Every child gets sick at times. Children are prone to contracting different types of viral infections, as there are many chances of being exposed to the virus that is present in the air, water, surfaces, floors, toys. Can children have repeated chickenpox?
Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease and can easily spread from one child to another. Chickenpox is one of the common diseases that children have to endure.
Briefly about chickenpox
Chickenpox, also known as chickenpox, affects most children. Infection and development of the disease occurs due to the varicella-zoster virus.
Chickenpox manifests itself after direct contact with an infected person, and also spreads through air contaminated with viral particles.
In most cases, the incubation period for chickenpox is about two weeks, which means that the child will first show symptoms of infection 14 days after exposure to the virus.
Outward manifestations appear as red sores and rashes on the skin that itch and transform into blisters with fluid inside. As the infection progresses, the bubbles begin to heal and dry out, forming crusts that then fall off the body.
Some children will only have a few spots and rashes, while others will have a rash all over their bodies.
However, in some children, chickenpox symptoms may appear as early as seven days after exposure to the virus or as early as 21 days later.
Signs of chickenpox in children
The main symptom is a characteristic rash. Therefore, it is important for parents to know the stages of its appearance:
- red rashes, similar to blisters, will begin to appear on the child's body;
- the rash can occur only on some parts of the body or spread, covering the entire trunk;
- the rash usually appears in small clusters;
- sometimes a rash can appear even on the inside of the child's lips and ears;
- in addition, the rash can be present on the palms, as well as on the soles of the feet or around the lower back;
- at first, the rash will begin to appear as tiny red patches that will soon itch. After a few days, it will look like a blister, and the itching will increase;
- the next day or every other day, the bubbles will begin to fill with a clear liquid, which will gradually become cloudy (over the next few days). At the end, the bubbles dry out, a crust forms on top;
- after a week or two, the crusts will slowly begin to peel off the blisters and come off the baby's body;
- a new rash may also appear after the first 3 to 5 days from the onset of the rash. In this case, the new rashes are usually combined into groups (waves) and form different groups of rashes.
Complications after chickenpox
There may be complications from chickenpox:
- bacterial infection of an open wound can damage the skin, sometimes causing scarring, especially if the child scratches the inflamed area. Bacterial streptococcal skin infection is, in fact, a common complication of chickenpox in children;
- other complications are much less common. In children, the central nervous system may be affected. Violation of the cerebellar part of the brain is manifested by an unstable gait, dizziness, tremors and altered speech;
Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) with headaches, seizures, and depression of consciousness can occur, and nerves can be damaged (nerve palsy).
- other complications include blood poisoning (sepsis) and dehydration;
- pneumonia is a more common complication in adolescents. Even healthy patients can die from chickenpox.
There are people with certain diseases who are more susceptible to serious complications and death. Such conditions and patients include:
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV or AIDS);
- lupus or other autoimmune diseases;
- leukemia and other cancers;
- people taking immunomodulatory drugs (drugs associated with cortisone, tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, and chemotherapy);
- people who have undergone transplantation;
- pregnant women.
Pregnant women who have never had chickenpox and are not vaccinated against it should avoid contact or being in the same room as the person with suspected chickenpox. Not only is a woman at risk of varicella-zoster pneumonia, the fetus is at risk of infection in the uterus (congenital varicella-zoster syndrome) before 20 weeks of gestation.
Congenital chickenpox causes numerous intrauterine disorders, such as scarring of the skin and damage to the limbs. Fortunately, very, very rare. Newborns whose mothers get chickenpox 5 days before giving birth, or babies who become infected two days after their own birth, are at greatest risk of severe chickenpox.
These babies can show symptoms for up to 2 weeks after birth. This is explained by the fact that the mother does not have enough time to develop antibodies to chickenpox so that they can be passed on to the child. The mortality rate for these children is up to 30%. If your baby develops symptoms between 10 and 28 days old, they are likely to be mild.
Treatment of chickenpox in children
There is no specific treatment for varicella-zoster in children, as it is more like watching and waiting for the infection to pass. Most treatments for chickenpox are aimed at reducing symptoms. The itching sensation that a child experiences during chickenpox is especially difficult to cope with.
There are several ways to relieve itching at home:
- take some gauze pads and saturate them with a solution of baking soda and water. Place gauze on your child's rash to provide some temporary relief from the itching sensation;
- consult your doctor about the safety of using certain creams or lotions containing calamine. Calamine is known to soothe the skin and may provide some relief from itching in a child;
- if the itching is too severe for the child to be unable to control, the doctor will likely prescribe an antihistamine to relieve itching.
To reduce the temperature in a child, the doctor will prescribe a dose of Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. Make sure you only give what the doctor prescribes, follow the dosage.
If your child's condition is serious, the doctor will prescribe antiviral drugs.
Forecast
The prognosis for uncomplicated chickenpox is usually good if the disease is carried during childhood. And even for many adults, it goes away relatively easily. Most people who get sick never experience the symptoms of chickenpox again after the first appearance, and they are immune to another person's chickenpox, as the virus remains dormant in the nervous system.
Can you get chickenpox again?
Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles later, even in children. The good news is that so-called recurrent chickenpox is quite rare in children and adolescents with healthy immune systems.
When infected with chickenpox, the body begins to produce IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies. IgG is the smallest antibody molecule, and it lasts a lifetime. The immune response limits the primary infection. However, once infected, the virus spreads through the nerves and remains dormant after recovery. Reactivation of these latent viruses causes a secondary infection. This manifests as shingles.
The causative agent is the same, but the clinical manifestation is very different due to mechanisms mediated by the immune system. Primary infection with varicella-zoster causes chickenpox, and reactivation causes shingles.
Shingles is a viral infection that appears as a rash caused by a nerve infection. Shingles usually appears as a streak of irritated skin and a chain of blisters on one side of the chest or back, but it can occur anywhere on the body, including the face and near the eyes. This characteristic rash has a streak pattern that extends to only one side of the body (right or left) and usually does not cross the midline. Usually, herpes zoster occurs only in immunocompromised children.
Rarely, shingles may appear more than once.
Shingles, like chickenpox, is a highly contagious disease. Anyone who comes into contact with a child who has shingles will develop chickenpox, not shingles. On average, the period during which the disease can last is two to four weeks. When the disease has passed all its stages of development, the infection disappears by itself.
Causes
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. Varicella-zoster is associated with the herpes virus, which causes genital herpes and herpes simplex. Therefore, herpes zoster is also known as herpes zoster.
Doctors are not sure why the virus suddenly flares up again after months or years of inactivity. This may be because our immune systems become more vulnerable to infections as we age, which may explain why shingles is more common in older people.
Children who have had chickenpox are at high risk of developing herpes zoster if their immune system is weakened after illness or as a result of certain medications.
Symptoms
Shingles usually starts with a burning, tingling, itching sensation in the area where the rash will eventually develop. Sometimes this pain can be severe and the child will complain of extreme skin sensitivity. This discomfort usually occurs several days before the visible rash appears.
Often, children will also experience other associated symptoms such as:
- headache
- fever and chills
- malaise
- nausea
- body aches
- enlargement of the lymphatic glands.
A few days after the onset of discomfort on the skin (or, which is rare, after a few weeks), a characteristic herpes rash appears. It first appears as a cluster of small red spots that eventually turn into small bubbles.
These fluid-filled blisters eventually rupture and the small sores slowly begin to dry out and crust over. The scabs fall off after a few weeks and the rash disappears in about two to four weeks.
When should you see a specialist?
In the overwhelming majority of cases, herpes zoster can be diagnosed independently.
But urgent medical attention is needed in the following situations:
- if the rash appears on the face. There is a chance that the rash will spread to the eyes, which can severely damage the child's vision. The doctor will take measures to prevent the spread of the infection to the eye;
- if the child has a weakened immune system. Complications such as superficial streptococcal skin infections and other nerve problems (facial paralysis, imbalance, and hearing problems) can occur. In some rare cases, inflammation of the brain has been reported;
- painful rashes. If the child complains that the rash is very sore and itchy;
- Are you not sure if the rash is shingles?
- no signs of healing even after 14 days.
If you suspect that your child is developing herpes zoster, it is best to see a specialist right away for diagnosis.
Complications of shingles
In general, herpes zoster resolves on its own, with or without treatment, and does not cause any serious conditions.
In rare cases, lichen can cause complications:
- persistent pain (postherpetic neuralgia). Damaged nerve fibers in the skin send irregular impulses to the brain, which causes pain that can last long after the rash disappears;
- vision problems. If lichen develops in or near the eyes, it can lead to blindness;
- skin infections. The rash can become infected with bacteria, leading to skin problems (streptoderma, for example);
- disorders of the nervous system. Facial herpes can involve various nerves that connect to the brain. This can cause nerve problems (facial paralysis, hearing impairment, and balance problems). Rarely, herpes leads to encephalitis.
Diagnostics
The doctor can independently diagnose on the basis of the distinctive appearance and distribution of the characteristic rash, without resorting to laboratory research methods. A painful, chain-like rash that is localized to specific areas of the skin is a sign of herpes zoster.
Diagnosing herpes zoster before the rash appears can be challenging. In cases where the diagnosis is unclear, laboratory tests are available to confirm the diagnosis. Depending on the clinical situation, testing can be done using blood samples (to detect antibodies to varicella-zoster), or by specialized testing of skin lesions.
Treatment
Herpes zoster therapy is aimed at reducing the effects of the virus as well as relieving pain.
There are several medications that you can use, talk to your doctor about the best treatment options for your situation.
The vast majority of cases of herpes zoster can be treated at home. In some situations, children with weakened immune systems or children with severe symptoms and / or complications may require hospitalization.
Antiviral drugs. Used in the fight against varicella zoster virus. These drugs help shorten the course of the disease, reduce the severity of the disease, and speed up the healing of skin lesions. They will also help prevent possible complications that sometimes occur. Antiviral drugs are most effective when they are started within 3 days of the first appearance of the rash, but in some cases of herpes zoster (for example, in a patient with a weakened immune system) they can be taken after 72 hours.
There are several antiviral drugs that can be used. These are Acyclovir, Famciclovir and Valacyclovir (the last two are not prescribed for children under 12 years old).
- Means to reduce pain.Some doctors prescribe topical creams or sprays, skin dressings, or oral medications to minimize pain caused by the virus. In some cases, medications such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen may be recommended to combat pain.
- Treating inflammation. If the rash spreads to the eyes (which is a major complication of herpes zoster), your doctor will prescribe antiviral drugs along with steroids to reduce the rash. Sometimes topical corticosteroids help in reducing skin inflammation, although they should only be used under the direction of a doctor.
- Medicines to relieve itching. The doctor will prescribe antihistamines to relieve the itching of the rash.
- Damaged skin care. Skin rashes can be managed with home remedies and may provide some symptom relief. Calamine lotion is applied topically to the rash to relieve itching. Cool, wet compresses are soothing.
It is important to maintain good personal hygiene, avoid scratching the affected area, and try to keep the area clean to prevent secondary bacterial skin infection.
Shingles cannot be completely cured as the virus is rarely killed by any antiviral drug. However, its emergence and development can be effectively halted. A strong immune system prevents the virus from reactivating and multiplying.
Therefore, children with herpes should be provided with a healthy diet rich in protein and vitamin C throughout their lives. This is the best preventive measure against shingles.
Conclusion
Thus, repeated chickenpox (also known as zoster or shingles) is a painful skin rash caused by the virus responsible for chickenpox, varicella-zoster. Even if a child has had chickenpox in the past, they can still get shingles. This happens because the varicella-zoster virus remains in the body, is dormant in the nerve ganglia, and can be activated many years later.
It is not clear why the virus wakes up again, for some it never happens. But researchers believe the virus is triggered when the immune system weakens with age or under stress.
Shingles is less contagious than chickenpox. However, the chickenpox virus can spread from a child with zoster to a child who has never had chickenpox. The unfortunate recipient may develop chickenpox rather than herpes zoster.
