Does your child have the symptoms of chicken pox? Learn how to tell.
Chicken Pox is a very uncomfortable disease for children. They get red bumps over their body, which fill with fluid and leave a blister until healed. This contagious stage goes on for three to five days. When they heal, they turn to scabs and fall off. If scratched, they sometimes can leave scars.
The rash can be on the stomach, face, chest, abdomen, scalp and inside the mouth in the worst cases. Itching is very common, and if adults catch chickenpox, their cases can become severe. Cutting your child's fingernails short keeps them from scratching the scabs off. If chickenpox are inside the mouth, feed your child very soft food, such as baby food and soft-boiled eggs. Buy straws for drinking and serve them cool drinks.
Fever may or may not be present. If fever is present, give your child Tylenol. Never give aspirin to a child that has chickenpox. This can cause Reye's Syndrome, a rare but fatal disease. To make the child comfortable, use cotton balls and calamine lotion and gently apply all over the bumps. Benadryl liquid is also recommended for the itching.
If you are pregnant, be sure to avoid children who you think may come down with chicken pox. Getting chickenpox while you are pregnant can cause harm to your unborn child. This usually happens within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Many children recover without any side effects from contracting chickenpox. Pneumonia is a rare and serious complication from chickenpox. If your child does not get any better within 4 days of getting chicken pox, or their fever does not go away, call your pediatrician immediately.
He may prescribe a medicine to reduce the severity of the illness.
If you have never had chicken pox or have an infant, ask your doctor to give you a vaccine to prevent the disease.
