Also known as varicella zoster. Zoster is a Greek word for a belt or a girdle.
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV) which belongs to the herpes virus family.
It is transmitted via airborne droplets of moisture that contains the varicella-zoster virus.
According to MedicineNet.com, the name was meant to distinguish this "weak" form of the pox from smallpox (chicken being used, as in chickenhearted, to mean weak or timid). The "pox" is no major matter unless infected (through scratching) or occur in an immunodeficient person.
According to Dr. Charles Grose, Professor and Director of Infectious Disease Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, chicken pox is derived from the Middle French term "chiche pois" which means chickpea. In the Middle Ages, people in Europe made the distinction between chicken pox and smallpox. The French called chicken pox 'varicella' but the English decided on a new word that referred to the size of a chickpea. The lesions on the skin were thought to be the size of chickpeas. 'Chichepois' eventually became 'chicken pox'.
A person who has had received a full bloom of chickenpox in the past will not get it a second time when exposed to the virus. The first infection would have trained the body's immune system to guard against the virus, swiftly clearing the virus out of the respiratory tract and bloodstream before it creates havoc. Yet the risk of developing shingles (caused by the same chickenpox virus) does not diminish. This is because during a chickenpox infection, the virus that enters into the dorsal roots next to the spine are spared from the body's immune cells (cells that fight off the infection) and so, it remains there dormant. The dorsal roots are small knots of nerve tissue of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nerves connect the central nervous system (CNS) to sensory organs (such as the eye and ear), other organs of the body, muscles, glands and blood vessels. The virus can re-activate anytime later causing shingles on areas of the skin with nerve connections to the dorsal root. Advancing age and a weak immune system (due to stress or illness) are factors that propel the VZV re-emergence.
Those who once had a mild case of chickenpox may not have built up a strong protection against the VZV and could experience chickenpox a second time.
Adolescents and adults who get chickenpox have a higher risk of developing serious complications. In extreme cases, dangerous complications associated with children are pneumonia, brain infection (encephalitis), skin infection and liver problem.
Vaccination is available : for those 13 years old and above, 2 doses are administered while children aged between 12 months to 12 years, a single dose is required.
Place pieces of towels in the fridge to keep them cold and use them to lay over any itchy spot. Ice packs can serve as alternatives.
Keep nails short.
Use calamine and aloe vera to reduce itch.
Bath skin with oatmeal.
When the itchiness becomes terribly tormenting or beyond control, instead of vigorous scratching, pat or rub or scratch very very very gently. Understand that scratching can cause infection which will delay healing and produce a dented scar.
According to Dr. John Heinerman in his book Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Juices (Prentice Hall, 1994), he recommends the use of elderberry juice to help kids reduce fevers and ease earache.
Ms. Isabelle Navarre-Brown writes in 76 Ways to Use Noni Fruit Juice (Direct Source, 2001) that the use of noni fruit juice for a topical splash on the chickenpox spots can help reduce itchiness. Pour an ounce of noni fruit juice into a glass container and add (in a steady stream) 3 tablespoonfuls of purified water.
Take noni juice to boost immunity. More about noni.
Yarrow, a diaphoretic (induce sweating) herb has been used to bring down fever.
Take this period to have a good rest. When not too sick, do some reading or make greeting cards for family and friends or perhaps tidy up the room.
If someone you know is down with chickenpox, call that someone on the phone for a chat. Share about your own chickenpox ordeal if you have gone through it before. Be helpful, offer to run errands, do marketing, cook, whatever. Offer that someone magazines, books, comics, sewing kits or electronic games to help the sufferer get through the day.
