Symptoms of Chickenpox

If you haven’t been vaccinated for chickenpox then it is likely that that the half of you who haven’t been vaccinated catch chickenpox.

Chicken pox as all of us know is very contagious. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. So if you or the kids have caught it then refrain from sending your kids to school and you from heading out to work.

There are some symptoms that appear even before the physical symptoms appear on the body, while the more obvious ones appear a day or two later.

Initial symptoms:

• Fever (100-102 degree range)

Chickenpox usually starts with a fever. The fever normally starts a few days before the actual physical rashes appear on the body that is the main sign of chickenpox.

• Stomach pain

The fever that comes before the rashes is usually accompanied with stomachache that is unexplainable.

• Headache

It might be difficult to explain a headache that arises out of the infection of the varicella virus. One of the earliest symptoms of catching chickenpox is the unexplained headaches that cause a lot of discomfort.

Subsequent symptoms:

• Red rashes or blisters on the skin

Once the virus progresses, the skin starts getting rashes or blisters all over the body. The blisters are usually spotted first on the stomach, face and scalp. They subsequently form near the mouth, private parts and eyelids.

These blisters are red and itchy and liquid filled. After a few days these blisters dry out and form scabs, giving room for new ones to erupt. These blisters usually don’t leave behind any scars unless they are extremely sever or have been infected.

• Itchiness of the skin

These blisters on the skin will usually irritate the skin, making you want to itch yourself all over.  For children, make sure you cut their nail and frequently wash their hands so that they do not infect the blisters.

Once you have spotted these symptoms head straight to the hospital to get treatment from your doctor.

Written by: Rasha Ashraf