Clinical manifestations and symptoms of chickenpox

Varicella is a skin disease that particularly affects the skin, and because it is highly contagious, once you get chickenpox, not only will the damage to your own body become more serious, but it will also be spread to others. Therefore, many people want to fully understand the clinical manifestations and symptoms of chickenpox. The following is a detailed introduction so that you can have a comprehensive understanding.

The incubation period of the disease is 12 to 21 days, with an average of 14 days. The onset is acute, with mild to moderate fever and rash. The rash first occurs on the scalp and compressed parts of the trunk and is distributed centripetally. The rash appears in batches during the rash period, which lasts 1 to 6 days. The skin lesions evolve from small red maculopapules → herpes → scabs → desquamation, and no skin scars are left after desquamation. There is obvious pain and itching during the blister stage, and if secondary infection occurs due to scratching, slight indentations may be left behind. Weak people may develop high fever, and about 4% of adults may develop disseminated varicella and varicella pneumonia.

It is mostly seen in children aged 1 to 10 years old, with an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks. The onset is acute, and there may be prodromal symptoms such as fever, headache, and general fatigue. A rash appears within 24 hours of onset and quickly turns into round, tense blisters the size of rice grains to peas, surrounded by a noticeable red halo, with the center of the blister shaped like an umbilicus. After 2 to 3 days, the blisters dry up and form scabs, which fall off and heal without leaving scars. The lesions are distributed centripetally, starting from the anterior face and then appearing on the trunk and limbs. The number varies, with the largest number on the trunk, followed by the face and head, fewer on the limbs, and even fewer on the palms and soles. Mucous membranes are also often invaded, such as the oral cavity, pharynx, conjunctiva, vulva, and anus. Skin lesions often occur in batches, so papules, blisters and scabs often exist at the same time, and the course of the disease lasts 2 to 3 weeks. If the child has low resistance, the skin lesions may progressively spread throughout the body, forming disseminated varicella. The clinical manifestations of varicella include bullous varicella, hemorrhagic varicella, neonatal varicella, adult varicella, etc. In addition, if chickenpox is infected during pregnancy, it can cause fetal malformation, premature birth or stillbirth.

The above is a detailed introduction to the clinical manifestations of chickenpox. I believe that many people have learned about the clinical manifestations through the above introduction. After fully understanding the clinical manifestations, in order to prevent this disease from causing serious harm to your body, you must take precautions to keep yourself away from this disease.