Patient education: Chickenpox (The Basics)

What is chickenpox? — Chickenpox is an infection that causes an itchy rash to form on your skin. It is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster virus. This virus can linger in your body for years and later cause a painful rash called "shingles."

Chickenpox used to be much more common than it is now. Today there is a vaccine that helps keep people from getting infected. The vaccine comes as a shot, and is called the "varicella vaccine."

What are the symptoms of chickenpox? — When you first get chickenpox, you usually:

●Get a fever

●Feel sick

●Get a sore throat

●Do not feel like eating

About a day after these symptoms start, the chickenpox rash shows up. It starts out as groups of small, usually itchy, bumps (picture 1). These bumps usually swell with fluid and then pop (picture 2 and picture 3). After that, the rash dries up and forms a scab. New bumps can show up on different parts of your body over several days. The rash lasts about a week.

How does chickenpox spread? — If you have not had chickenpox or the varicella vaccine, you can catch chickenpox just by being around someone who is infected.

Should I call the doctor or nurse if I think my child or I have chickenpox? — Yes. If you think you or your child might have chickenpox, you should call the doctor or nurse. However, you should not go to the doctor or nurse without calling first. They might be able to tell you what to do over the phone. That way you will not risk infecting other people at the doctor's office.

Will my child or I need treatment for chickenpox? — You might need treatment if you have chickenpox, but your child might not. Most healthy young children recover from chickenpox on their own without any problems. On the other hand, older children who have not had the vaccine and adults with chickenpox can sometimes have problems. For them, doctors and nurses often recommend a medicine, such as valacyclovir (brand name: Valtrex) or acyclovir (brand name: Zovirax). It helps people feel better faster.

There are also non-prescription medicines you or your child can take to help with symptoms, such as fever and itching. But you should never give aspirin to a child who is younger than 18 years old. In children, aspirin can cause a dangerous condition called Reye syndrome.

Can chickenpox be prevented? — Yes. The varicella vaccine prevents infection.

Almost all children should get a shot of the varicella vaccine when they are 12 to 15 months old. Then they should get a second shot when they are 4 to 6 years old. Everyone needs 2 separate shots for the vaccine to work best. Rarely, people who get the vaccine might still get mild chickenpox. But this is more likely to happen if the person did not get the second shot.

Most adults who have never had chickenpox should also get the vaccine, especially if they:

●Work in health care or with small children

●Are in close contact with people who have trouble fighting infections, such as people with cancer or HIV

●Live or work in a college, prison, or other place where a lot of people live close together

●Travel outside the United States and Canada

●Could get pregnant in the future

The most common side effect of the vaccine is pain where the shot was given.

Doctors do not recommend the varicella vaccine for some people. This includes:

●Certain people who have trouble fighting infections

●People who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant soon

●Children and adults who have already had chickenpox

●Most people in the United States who were born before 1980 (most people born before 1980 have had chickenpox, even if they don't remember it)

What should I do if I was near someone with chickenpox? — If you have not had chickenpox or the varicella vaccine, call your doctor or nurse right away. It might still be possible to avoid getting sick. The varicella vaccine can work even if someone has already been near the virus. For people who cannot have the vaccine, there are other options that can help keep them from getting sick.

If you are pregnant, it is especially important to call your doctor or nurse. Getting chickenpox while you are pregnant can cause problems for you and your baby. But there is a medicine that can help, if you get it soon enough.

More on this topic

Patient education: Shingles (The Basics)
Patient education: What you should know about vaccines (The Basics)

Patient education: Chickenpox prevention and treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Shingles (Beyond the Basics)