infected. Suppuration of ulcers began to occur. Healing was delayed, which led to the formation of cosmetic defects.
For information
In connection with the active manifestations of chickenpox in a child, it is easily diagnosed. Only in rare cases, laboratory analyzes of the contents of the rash are used.
The day before the rash and for about 3 weeks after - the baby is very contagious. Throughout the entire period of the illness, children may feel unwell, refuse to eat, in some cases complain of nausea and headaches.
Chickenpox in a child happens only once. Then he develops a protective mechanism against her . Therefore, basically the age group of risk is children from six months to 7 years. Babies who are breastfed receive immunity against this disease from the mother.
The virus quickly dies, being outside the human body. But a few minutes is enough to get infected by airborne droplets. Therefore, the disease quite often affects almost entire groups in kindergartens. In time, such epidemics are quite long. Between the first and last infection, up to 3 months can pass.
Treatment and prevention
Chickenpox in a child is not treated as a disease. Struggling with its manifestations and consequences. It happens as follows:
- Remediation of bursting bubbles with brilliant green, less often with other solutions and lotions that do not contain alcohol.
- Bathing with a manganese solution (infusions of sage and chamomile are less commonly used).
- Bed rest.
- Frequent change of underwear and bedding.
- The use of drugs if symptoms are required. Antipyretic, antihistamines, antiviral.
- Abundant drinking and restrictions on certain types of food.
How long does chickenpox last in children? The time frame may be different. It depends on the immunity of a particular baby and the correctness of the fight against the consequences of the disease. Quarantine takes up to 3 weeks.
Children are very difficult to withstand bed rest and lack of walks. Therefore, the task of adults is to interest the baby. Distracted, the child will respond less to itchy sensations.
For the prevention of this disease, vaccination against chickenpox is used. But opinions on the feasibility of vaccination are different. After all, a person even after vaccination can become infected in the future. And the course of chickenpox in adults is quite difficult. There are cases of complications in the form of encephalitis, loss of vision, chickenpox pneumonia. Modern laboratories are able to determine whether a person has antibodies against chickenpox.