What are the symptoms of chickenpox sequelae

We all know that a person will inevitably get chickenpox once in his life. Once he has experienced chickenpox, his body will produce corresponding antibodies, so that he will not experience such a disease again in the future. However, having chickenpox is a very painful thing, and patients must always be careful not to damage the chickenpox so as to avoid infection in the body. If chickenpox is not treated correctly, it may cause sequelae such as scarring.

Varicella is the most common infectious disease in children caused by the varicella virus. It is characterized by fever and the appearance of large numbers of systemic red maculopapular rashes, herpes simplex and scabies. The virus exists in the blisters, blood and pharyngeal secretions, and is transmitted through respiratory droplets. Another way of transmission is contact, through contact with utensils, toys, bedding and towels contaminated with the varicella virus. Chickenpox is an epidemic infectious disease in winter and spring, and most patients are children aged 1 to 6 years old. If middle-aged and elderly people are infected, the disease will develop into shingles, which is commonly known as "snake around the waist". The pathogen of chickenpox is varicella-zoster virus, with an incubation period of 7 to 21 days. The virus first multiplies in the upper respiratory tract. A small amount of virus invades the blood and multiplies in the mononuclear phagocytic system first, and then enters the blood circulation in large quantities again, forming a second viremia, invading the skin and internal organs, and causing the disease. At the onset of the disease, symptoms such as fever, general discomfort, and poor appetite may occur. After several hours to a day, a rash appears on the skin.

The rash first appears on the head and trunk, gradually spreading to the limbs, but less frequently, and even less frequently on the palms and soles of the feet, in a centripetal distribution. Initially it appears as a red maculopapular rash. After 1-2 days, it turns into an oval, mung bean-sized blister with a light red surrounding area. The blisters will dry up and form induration in 3-4 days, and the induration will fall off in 1-3 weeks. A shallow oval scar is left in the short term, which will reappear in the same location, repeating the same process. Because the rash appears one after another, papules, blisters and scabs can be seen on the sick child's skin at the same time. The rash is itchy and heals without leaving scars. Congenital varicella occurs within 5-10 days after birth. It is caused by the mother suffering from varicella in the late pregnancy, which invades the fetus through the placental barrier. The condition is often serious and the mortality rate can reach 20%. The most serious is varicella encephalitis, but the incidence rate is low, with a survival rate of 15%, and there are permanent sequelae such as epilepsy and dementia. There is also primary varicella pneumonia, which usually occurs 2-6 days after the rash appears and has severe symptoms. Generally, we can only treat the symptoms and prevent secondary skin infections, keep the skin clean and avoid itching. Prevention is the key to this disease. Isolate the child until all the rashes are crusted over, and try to prevent susceptible children from coming into contact with chickenpox. In addition, the chickenpox vaccine can be given. It is still effective if given within 3 days after contact with chickenpox, that is, 2-5 ml of varicella-zoster immunoglobulin can be injected intramuscularly within 3 days after contact. One infection can provide lifelong immunity.

In terms of home care, please note:

1) Once a child is diagnosed with chickenpox, he or she should be isolated at home until all the scabs have formed. Although the symptoms of chickenpox are mild and generally recover smoothly, it is highly contagious. Try to avoid contact between healthy children and children with chickenpox.

2) Do not take antipyretics during a fever, as this may cause complications and may easily lead to encephalitis. Children with fever should rest in bed and be given easily digestible food and plenty of water.

3) Take a warm bath to keep your skin clean and reduce the risk of infection. Eat a light diet and avoid foods that can easily cause inflammation, such as beef, fish, shrimp, crab, milk, eggs, etc.

4) Be careful not to let the sick child scratch the rashes with his hands, especially those on the face, to avoid purulent infection and scars. It is important to prevent sick children from rubbing their eyes with their hands, which may cause eye infection and keratitis, resulting in scars and affected vision. Therefore, keep your child's nails short, keep their hands clean and wear gloves.

5) The sick child’s bedding should be frequently exposed to the sun, and his clothes should be clean and loose to prevent overheating and itching caused by wearing tight clothes or covering himself with too thick quilts.

6) Some children with chickenpox may develop pneumonia and encephalitis. If the child is found to have a persistent high fever, cough and wheezing, or vomiting, headache, irritability or drowsiness, this is an extremely serious situation and you should seek medical treatment immediately. During the nursing process, it should be noted that some parents mistakenly believe that the more chickenpox the child has, the better, so they blindly give their children medicine for the rash. This causes dense chickenpox all over the child's body, making the condition worse. The child will feel unbearable itching, irritability, and even scratch with his hands. Mild cases will leave scars, and severe cases may cause bacteria to enter the blood circulation from the local infection lesions, grow and multiply in the blood, causing sepsis. Unless the pimple does not disappear within one or two days and instead shrinks inward, causing damage to internal organs, in this case, you should seek emergency medical attention without delay. In normal times, we should focus on exercise to enhance our disease resistance. During epidemics, we should avoid going to susceptible areas and contact with sources of infection.