Chickenpox: Should Your Child See a Doctor?
Yes, your child should see a doctor. The doctor will diagnose
the child and advise you on how to handle the illness best. As
a parent it can be difficult to determine whether the child has
a normal case of chickenpox or a severe case of chickenpox. Chickenpox
is not usually treated as there is no cure for it and it will go
away without treatment.
The symptoms of chickenpox are a rash that turns into blisters
which then turns into a dry scab. This can bee seen all over the body
and 200-250 blisters in total is common. These blisters can be very
itchy or painful. The child will also feel generally ill, with fever,
headaches and tiredness.
You may ease the chickenpox symptoms with
- Fever reducing medications
- Pain killers
- Local anesthetic cream
- Lukewarm baths
In Severe Cases
In the rare cases of severe chickenpox, an antiviral agent such as
Acyclovir or Famciclovir may be prescribed. This will help fight the
virus and will reduce the duration and severity of chickenpox.
Chickenpox is one of those childhood diseases like mumps and measles
and once you've had it, it usually doesn't come back again. There is a
vaccine which most countries recommend for children and adults who didn't
have chickenpox as children. (chickenpox can be quite severe in adults)
The vaccine is not required unlike other vaccines and will not eliminate
the risk of chickenpox. It will however reduce the risk considerably and
if you get chickenpox, it will be very mild.
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