Table of contents:
- Chickenpox common features and symptoms
- Changes in the symptoms of chickenpox based on the phase of the disease
- 1. The initial symptoms of chickenpox
- 2. Symptoms of chickenpox resilience
- 3. The phase of development of resilient symptoms
- 4. Symptoms in people who have been vaccinated
- When to see a doctor?
Chickenpox is a contagious infection that can affect both children and adults. The symptoms of chickenpox are initially marked by the appearance of a rash or red spots that appear on the face and body. So, when did the water-filled (resilient) rash that is characteristic of chickenpox begin to appear?
Chickenpox common features and symptoms
Chickenpox is caused by infection with the varicella zoster virus (VZV), which belongs to the herpes virus group. This skin disease is most commonly experienced by children, but adults can also become infected.
The main characteristic of chickenpox is a rash or reddish rash that spreads over various parts of the body. However, this smallpox rash does not immediately occur once a person is infected.
People who get chickenpox first will experience initial symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue or weakness
- Headache
- Pain in joints and muscles
After that, the chickenpox rash will begin to appear on several parts of the body and is accompanied by an itching sensation on the affected skin. As the disease progresses, there will be changes in the characteristics of the chickenpox rash, such as:
- Reddish spots (papules) will appear on the surface of the skin for several days.
- The papules will change to form elastic, namely skin bumps that are blistered and filled with water (vesicles).
- The elastic will break and crust into dry sores or scabs. These wounds will heal in a few days.
Changes in the symptoms of chickenpox based on the phase of the disease
The transmission of chickenpox occurs through close contact with an infected person. The mode of transmission of this skin disease can be by touching the affected area of the skin, inhaling air contaminated with liquid from the broken elastic, or through droplets released when the sufferer coughs and sneezes.
However, the symptoms of chickenpox don't appear immediately once you catch the virus. The incubation period for the varicella zoster virus lasts an average of 14-16 days until it finally manifests the disease.
From the early stages, the signs of chickenpox symptoms will change until they are finally cured. The shape of the symptoms of chickenpox can determine when the disease is at the highest risk of being transmitted.
The following are the stages of development of the symptoms of chickenpox.
1. The initial symptoms of chickenpox
As explained, reddish spots or a smallpox rash are not the first symptoms of chickenpox to appear. One to two days before the rash appears, people with chickenpox usually experience common symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Joint and muscle pain
- Fatigue and feeling unwell
Even so, the CDC explains that the initial symptoms of chickenpox mostly appear after 10-21 days of exposure to the virus.
The fever you experience usually lasts 3 to 5 days, but does not rise to more than 39º Celsius. In addition to health problems as above, sufferers can also experience coughs and sneezes.
This shows that the virus that originally lived in the infected part of the body has now spread into the bloodstream.
It is important to know, this disease is highly contagious in the early symptomatic stage. This means that you can infect other people 48 hours before the chickenpox rash starts to appear.
2. Symptoms of chickenpox resilience
The reddish skin rash on chickenpox will usually appear as the fever subsides. A day or two after that, the rash will start to develop to become bumpy. Resilient is a small lump that blisters and fills with fluid.
The appearance of resilience indicates that the virus moving in the bloodstream has now entered the skin tissue, namely the epidermis. The resilience of chickenpox feels so itchy that it can interfere with activities, including sleeping.
Initially these symptoms appear on the face and front of the body, usually starting from the abdominal area. As long as the infection persists, within about 10-12 hours the bony will appear in several other parts of the body, such as the scalp, hands, under the armpits, and feet.
The spread of this resilience will be wider and faster when children are infected with chickenpox than in adults. In more severe cases, resilience can also appear on the inside of the throat, lining of the eyes, and mucous membranes in the urinary tract, including the anus and genital organs.
3. The phase of development of resilient symptoms
Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, the chickenpox resilience will then go through 3 phases of the development of chickenpox symptoms, namely:
- Red or pink bellies (papules) appear and disappear within a few days (7 days).
- Fluid-filled (vesicular) elastic that forms within a day and then bursts and excretes.
- Resilience turns crust and dries up and in a few days will turn into a scab.
Over the course of a few days, new bellies will continue to appear, so you can experience 3 phases of this bouncy symptom at the same time.
When the boil dries into a scab, usually the secondary infection is most at risk. In this phase, the elastic is usually not completely dry, so scratching it can cause open sores.
Open sores can provide a door for bacteria such as Streptococcus to infect the skin. The complications it causes are:
- Impetigo
- Cellulitis
- Sepsis
Apart from secondary infections of the skin, bacterial infections can also attack the respiratory tract, causing pneumonia. This condition usually occurs in people who have just had chickenpox when they are adults.
4. Symptoms in people who have been vaccinated
Symptoms can still appear even if you have been vaccinated after more than 52 days. However, the signs of chickenpox can be different in people who haven't had the vaccine and are usually much milder.
In people who are infected and have not received the vaccine will usually have at least 50 patches of chickenpox in their body. Meanwhile, people who have been vaccinated and infected have less than 5o resilience with most of them in the form of papules or not filled with fluid.
Even so, according to the CDC there is a 20-30 percent chance that people who are vaccinated will develop symptoms similar to those who have not had the chickenpox vaccine.
When to see a doctor?
Symptoms of chickenpox can indeed subside on its own. However, you need to immediately consult a doctor when experiencing conditions such as:
- Resilience appears on the inside of the eye
- The elastic turns red and sore, a sign of a bacterial infection
- Have a high fever continuously
- The body shivered
- Experiencing shortness of breath
- Throws up
- Difficulty controlling limbs
Resilience to smallpox is a characteristic symptom so that doctors can easily diagnose this disease.
Next, the doctor will suggest taking chickenpox drugs such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, or famciclovir to help control and shorten the phase of the onset of symptoms.
It is important for you to recognize the various symptoms that appear and at which stage the chickenpox virus is most susceptible to infection. That way, you can do a variety of ways to prevent transmission of chickenpox to people around you before it's too late.
You should also pay attention to any symptoms you experience. If it has bothered you, contact your doctor immediately to get a more appropriate treatment.
