Chickenpox and Shingles
What you need to know.
Chickenpox
Chickenpox normally lasts from around five to ten days with any mixture of the following symptoms. Fever, headache, loss of appetite, generally feeling unwell, and an extremely itchy rash. Those above are the extra joys of chickenpox, you will get three stages of bumps (chickenpox) during those five to ten days. First pink or red bumps break out, second fluid filled blisters form on your body, then lastly, the blisters turn into cuts and scabs that take days to heal.
For the most part, doctors tell patients to let the virus run its course. Of course that can be a very painful and uncomfortable course, so the following suggested may help. Zovirax and IGIV ( if prescribed), Calamine lotion, or cool oatmeal baths may help with itching. Never give anyone ( adult or child), aspirin for it may cause them to have Reye's Syndrome.
Chickenpox can be about 90% prevented by the Chickenpox vaccine. With the vaccine, even if you do get Chickenpox, it will be a less severe case. Children are able to get their first dose starting at 12 months of age. If you work with children, live with children, or aren't vaccinated/immune you are at risk of getting Chickenpox.
In the 1990's, four million people caught chickenpox, with 10.5 to 15 thousand of them hospitalized and 100 to 150 of them died each year in the United States. Now that we have the vaccine, 3.5 million people don't get Chickenpox each year. Of those people, 9 thousand aren't hospitalized and 100 people don't die each year in the United States.
Chickenpox blisters
Shingles
Oatmeal for oatmeal baths
Shingles
There is no cure for Shingles, it will eventually go away. There is a slight possibility by getting the Shingles vaccine you can prevent it.
Shingles symptoms include, pain, burning, numbness, tingling, itching, red rash, and fluid filled blisters. For some people, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, achieness in general, striped blisters that wrap around one side of the torso, and possibly around the eyes, neck, or face.
After you turn 50, you are at a higher risk of getting Shingles. You can get Shingles more than once but it's very rare. There are about one to four percent of people with Shingles get hospitalized and around 96 people die from Shingles each year in the United States.
Children
Pregnant women are more at risk of developing Chickenpox than others. Chickenpox could result in birth defects in unborn babies, although Shingles will not harm them. The mother of the baby will spread on her immunity to the baby while he/she breast feeds from the mother.
To help with the symptoms the suggested may help, patting instead of rubbing blisters, cool baths every three to four hours, cold bland food, no salty or acidic food, and possibly giving your kid acetaminophen regularly. To help with itching, put gloves or mittens on your hands and cut your finger nails.
Signs of Chickenpox include multiple pimple or bug bite looking bumps and common cold symptoms. Chickenpox start on the back, face, or abdomen, then spread to pretty much everywhere else. In very rare cases serious infections can occur in the lungs, skin, brain, bone, and joints.
Vaccines
Bibliography
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Mayo Clinic Staff. "Shingles." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, 01 Sept. 2011. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
Naturally Healthy Skin. Natural Remedies for Baby Eczema. Digital image. Http://www.naturallyhealthyskin.org/skintreatments/baby-eczema-treatment/natural-remedies-for-baby-eczema/. Naturally Healthy Skin, 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
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