When to Seek Medical Care for Chicken Pox
29th December 2008 by Chicken Pox No CommentsWhen to Seek Medical Care for Chicken Pox
Chickenpox is common disease and occurs in both epidemic and endemic forms. The common question that arises in mind of patient is that when to seek medical care for chickenpox. The answer to that question is given in the subsequent paragraph. Chickenpox is nearly always a mild disease, severe toxic types being very rare. The most frequent complication is infection of the rash through scratching. Several clinical features are seen that signifies when to seek medical care for chickenpox. Some of them are listed below—
• Incubation:
About 17 days, ranging between 12 and 21 days
• Prodromal symptoms:
Rash usually appears simultaneously with fever.
• Distribution of the rash:
Rashes are denser on the trunk than on the face and limbs. Also rash mostly occurs on flexor surfaces. Rashes are seen with naked eye. The development of the rash is quite slow and distribution of those rashes depends on the particular patient’s immune system response to the given stimuli.
• Characteristics of rash:
1. Rashes superficial, oval in shape, not firm to the feel and likely to be ruptured.
2. Vesicles are unilocular and not umblicated.
3. An area of inflammation is seen round the vesicles.
• Evolution of rash:
Evolution of rash is very rapid. The scabs begin to form 4 to 7 days after the rash appears. The scabs fall off within 14 days after the rash begins.
The skin lesions of chickenpox and zoster are similar to those of herpes simplex. There is no clinical difference between chickenpox contracted from zoster and that contracted from chickenpox.
