Chickenpox: Causes & Symptoms 

Chickenpox is a disease that is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This contagious virus causes the skin to become blistered and scaly. It can also lead to fever, tiredness, headache, nausea and abdominal pain.

The symptoms of chickenpox are similar to those of other childhood diseases. However, chickenpox is not as common as a number of other infections, such as ear infections, colds or the flu. This means that symptoms of chickenpox can be more severe than those of other illnesses. 

Chickenpox tends to run a more serious course in pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and older adults. It is spread by coughing, sneezing or even touching your clothes after you come into contact with the virus. The greatest risk of transmission occurs within 48 hours before and after the rash appears.

Even though chickenpox is a highly contagious disease, it can be prevented. Because your child's immune system has not had exposure to this virus, they're more likely to get chickenpox. Chickenpox causes a fever and an itchy, blistering rash that lasts about 5 to 7 days.

Sometimes this disease can lead to other complications, such as pneumonia and skin infections.

The virus that causes chickenpox stays in the body for life, waiting on nerve cells to flare up from time to time into shingles — a painful rash with blisters on one side of the body or face. Chickenpox causes fever, headaches, tiredness, loss of appetite, and general discomfort.

Symptoms of chickenpox typically develop 10 to 21 days after exposure to an infected person but can appear as much as five days before the rash appears.

A doctor can tell if you have chickenpox by looking at your rash and asking you questions about your symptoms.

Home Remedies for Chickenpox Marks

If you have been a victim of chickenpox, you would agree that chickenpox marks are not the prettiest you have ever seen. While some people suffer from chickenpox marks for several weeks, others may have it for a few months.

How can you get rid of chickenpox marks? Do you have dark marks left after chickenpox? Are you struggling to get rid of them? Here are some home remedies that will help to fade away those marks. 

1. Vitamin E oil is one of the best ways to get rid of those marks. A 2016 review of studies on Vitamin E suggested that it can improve the appearance of scars left by chickenpox. 

2. You can take a cold shower which will help ease the itching. This will soothe your skin and also applying some lotion to your arms, legs and feet would work well too.

3. You can also get a bath with a mixture of tomato juice, coconut oil and mint leaves.

4. Apply the juice of ripe papaya on the affected area and cover it with a towel soaked in warm water. Keep this on until it cools down a bit then wash it off with herbal tea. 

5. You can also apply olive oil to the affected area because it contains antioxidants that can reduce the appearance of chickenpox marks.

How to Get Rid of Chickenpox Marks?

If you want to get rid of chickenpox marks from your body, first, you should take cold and warm showers. Wash your body with lukewarm and cold water. If possible, use ice cubes for a better result. 

Furthermore, you should use anti-inflammatory cream. The cream will help reduce the itching sensation caused by these chickenpox scars. 

Some OTC scar-removal creams and ointments may help remove chickenpox marks. People should look for specific ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid, which are common in products for acne scars.

Other medical treatments include:

1. Fillers: Soft-tissue fillers can add shape to the affected area. Fillers may be more effective in the treatment of pockmarks and sunken scars. Doctors usually inject a safe material, such as fat or hyaluronic acid into the scar to fill the indentation. As fillers break down over time, another session of treatment will be required about once every 6 months.

2. Microdermabrasion: It involves a dermatologist using a device that blows zinc oxide or sodium bicarbonate particles onto the skin to loosen and remove the scar tissue. They may brush the scarred area using a device and then vacuum to remove the residue remaining on the skin. 

3. Chemical Peels: Like dermabrasion, chemical peels also resurface the skin but they use chemicals instead to break down the skin’s top layers. Doctors use a strong acid, which breaks down the older layers of the skin and the layers of the skin underneath start to look more even.

Take Away

Chickenpox is a highly communicable disease that spreads easily from person to person. It is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which causes an acute sickness with red, itchy, fluid-filled blisters on the skin, especially on the face, chest and back. The blisters eventually form scabs and fall off.

Chickenpox lesions are usually itchy and painful, and they may cause fever. When you are exposed to chickenpox, it takes 10-21 days (average 14 days) for the rash to appear after you have been exposed to the virus.