chickenpox

chickenpox or. Varicella are a common childhood disease. This viral disease is usually transmitted by a droplet infection. The noticeable rash is typical.

What is chickenpox?

The chickenpox, also called wet leaves or sheep leaves, are a viral infection that is known as a typical childhood disease with a high risk of infection. Sick people usually have a fever and an itchy rash that is characteristic of the disease. Most people who have a single chickenpox outbreak are immune to it for the rest of their lives.

In children, the disease is usually free of complications and is over after three to five days. In adults, chickenpox is usually more severe and lasts much longer. It can also cause more serious complications such as pneumonia or meningites. Infection with chickenpox should be avoided, especially in pregnant women, because of the increased risk for mother and child.

causes

Cause of the disease with chickenpox is the Varziella Zoester virus, which is why the disease is also known as Varziella. The virus, which belongs to the herpes virus family, is only transmitted from person to person.

In addition to direct contact with the variceal vesicles (“chickenpox”) that occur during the course of the disease, transmission is also possible through expiratory droplets or even through the air, as the pathogens are also able to survive outside the human body for a short time.

Chickenpox is contagious two days before the rash appears and remains so for about a week after the skin irritation first appears. The risk of infection is up to 90% for people who are in the presence of chickenpox sufferers for more than an hour.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

In the case of chickenpox, only unspecific signs can be seen at first. General symptoms of illness such as fever and fatigue occur. This leads to characteristic complaints. A typical rash appears, which is visible all over the body. Numerous red spots form from which vesicles develop.

These contain a clear liquid. There is severe, unpleasant itching. After a day or two, the blisters become encrusted. New papules can appear over a period of around five days. New and already crusted vesicles mix all over the skin. These usually first appear on the face and torso.

The rash then spreads to the arms and legs. It even affects the genitals, the lining of the mouth, and the scalp. The number of vesicles can vary considerably in the sick. The symptoms of chickenpox can be more severe in adults than in children.

In severe cases, if the course is complicated, the affected person can experience additional complaints such as stiff neck, unsteady gait or shortness of breath. In addition, a pregnant patient suffering from chickenpox can lead to malformations in the unborn child. In the area of ​​the blistering, scarring can occur after the disease has subsided if the blisters have been scratched open by the itching.

Course of disease

Since the disease is much more severe in adults, parents often try to infect their children with the virus at so-called chickenpox parties.

It can take ten to 21 days after infection to break out chickenpox pass away. The disease begins in children in most cases with a slight fever, sometimes with headache and body aches. Within 24 hours, small red itching pustules form in the chest and head area, in which often water-clear blisters form. The mucous membranes are rarely affected by this pustule formation. When the vesicles burst, a brown crust forms that soon falls off without scarring, provided that care is taken to prevent the children from scratching too much.

In adults, the majority of cases show more chickenpox, which can also affect the limbs and genital area. Recurring pustules are often accompanied by a high fever. In pregnant women, infection with chickenpox can also lead to a miscarriage.

Complications

Chickenpox is a disease that mostly affects children and usually clears up without complications. Serious disease courses can only occur in very rare cases. This is especially true for newborns, people with weakened immune systems, or pregnant women. Occasionally, however, complicated processes also occur in otherwise healthy children. These are then caused by a superinfection with bacteria.

If sufferers keep scratching the itchy blisters, there is a risk of additional bacterial infection in these areas. This risk can be reduced by staying in a cool environment and by giving itch-relieving medication. In newborns and immunocompromised people, the actual chickenpox pathogen (varicella-zoster virus) can spread more strongly in the body and attack various organs.

Among other things, life-threatening pneumonia caused by varicella zoster occurs. The varicella can also affect the nervous system with the development of encephalitis. The heart, kidneys, cornea or joints are sometimes also affected. Furthermore, there is a so-called fetal varicella syndrome in unborn babies.

This can develop if the mother develops chickenpox in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Fetal varicella syndrome is characterized by malformations of the skeleton and nervous system, eye damage and skin changes. If the mother develops chickenpox around the due date, the baby may become infected and develop a very severe neonatal varicella infection.

When should you go to the doctor?

Chickenpox is a disease that you should definitely see a doctor for. Since the disease is of little risk in childhood, an appointment can be made with affected children. Immediate treatment is recommended for the child due to the accompanying symptoms, but not essential.

In the case of adult patients and adolescents, however, the situation is different. Sufferers should contact a doctor immediately, as chickenpox can even be life-threatening in this age group. It makes sense to consult a doctor at early signs. Patients should seek medical evaluation as soon as the first rashes or a feverish sensation appear. It is particularly important that patients who believe they have chickenpox call the practice in advance. Because the disease is highly contagious, it takes time for the practice to take steps to prevent other patients from becoming infected. Even with affected children, it is advisable to discuss a doctor's visit with the pediatrician beforehand.

Treatment & Therapy

There chickenpox If you are a viral disease, only symptoms will be treated if possible. Itching can be relieved by using cool moist compresses or drying emulsions. To reduce the risk of further infection and scarring, children should have their fingernails cut so they do not scratch the pustules. An existing fever can be combated with fever-lowering agents. Aspirin must not be given, however, as it increases the risk of severe Reye's syndrome in the case of chickenpox.

Immunocompromised individuals should be given the antiviral agents acyclovir or vidarabine. Furthermore, especially in adults with chickenpox, attention should be paid to symptoms of meningitis (pain when nodding and lowering the head), pneumonia (difficulty breathing or sputum) or gastrointestinal complications (severe abdominal pain, bloating).

Chickenpox usually runs without complications and does not require immediate follow-up care. The fluid-filled bubbles dry up and crust. It is important not to scratch the scab as this can cause bacterial skin infections. After 3-5 days, the crust falls off without scarring.

Anyone who has survived chickenpox once has lifelong immunity. In rare cases, if the first illness occurred in early childhood or only slightly, a second illness can occur.

Aftercare

For long-term follow-up care, it must be noted that the varicello-zoster viruses remain in the body for life. When inactive, they survive in nerve fibers. After years or decades, the viruses can be reactivated and overcome the body's own defenses. As a result, shingles (herpes zoster) is triggered as a second disease.

One in five people who have had chickenpox infection will develop shingles at least once later. People with a weakened immune system are particularly affected. These include the elderly, as the immune system declines with age. Therefore, it is primarily these risk groups that must pay attention to the occurrence of typical symptoms of shingles (skin rashes, nerve pain).

Antiviral drugs should be given if the disease is first suspected. A vaccination is also possible to prevent shingles. The vaccines are approved for people aged 50 and over.

You can do that yourself

The disease is highly contagious. Those affected should therefore stay at home until all of the blisters are crusted over. Only then are chickenpox no longer transferable. Usually this takes about a week.

Adult relatives who have had chickenpox in childhood are in most cases immune to a new infection. You therefore do not need to take any special measures. Since the disease can be aggressive in adults, it is advisable to evacuate relatives for the duration of the infection if they did not have chickenpox as a child. This is particularly advisable for older people, pregnant women and relatives with immunodeficiency. No spatial separation is necessary from children living in the household. Their disease is usually mild. However, direct contact with the person affected should be avoided.

An important self-help measure is to refrain from scratching the blisters. Otherwise, bacterial infections can occur. Ideally, those affected should wear light cotton clothing, as these do not additionally irritate the skin. Itching can be relieved by washing the body with apple cider vinegar water. It is also advisable to take folic acid and iron supplements.