What is chicken pox?

Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella zoster, which is part of the herpes virus family. It is a common illness for kids and most people get better by just resting like you do with a cold or the flu. Although it's more common in kids under the age of 15, anyone can get chickenpox. A person usually has only one episode of chickenpox in his or her lifetime. But the virus that causes chickenpox can lie dormant within the body and can cause a different type of skin eruption later in life called shingles, also referred to as herpes-zoster.

People who get the virus often develop a rash of spots that look like blisters all over their bodies. The blisters are usually small and are formed on an area of red skin. These blisters become itchy. The illness also may come along with a runny nose and cough. And the good news is that lots of kids don't get chickenpox at all, provided they take the chicken pox vaccine. Kids who do get it, if they got the shot, often get less severe cases, which means they recover faster.

What happens when you have chicken pox?

Chickenpox may begin with a cold. You might have a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and a cough. But 1 to 2 days later, rashes develop, often in bunches of spots on the chest and face. From there it can spread out quickly over the entire body, sometimes even in a person's ears and mouth. The number of pox is different for everyone. Some people may just get a few bumps, while others are covered from head to toe.

At first, the rash looks like pinkish dots that quickly develop into small blisters, which are filled with fluid. After about 24 to 48 hours, the fluid in the blisters gets cloudy and the blisters begin to crust over.

Chickenpox blisters show up in waves, so after some begin to crust over, a new group of spots may appear. New chickenpox usually stops appearing by the seventh day, though they may stop as early as the third day. After about a week, all the blisters should get scabs on them and start to heal. Besides the rash, someone with chickenpox might also have a stomachache, a fever, and may just not feel well.

Is it contagious?

Chickenpox is contagious. Someone who has chickenpox is most contagious during the first 2 to 5 days that he or she is sick. That's usually about 1 to 2 days before the rash shows up. So you could be spreading around chickenpox without even knowing it!

A person who has chickenpox can pass it to someone else by coughing or sneezing. When he or she coughs, sneezes, laughs, and even talks, tiny drops come out of the mouth and nose. These drops are full of the chickenpox virus. It's easy for someone else to breathe in these drops or get them on his or her hands.

Taking care while you have chickenpox

Scratching the blisters can tear your skin and leave scars. Scratching can also let germs in, and the blisters could get infected.

These tips can help you feel less itchy:

Keep cool because heat and sweat will make you itch more. You might want to put a cool, wet washcloth on the really bad areas.

Trim your fingernails, so if you do scratch, they won't tear your skin.

Soak in a lukewarm bath.
Applying calamine lotion will soothe the itching.

Get a shot and avoid the Dots!

Have you had the chickenpox vaccine? You might not remember because it's often given at age 1. But you can get it when you're older, too. So go and get the chicken pox vaccine today!