Shingles » Shingles Contagious
Chicken Pox - Part 2
Chicken pox is one of the classic contagious childhood diseases, and one that most children experience once in their lifetime. It is also rare to find an adult who has chicken pox or an adult who has never had chicken pox. Adults and older children usually get sicker than younger children do. Chicken pox is much more dangerous and should be treated right away the older you get, complications increase with age and the risk of death.
Chicken pox is caused by the varicella - zoster virus. This is the same virus that also causes shingles in adults, later on in life. The Chicken pox is highly contagious and can easily spread from one person to another through respiratory means. For example if a person with the disease coughs, the virus can be inhaled from the air and thus the disease can be easily transmitted. It can also be transmitted by direct contact and droplet transmission. Even those with mild illness after the vaccine may be still contagious.
When someone becomes infected, the chicken pox usually appears 10 to 21 days later. People become contagious 1 to 2 days before breaking out with pox. In the disease one develops red or swollen bumps on the skin as well as open blisters. The average child develops 250 to 500 small, itchy, fluid-filled blisters. The disease usually lasts two or three days before the blisters heal. Most pox blisters will not leave scars unless they become contaminated with bacteria from scratching.
Some common symptoms of the disease are a decreased appetite, a fever of over 100°F, sluggishness or feeling tired often, as well as a dry irritated throat and mild headache. To treat the disease one must rest and wait until it passes with little contact to others as the disease is very contagious. Non prescription medicine to stop the scratchiness often experienced during chicken pox can be taken as scratching during chicken pox does not help in soothing and treating the disease. Chicken pox is something that almost everyone experiences and the best thing to do is to get some rest and bear with it until it’s over.
For more info on chickenpox visit http://www.chicken-pox-symptoms.com
Source: www.articlecity.com