Experiences with
ChickenpoxSymptoms of chickenpox
The main symptom of chickenpox is an itchy, spotty rash. It can be anywhere on the body.
Before or after the rash appears, you might also have:
- a high temperature
- aches and pains, and generally feel unwell
- loss of appetite
Chickenpox happens in 3 stages, but new spots can appear while others are becoming blisters or forming a scab.
Stage 1: small spots appear
The spots can:
- be anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth and around the genitals, which can be painful
- spread or stay in a small area
- be red, pink, darker or the same colour as surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone
- be harder to see on brown and black skin
The spots fill with fluid and become blisters. The blisters are very itchy and may burst.
The spots form a scab. Some scabs are flaky, while others leak fluid.
How you can treat chickenpox yourself
If you have chickenpox, you'll need to stay off school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab. This is usually 5 days after the spots first appeared.
There are things you can do to treat chickenpox yourself at home without needing to see a GP.
drink plenty of fluids (try ice lollies if your child is not drinking)
take paracetamol to help with any pain and discomfort
cut your child's fingernails and put socks on their hands at night to stop them scratching
use cooling creams or gels from a pharmacy
speak to a pharmacist about using antihistamine medicine to help itching
bathe in cool water and pat the skin dry (do not rub)
dress in loose clothes
do not use ibuprofen unless you're told to by a doctor, as it may cause serious skin infections
do not give aspirin to children under 16 years
do not scratch the spots, as scratching can cause scarring
Do not go near newborn babies or anyone who's pregnant or has a weakened immune system, as chickenpox can be dangerous for them.
How chickenpox is spread
You can spread chickenpox to other people from 2 days before your spots appear until they have all formed scabs, which is usually 5 days after your spots appeared.
The spots start appearing around 1 to 3 weeks after you caught chickenpox.
You can catch chickenpox from:
- being in the same room as someone with it
- touching things that have fluid from the blisters on them
- someone who has shingles if you have not had chickenpox before (but you cannot catch shingles from someone who has chickenpox)
Symptoms of chickenpox include itchy spots that become blisters, then scabs. It can be anywhere on the body, including in the mouth.
Chickenpox usually gets better on its own after 1 to 2 weeks. You can ease symptoms with cooling creams, antihistamines and paracetamol.
You can catch chickenpox by being in the same room as someone with it. It's also spread by touching things that have fluid from the blisters on them.
Related links
HealthUnlocked contains information from NHS Digital, licensed under the current version of the Open Government Licence
