Chicken pox is a viral infection that shows up as a rash or a series of blisters across the body. It most often infects children, and because it is so contagious, a very large percentage of Americans gets the disease while they are still young. They are almost always a mild illness, though uncomfortable, so it’s generally assumed to be a good idea to get your child infected while they’re younger and get it over with, or get an immunization so they don’t need to worry about it.
But when are chicken pox contagious? They are contagious a couple days before the rash first breaks out, so chances are high for a child to infect other children before realizing that they themselves are sick. It then continues to be contagious until the blisters scab over, which can take up to about a week or so from first breaking out.
Having chicken pox feels like having a heavy cold, or the minor flu. Your body will be sore, you may develop a fever, you’ll be very tired, and you will probably be bed ridden for a couple days, during the worst part of the infection. Happily, though, you will gradually improve and feel better, even while still going through the disease itself.
Chicken pox is a disease that you will only get one time. That’s because the body, when it fights them the first time, is able to ‘remember’ how it killed them off, so that if you are ever exposed to the virus again your body will quickly kill it, before you can get sick. Before the vaccine was created in 1995, it was common for parents, if one of their children got sick, to expose all the children at once, so all of them would get sick, get better, and they wouldn’t have to worry about it again. Thanks to the vaccine, exposure like this is typically not necessary anymore.
The biggest concern with chicken pox is infection. If you scratch a blister you could potentially tear it open, leaving you exposed to scarring and infection. Because of this, it’s a good idea to do everything possible to reduce the itching during the illness – this includes things like oatmeal baths, calamine lotion, and painkillers. This is all explained in more detail in my article on how to treat chicken pox.
Chicken pox are not dangerous, but they’re uncomfortable, and probably inconvenient. Get the vaccine when you are young and you’ll never have to worry about it, though.
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