chicken pox
Humankind has known since time immemorial types and varieties of various, deadly and incurable diseases throughout the ancient ages, That is why we used to read in history books that the tribes with their mother and father disappeared from existence, and the reason for that was the spread of an infectious disease among the members of society, A family, a village, or even a city, down to an entire continent, such as malaria, which spread in Africa and South America as the spread of wildfire.
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| Chickenpox: symptoms, treatment and prevention |
One type of these diseases is enough to kill countless numbers of people and leave behind a health disaster that drains decades of time to get rid of its effects, It is horrifying, frustrating and frightening to think that there is such a serial killer in the folds of our human history.
But God Almighty bestows the disease on you and guides you to the cure, for with God’s guidance, scientists have found vaccines, vaccinations, and medicines that will eliminate this type of disease, And some of them did not register a patent for the drug in his name to keep it freely available to all humankind, such as the "Jonas Salk" polio vaccine discoverer.
Today we will discuss in detail about chickenpox.
What is chickenpox ?
It is a viral infection characterized by red blisters all over the body, and it is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that causes itchy skin eruptions, The condition can be very serious or life-threatening for people who have not contracted the disease until adulthood. This disease is mainly spread among children, But in general, everyone will get it at some point in their lives if they have not received the chickenpox vaccine.
The disease of smallpox dates back to ancient times, and the oldest use of this term was in 1691, and it is worth noting that the disease moved to the Americas in the fifteenth century, Which brought to their land expeditions and European settlement, and spread among the original inhabitants of the New World because they had not been exposed to this disease before.
If smallpox infects healthy children, it is usually not a fatal disease and is not even considered a serious disease, But if pregnant women, infants, adolescents, adults, and people with immune system problems are infected, there is a danger here, Because it is difficult for their bodies to fight infection, in this case it is recommended to see a doctor directly.
The good thing is that people who have had chickenpox once, do not get it again, but the virus remains in their bodies long after they recover, If the virus becomes effective again, it may cause a painful viral infection called shingles.
Symptoms of chickenpox
- fever.
- Headache.
- Pain in the throat.
- Feeling weak.
- Loss of appetite.
- Skin rash: It accompanies the appearance of the initial signs of the disease (on the first or second day), and some children show a rash without fever or initial symptoms.
It takes 14-16 days for the symptoms of chickenpox to appear after contact with an infected person, and this period is called incubation.
The appearance of the red spot characterizes smallpox, as it passes all stages within a day or two, Including the vesicle that tapers and then becomes scabs and covering with an outer crust, during a period of 5-7 days, new red spots appear on a daily basis.
There are other diseases that have symptoms similar to those of chickenpox, so there are people who think that they have had chickenpox twice, when the truth is that they have had a different infection each time.
Risk factors for smallpox
The virus that causes smallpox is the varicella-zoster virus, and it spreads very easily and quickly.
Infection with chickenpox and the causes of infection:
- Sneezing or coughing by a person with the infection.
- Sharing food or drink with someone who has chickenpox.
- Touching the liquid in the toll.
A person with chickenpox can spread the virus before any symptoms of the disease appear, such as fever and blisters, And the spread of the disease is before the first three days of the appearance of the rash until all the vesicles are covered with crust.
Complications of chickenpox
- Catch a bacterial infection.
- Pneumonia.
- Bleeding.
Categories at risk
- People who have never had chickenpox before.
- People who have not received the vaccine are more likely to contract chickenpox.
- People who live with someone who has chickenpox are more likely to get chickenpox, as a result of close contact.
Diagnosis of chickenpox
Through the direct diagnosis by the doctor by asking him some questions for the child and his family related to the symptoms, and these procedures provide the doctor with sufficient information to diagnose the patient if he has chickenpox or not.
In general cases, healthy children who show symptoms of the disease do not need to consult a doctor, and it is possible to describe the symptoms by phone In this way, the child does not need to leave the house and expose the people around him to the risk of infection, however, the doctor must be consulted in any appropriate way for the parents.
Chickenpox treatment
Usually the injured need treatment at home, as it is safe for them and their families:
Treatment at home is carried out by this mechanism:
- Comforts.
- Take medicines to reduce fever.
- Alleviate itching.
- Dip the patient in a basin of oatmeal to scare away itching.
As for people who suffer from chronic diseases, or people who suffer from health problems, they need treatments that suit their conditions.
A doctor can prescribe medications shortly after exposure to the virus, in order to shorten the recovery period.
Prevention of chickenpox
As with any disease, prevention is the protective shield that spares you the pain and difficult time that the disease brings.
Certainly, receiving the vaccine is the best prevention of this disease, and doctors advise taking two doses of the vaccine for healthy children at the age of one, and for older children who have not yet contracted the disease.
Doctors recommend that older children (adults), who have not had chickenpox, and have not received the vaccine, should take two doses of the vaccine.
Doctors recommend that older children (adults) who haven't had chickenpox and haven't been vaccinated get two doses of the vaccine.
A person who has not had chickenpox before, and who did not receive the vaccine and was accompanied by a person infected with the virus, can Take a dose of the vaccine or use the anti-chicken pox directly.
Important note:
It is forbidden to expose healthy children to personal confrontation and direct contact with infected children or personsBecause there are parents who deliberately and intentionally expose their children to catch the disease, thinking that the infection with chickenpox, At an early age it is safer, but this belief is wrong and it can cause serious problems.