This viral illness used to be a rite of passage for all kids, and it still is for some homeschoolers and families who choose to raise their children pharma-free. Most kids who catch chickenpox don’t need to see a doctor, and most kids don’t suffer any complications. Here are some tips for getting through this illness:
MAKING THE DIAGNOSIS – Keep in mind that you usually won’t be able to confirm chickenpox for sure until 2 or 3 days have gone by and the spots go through some changes.
- On day one, you’ll simply see the first phase of spots that look like insect bites. There may be just a few, or you may see dozens. They will most likely be on the chest, abdomen, and back. Your child may have a fever and feel achy. No one can make the diagnosis on this first day, so be patient.
- On day 2, the first round of spots will turn into small blisters filled with clear fluid (I call these phase 2 spots), AND you’ll see a new round of dozens of the phase 1 spots. At this point, the diagnosis can usually be made by observing the mix of phase 2 spots (now on the 2nd day) and phase 1 spots (new spots). These may also begin to break out on the face, scalp, and arms. These spots may or may not itch.
- By day three, your child will have even more new phase 1 spots, possibly on the legs too. The total number of spots can reach two hundred or more. You’ll see the first signs of phase 3 spots – crusts (the spots that appeared on day 1 that turned into small blisters on day 2 will now have opened up into crusts). You will now have a mix of all three phases (new ones looking like insect bites, blisters, and crusts), and the diagnosis is certain.
SEEING THE DOCTOR – Most cases won’t need to see a doctor unless there’s a complication. These include pneumonia and skin infection (widely spreading redness around a pox). In our office, you can have a message appointment by sending pictures of the day 3 rash and we can document your infection.
SOOTHING THE RASH – cool washcloths, oatmeal baths, and oral Benadryl can sooth the itching (see dosing here).
TREATING THE FEVER – Never give aspirin to someone with chickenpox as this can cause a severe immune reaction. You generally don’t need to even treat the fever if your child isn’t too miserable. If you do need to give a medication, we recommend ibuprofen. See our page on fever for more information.
CONTAGIOUS AND EXPOSING OTHERS – Your child will be contagious for about 7 days from when the fever or spots first began (whichever came first). Once all the spots have crusted over, and there is no more fever, your child is no longer contagious, although you’ll see traces of the spots for a couple more weeks. Kids who are exposed to someone with chickenpox will generally fall ill after about 7 to 10 days. Some won’t become ill until 21 days. If more than that has passed, your exposed child is in the clear.
SHOULD YOU GET CHICKENPOX ON PURPOSE? This is a great question, and we won’t answer it here. We do understand that some parents want their kids to catch chickenpox so they will have lifelong immunity. We don’t disagree with that thinking. If you feel comfortable doing this, the choice is yours.
