U.S. Health Watch

This is a question that many parents need to know the answer of. What is chicken pox? It is something that is life threatening to your child? How do you know what to do when you think your child may have chicken pox? The questions can be numerous because all good parents want to protect their children from harm. Chicken pox is a common, but very contagious disease. Usually this disease effects children, but adult cases do happen and are then known as shingles.

So, what is chicken pox? The illness, medically known as Varicella, is a common viral infection. When your child catches this illness, it causes a rash on the skin. Chicken pox occurs mostly in winter and spring, but can happen any time of the year. Because it is so contagious, children often pass it from child to child during the school year. Again, though, it is a year round illness. Chicken pox is a common illness. In fact, it is so common that 90% of all people in the world will experience chicken pox at some time during their lives. That is, unless they receive the vaccine. The seriousness of this illness is usually low in healthy children. But, chicken pox can cause serious illness in children with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, newborns, and in people older then 15 years.

The good thing to know about chicken pox is that if your child does get it in their elementary years, it is likely to be mild. Once a full course of the illness is run in a person?s body, the chances of ever getting it again are low. But, there are some cases, called breakthrough infection cases in which a mild form of the illness reoccurs. If you suspect that you or a child you know may have chicken pox, you will need to see a doctor to confirm that it is chicken pox. In order to keep it from spreading to unexposed adults or others at risk for the serious forms of chicken pox, contact with those individuals needs to be minimal. Proper hand washing and sanitizing may help