Many are interested in whether there is a cough with chickenpox. According to available statistics, 9 out of 10 people had to deal with chickenpox in their life . That is why this infectious disease is familiar to many. Among its main symptoms, experts include an increase in temperature, the appearance of rashes on the skin in the form of small vesicles and the manifestation of significant weakness. In some cases, patients have a cough. This symptom indicates that the causative agent of the disease penetrated the human respiratory tract. This complication is considered one of the most dangerous, which is why it should be treated as carefully as possible.
The main possible causes
Cough with chickenpox is a symptom that in most cases occurs due to such possible causes as:
- The appearance of rashes in the throat or on the mucosa of other respiratory tracts. First of all, this applies to the trachea and pharynx. Bubbles here can provoke accumulations of excessive amounts of mucus, which irritates nerve receptors, thereby causing coughing. Such symptoms do not require any specific therapy, since it will pass on its own right after all the rashes in a sick person disappear.
- Joining a secondary infection. Due to the fact that chickenpox provokes a significant weakening of the whole organism, its protective functions also decrease to a certain extent. Due to the fact that immunity loses its capabilities, it is often not able to cope with fairly simple pathogens, with which he previously quite successfully fought. That is why, on the 5-10th day after the onset of chickenpox infection, patients often cough due to the fact that other pathogens penetrated into their respiratory system in the form of a bacterial infection. In such situations, it is necessary to determine the diagnosis of the patient and prescribe appropriate therapy.
- The appearance of pneumonia. This complication of the development of chickenpox is considered one of the most dangerous. Cough in this case occurs on the 1-3rd day after infection. The disease can have a different etiology of its occurrence - both viral and bacterial. The type of cough that appears directly depends on this. Most often, it is initially barking and dry. After some time, it goes into a wet form with a rather large amount of mucus secreted.
Due to the fact that chickenpox pneumonia is one of the most dangerous complications for human life, it must be considered in more detail and carefully.
The risk of developing pneumonia with chickenpox
The development of pneumonia with chickenpox is due to the fact that the Zoster virus penetrates the human respiratory system. This almost never happens in childhood. Most often, this problem affects adults.
To risk groups, which can still develop pneumonia with chickenpox, experts include people such as:
- Adults;
- adolescent patients;
- regular smokers (including passive);
- patients with obstructive chronic diseases of the pulmonary system;
- pregnant women;
- patients with one or another type of human immunodeficiency.
All people who are at risk for developing pneumonia with chickenpox need to be as careful as possible when the first symptoms appear. This is due to the fact that the addition of an additional disease can lead to a significant deterioration in their health with the occurrence of certain adverse effects.
The main symptoms of chickenpox pneumonia
1-3 days after the clinical picture of chickenpox fully manifests itself, most often in people at risk appear the first signs of joining the pneumonia disease. Its symptoms directly depend on what condition the immune system of a sick person will be at a particular moment. In this regard, there are two possible options for the development of cough with chickenpox:
- The mild and moderate course of the disease, accompanied by severe cough, shortness of breath and the appearance of shortness of breath, even with slight physical activity. After examining the patient, the doctor can detect the presence of a large number of dry wheezing in his lungs. If after this a reliable and effective therapy is prescribed, then recovery will occur in 2-4 weeks after the implementation of all the recommendations of a specialist.
- Severe course of the disease against the background of severe respiratory failure, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and severe shortness of breath. The patient, as a rule, has sputum, which has bloody spots in its composition. In addition, pulmonary edema often occurs.
Cough before chickenpox is often a sign of pneumonia. If, in the severe case of pneumonia, the patient is not provided with appropriate medical care within 48 hours, the risk of death increases to almost 100%.
For whom is pneumonia especially dangerous?
The main danger is pulmonary edema. Significant mortality primarily affects patients with severe immunodeficiency, as well as pregnant women. These two groups of patients most often die due to chickenpox pneumonia with untimely seeking help from specialists in medical institutions.
Diagnosis of the disease
In case of cough with chickenpox, the patient should consult again with his doctor. The latter should suggest the possibility of developing pneumonia on the background of examining the patient and collecting an appropriate medical history. The diagnostic criteria that allow this to be done, experts include primarily such:
- the appearance of a characteristic symptom complex of various signs;
- manifestation of the inflammatory process in the lungs during the first 3 days after the onset of the full clinical picture of chickenpox.
Many people care about the question, can chickenpox begin with a cough? Due to low immunity, a cough may occur, but this is not always a sign that chicken pox begins.
Doctor's opinion
In order to accurately determine the area of development of pneumonia and extensive damage to the pulmonary system, an appropriate radiographic examination is often prescribed. In the image below, the doctor can notice all the foci of infection. They will look like white small, slightly vague blotches located in two lungs. Their complete disappearance with the correct and timely started therapy occurs on the 2nd-4th week of its course. Despite this, in some cases, certain consequences of the disease remain. First of all, this concerns calcifications - foci of calcification in places where there was the most significant inflammation of the tissues.
Disease treatment
Therapy for cough with chickenpox in an adult should be carried out by a comprehensive method. These two diseases should be treated simultaneously with each other. If the problem is that a person has rashes in his respiratory tract, he is recommended the following:
- Therapeutic diet. From the diet, experts advise removing those products that can additionally irritate nerve receptors in the throat. This applies to fried and spicy foods, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits. It is best to eat food in grated and warm form against the background of alkaline drinking.
- Steam inhalation will help eliminate a strong cough with chickenpox. For them, it is recommended to use a variety of medicinal herbs. It can be mint or chamomile. The use of essential oils and eucalyptus is also allowed. Such treatment promotes liquefaction and easier discharge of sputum accumulated in the throat against the background of the appearance of rashes there.
Symptoms and treatment of chickenpox in children is something that many are interested in, but not everyone knows that this process is purely individual. Treatment is prescribed only by the attending physician, taking into account the physiological characteristics of the baby. In no case should steam inhalations be carried out if the patient has an elevated body temperature. In addition, they are contraindicated in the presence of severe cardiovascular diseases in the patient's history. Also, their experts are not advised to carry out if disseminated blood or pus is visible in the mucus.
Therapy of chickenpox pneumonia
Many do not know if there is a cough for chickenpox. Doctors are of the opinion that this symptom is often present with chickenpox. This may indicate the development of a serious disease. Treatment of pneumonia with chickenpox should be carried out in a hospital. Due to the fact that the cause of the development of this disease is a virus, antibacterial drugs in such situations will not have any effect. Patients are advised to perform etiotropic therapy, which is based on the use of antiviral drugs and immunoglobulins - these methods will help eliminate dry cough. Chickenpox can cause serious complications, therefore, if symptoms of acute respiratory infections occur, you should consult a doctor.
What to do with a bacterial infection?
In the case of a bacterial infection, antibiotic therapy is indicated to the patient. Relief of the patient's condition in such situations occurs within one week.
Regardless of what type of cough arose in a patient with chickenpox, he needs to adhere to recommendations such as:
- Bed rest.
- Drink plenty.
- Refusal of acidic and excessively hot drinks.
- Being in a room where the temperature does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
Coughing with chickenpox is often a sign of pneumonia. That is why, when the first signs appear, you must immediately seek help from a medical institution to undergo an appropriate examination and determine the cause of the ailment.
Doctor's conclusion
Many mothers are interested in how to treat a cough with chickenpox in a child. You should know that self-medication can cause the development of serious complications. Only a doctor should prescribe treatment. The children's body is too vulnerable, so treatment at home will greatly harm the baby.
Alternative methods of treatment: for or against
Herbs and infusions are not harmless means that always positively affect the general state of human health. Hormones are present in many herbs. With improper use of alternative medicine, complications often occur that lead to death. Symptoms and treatment of chickenpox in children is a topic that worries many parents. You should know that the manifestation of symptoms depends on the individual characteristics of the body. The treatment process should be controlled only by a doctor.