Chicken pox is the appearance of blisters all over the body and it is contagious until new blisters stop emerging and until old ones scab.



Chicken pox is a very itching disease. Even though, it is highly recommended for patients to avoid scratching.

During the infection patients should stay at home, in cold environments because high temperatures make the itching worse and because contact with outside air could lead to complications.

Hygiene is very important when someone catches chicken pox. The few recommendations are very important too. If patients respect the indications chicken pox should not lead to complications. The most important thing is to avoid scratching. For persons who can not avoid scratching, cutting their nails short or even wearing gloves could be the solution. Lotions like calamine also help to ease the itching.

In special cases, especially at children, where itching is not relieved even though lotions are used, a much more complex treatment is prescribed. This treatment consists of antihistamine medications. This kind of medication helps for allergic reactions or even insomnia and it has a calming effect.

Chicken pox could lead to complications if the doctor's indications are not respected. So chances of getting occasionally scars or conjunctivitis or even pneumonia exist. Cases of much more dangerous result of complications have been seen: chicken pox leading to meningitis or encephalitis, or even heart diseases. It is also true that these cases are very rare.

Normally, a person who had chicken pox is immune to this disease, but the virus may return as shingles. Strange is the fact that, unlike with shingles, these kinds of persons can infect others with chicken pox.

Treating chicken pox and shingles resumes at reducing the risks of complications. For avoiding secondary bacterial infections personal hygiene is very import.

In less than a day from the appearance of blisters, treatment must be applied. It consists of medicine to combat fever, like paracetamol, and acyclovir, which is the most used treatment for both chicken pox and shingles.

For children the risk of complications is very low, for them chicken pox being a benign disease.

For its prevention a vaccine is recommended for chicken pox. This vaccine is suggested for people who have not been exposed to chicken pox and have problems with the immune system, and for children between 10 and 12 years.