For most people, it’s just a mild illness, but the chickenpox virus cannot be treated with antibiotics. It has to just run its course.
Those infected with the chickenpox virus will experience discomfort and itchiness. In only a matter of days, the rash will spread over the entire body.
Chickenpox is very contagious. However, since most of us are either vaccinated or have had chickenpox when we were younger, most of us are at low risk of catching the virus. There is still a slight risk, however, especially for those of us who either have children or work with children. Nevertheless, if you fall into this category and still end up getting chickenpox, the good news is that your symptoms will be much less severe, causing you to have a much milder fever than normal and far fewer blisters.
Newborns and non-vaccinated individuals are the most at risk of catching chickenpox.
Chickenpox only tends to last 5 – 10 days and is usually a minor virus. There are rare cases, however, when chickenpox can become more serious and lead to further complications. Some complications that can go hand-in-hand with the virus include dehydration, inflammation, pneumonia, bacterial infections, toxic shock syndrome, and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). Additionally, catching chickenpox during pregnancy can cause issues for the baby, including birth defects, limb abnormality, and low birth weight. The threat of this is increased if a woman catches the virus closer to delivery (a week or several days prior to delivery); which can cause a potentially life-threatening infection for the baby.
So after all this, what are some indicators of chickenpox that one should look out for? Here’s a list of the 10 signs and symptoms of chickenpox.
Fever will likely be the earliest indicator of chickenpox. Generally, a fever will occur 2-3 days before an outbreak of a visible rash occurs.
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