Chicken pox is characterized by a red, itchy rash, which blisters and then crusts over within 2 weeks. A mild flu-like illness is usually present before the appearance of the rash, and may cause fever, body ache, headache, nausea and loss of appetite.
The first symptoms of chickenpox often are a fever, a headache, and a sore throat. You or your child may feel sick, tired, and not very hungry. The chickenpox rash usually appears about 1 or 2 days after the first symptoms start. Some children get the chickenpox rash without having a fever or other early symptoms. It usually takes 14 to 16 days to get the symptoms of chickenpox after you have been around someone with the virus. This is called the incubation period. After a chickenpox red spot appears, it usually takes about 1 or 2 days for the spot to go through all its stages. This includes blistering, bursting, drying, and crusting over. New red spots will appear every day for up to 5 to 7 days. Call your health professional immediately if you or your child with chickenpox develops: A severe headache or constant vomiting, sensitivity to bright light, or unusual sleepiness or confusion. These may be signs of inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).
Definately a candidate for chicken pox. They look like red spots and can blister. Scratching will spread the chicken pox. Has your child been exposed within the last two weeks? It takes about two weeks from exposure to break out. However, this could also be poison ivy. Poison ivy surfaces immediately as blisters and is usually in a localized area where the exposure occurred. Blisters on her arm sound more like poison ivy. Looked for a three leaved plant with white berries in and around your neighborhood. Poison ivy toxins can also be spread from a dog or a cat to a person if the toxins are on the animal’s coat. For chicken pox, start looking for a low grade fever and for the blisters to appear elsewhere on her body.
No specific medical treatment is usually required for chicken pox. Painkillers (ibuprofen, paracetamol) can help to reduce pain and fever. Calamine lotion is also commonly used for local application to reduce itching. Over the counter treatments like antihistamines may be used for the relief of severe itching. Some of these cause drowsiness and may help the patient sleep at night. Frequent baths may also help ease itching. Finely ground oatmeal or baking soda may be added to the bath water to soothe the skin. Avoid tepid sponging.
It’s important not to scratch the scabs as this increases the risk of secondary bacterial infection. Mittens/socks or socks can be worn at night to prevent scratching during sleep.
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