Informational only — Not medical advice. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider.

MedBD
বাং
Community data Updated 4 weeks ago

Chickenpox

Chickenpox

infections-and-poisoning infectious
0 medicines 9 symptoms

Chickenpox is a mild illness that most people catch as children, though it can happen at any age.

When to contact your doctor about chickenpox

For most children, chickenpox is mild and clears up on its own. In adults, though, it tends to be more severe, and adults face a higher risk of complications.

Contact your GP practice if you or your child have any unusual symptoms, such as:

  • the skin around the blisters becomes hot, red and painful (this redness may be harder to see on brown or black skin)
  • pain in the chest or difficulty breathing
  • signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet nappies, drowsiness, and cold hands and feet
  • the blisters become infected
  • any symptoms suddenly get worse

You should also get in touch if you have been near someone with chickenpox, or you have chickenpox symptoms yourself, and any of the following apply:

  • you are pregnant or gave birth in the last 7 days
  • you have a weakened immune system (the body's defence system)
  • your baby is under 4 weeks old
  • you are breastfeeding

If your GP practice is closed, phone 111. You should also call if you are not sure whether you or your child has chickenpox, or if you are simply worried about your child.

Before you go into a GP practice in person, let the receptionist know you think it might be chickenpox.

Common Symptoms

behind the ears on the face over the scalp on the chest and belly on the arms and legs inside the ears and mouth on the palms of the hands soles of the feet inside the nappy area

⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.

💊

Medicines Commonly Used

⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.

No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.

Causes

Chickenpox (medically called varicella) is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which spreads quickly and easily from someone who's infected.

It's most common in children under 10, who usually catch it in winter and spring, especially between March and May.

Treatment

Chickenpox does not have a specific treatment, but your pharmacy can offer remedies that ease the symptoms. These include:

  • paracetamol to bring down a fever
  • calamine lotion and cooling gels to ease itching

In most children, the blisters crust over and fall off on their own within 1 to 2 weeks.

For adults, taking antiviral medicine may help if the diagnosis is made early enough.

Stopping the spread of chickenpox

Keep children home from school or nursery until all their spots have crusted over. This helps stop chickenpox from spreading.

Adults with chickenpox should stay off work until all the spots have crusted over.

Chickenpox is infectious from 1 to 2 days before the rash starts, and it stops being infectious once all the blisters have crusted over. This usually happens 5 to 6 days after the rash begins.

If you or your child has chickenpox, try to stay away from public areas. This helps avoid contact with people who may not have had it before.

It is especially important to stay away from people who face a higher risk of serious problems, such as:

  • newborn babies
  • pregnant women
  • anyone with a weakened immune system, for example people having cancer treatment or taking steroid tablets

Who's at higher risk from chickenpox?

Some children and adults face a special risk of serious problems if they catch chickenpox. They include:

  • pregnant women
  • newborn babies
  • people with a weakened immune system

These people should speak to their doctor as soon as they are exposed to the chickenpox virus or notice chickenpox symptoms.

They may need a blood test to check if they are protected from, or immune to, chickenpox.

Chickenpox in pregnancy

Chickenpox can occasionally cause complications during pregnancy.

It occurs in approximately 3 out of every 1,000 pregnancies.

The risk of developing pneumonia is slightly higher during pregnancy, especially for smokers. The further along the pregnancy is, the more serious this risk of pneumonia tends to be.

Getting chickenpox during pregnancy also carries a small but significant risk to the unborn baby.

If chickenpox develops during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy, there is a risk that the unborn baby could develop a condition known as foetal varicella syndrome, or FVS. This syndrome is rare.

FVS can cause serious complications, including:

  • scarring
  • eye defects, such as cataracts
  • shortened limbs
  • brain damage

There are also other risks from catching chickenpox after week 20 of pregnancy. The baby may be born prematurely, before week 37 of the pregnancy.

If infection occurs 7 days before or 7 days after giving birth, the newborn baby may develop a more serious type of chickenpox. In a few severe cases, this type of chickenpox can be fatal.

Chickenpox and shingles

Once a person has had chickenpox, they usually develop antibodies to the infection and become immune to catching it again.

However, the virus that causes chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus, stays inactive in the body's nerve tissues. It can come back later in life as an illness called shingles.

It is possible to catch chickenpox from someone with shingles, but not the other way around.

Read more about shingles.

Prevention

How chickenpox can be prevented

Chickenpox can be prevented by having the MMRV vaccine.

This is given in 2 doses as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme.

Read more about the MMRV vaccine