How do you tell if you or your child has chickenpox? Dr Chris Brown has the answers

What are the symptoms?
Most people know about the rash, but chicken pox starts just like a common cold. Runny nose, sneezing, cough and fever are typical first symptoms of chicken pox. About three to five days later the rash shows up, looking like dots ranging from 0.5 to 1cm. Within each of these dots is a small fluid-filled blister that may pop over the course of the following days. The lesions may be painful or itchy, or not be bothersome at all. They may be found anywhere on the skin, in the mouth, within the vaginal area and even unseen within the penis, which may make it painful to urinate. A typical place for concentration is around the bathing-trunks area.

What can/should be done at home
Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done to completely eliminate the symptoms once a person is infected with chicken pox. Therefore, treatment is geared to alleviating the pain, itch and fever.

Fever: Aspirin is not recommended for children under 16 years old. This is because of a rare but serious condition called Reye's Syndrome, which has been linked to the use of aspirin in feverish viral illnesses in children. Paracetamol or Ibuprofen based drugs should be the only medication used to treat fever during this illness ? and it is fine to use the least expensive brand available. Be sure to give the proper dose for the age and weight of your child.

Itch: There are a number of home remedies that may be tried. One of the more helpful is to give the child oatmeal baths. The oatmeal can be quite difficult to clean from the tub, but may give your child significant relief. The oatmeal can be used directly off the grocery shelf. The irritable lesions can also be treated with soda bicarbonate solution. Even a handful in the bath, with the child soaking, can help. Baths do not spread the infection to other parts of the skin. Wet compresses with cool flannels may help as well. Be sure to cut the child's fingernails in case of scratching, to reduce the risk of the child damaging the skin significantly and leaving it open for infection. Calamine lotion is also often used to ease the itch. Medications such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may also help with the itching, although the side effects of sleepiness or, less commonly, agitation may occur. However, this medication should not be given to children under two years old before speaking with your physician. Your doctor can prescribe other medications for itching if the usual measures don't help.

Pain: Remember the pox lesions may occur in the mouth as well. Although you want to encourage the child to take in fluids, don’t give him anything too salty or acidic, such as orange juice, if he has lesions in his mouth. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen can be used for pain relief as well as for fever.

When to get immediate attention

• The skin lesions get more reddened, ooze pus or become extraordinarily painful
• Fever begins again after having disappeared for more than 24 hours
• Unsteadiness while walking or sitting begins
• Breathing becomes fast or laboured
• Your child is on steroids or chemotherapy
• Your child has other chronic illnesses