Chickenpox

Chickenpox used to be an ailment that just about every child out there got. We are seeing less and less of it though due to the various vaccines that are offered to protect against it. Chickenpox are harmless but they can be annoying as they leave itchy red spots all over your body. As long as you refrain from picking at them you won’t have any permanent scars from them.

The age at which a person gets chickenpox varies. Generally children that are at a daycare center or in school will be exposed to them. The incubation period is several days before the red spots show up so a person may not know they have been exposed to it until they show up. This is why children in a given classroom or family end up with them around the same time.

This is a very contagious type of ailment so you can pick it up just about anywhere. There is usually no reason to go see a doctor for chickenpox unless you have other serious medical problems such as cancer or diabetes. If you experience a high fever with the chickenpox you should see your doctor as this isn’t a common symptom of chickenpox.

Chickenpox is an ailment that almost everyone only gets once in their life. Some people have been known to get it again when they are older but not as severe. Generally, they older a person is when they get chickenpox the worse the outbreak will be. Some adults have never had it or the vaccination though and this remains quite a mystery.

Pregnant women who have never had chickenpox need to be very careful, especially early in the pregnancy. It can result in various types of birth defects if the fetus is very young. For the most part though you won’t have anything to worry about with this ailment. Chickenpox generally last about five to seven days.

To help offer some relief from the itching, calamine location can be applied to the spots. This is a light tan colored cream that can be very helpful. It should be applied with a q-tip or a cotton ball to help ensure the area doesn’t become infected.