How to avoid getting chickenpox: simple tricks
Varicella is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It is usually shown by skin rashes all over the body of the person who has chickenpox. Inside these eruptions there is an amber-colored liquid that gradually dries up until it becomes a crust. In addition, it brings with it other symptoms such as fever and a great general malaise that creates an uncomfortable sensation.
It usually has a high incidence in childhood, although adolescents and adults can suffer from chickenpox. In these cases, if it occurs in adulthood, there may be a much more complex and delicate clinical picture. For this reason, it is important to take the necessary precautions to avoid catching chickenpox. How can we do it? In this article we want to share with you some very useful tips for this.
How is chickenpox spread?
Chickenpox can be transmitted directly, through direct contact with the skin lesions of the patient. Also by inhalation of liquid droplets from the vesicles that are transported through the air. It may be from inhaling respiratory secretions when the affected person sneezes or coughs. It must not be forgotten that contagion can exist through contact with utensils contaminated with respiratory secretions or fluid from skin vesicles.
How to avoid getting chickenpox by contact
You may never have suffered from this pathology before and you can get it due to a small carelessness. Never come into contact with the skin lesions of a sick person. Neither with their secretions.
It is very important to disinfect all the utensils that have been in contact with the affected person. For this, the use of a solution of two drops of concentrated bleach in one liter of water is recommended. In addition, specialists recommend that the patient avoid sharing a room until the person is fully recovered.
You must have a ventilated environment
High temperatures are an aspect that can be decisive for the increase in cases of chickenpox. The rooms of the home must be properly ventilated. This will help keep the area free of viruses.
It is important to ventilate the sick person's room. A charged environment is a danger to other people who are not infected. Like other diseases, chickenpox can be found dispersed in the air. This means that it can be deposited on any surface, and can be a dangerous source of contagion.
Maintain maximum hygiene
With good hygiene you can avoid the spread of diseases like these and many others. It is highly advisable to constantly wash your hands with soap and water. It is important that the "little ones" in the house get used to doing it. This reduces the chances of infecting whatever they touch.
Washing all the textiles of the affected person
One of the ways of contagion is to come into contact with the textiles that the affected person has touched. It is very important to wash the sheets every day as well as the towels and the clothes you have used. A separate laundry should be done to prevent the spread of contagion to other items of clothing
The importance of vaccination
One of the most effective measures to prevent or avoid the spread of chickenpox is thanks to the vaccine. It can be applied to children from 12 months, but it must be in doses. Efforts should be made to provide the vaccine with a minimum interval of 3 months.
It is very important that when the child is vaccinated, the full dose is applied. Otherwise, only a part of the vaccine will have no effect and will have been of no use.
Take the right medicines
When you have chickenpox, it makes sense to see your pediatrician or family doctor. In these cases, it will be the professional who determines what kind of medication should be used. We must follow everything the doctor recommends.
We shouldn't skip a dose of the medication. Thanks to this, we will be able to reduce the itching caused by chickenpox as well as reduce other symptoms of this disease. In less time than we imagine, our little one, or ourselves, will be recovered.
General recommendations
If the infected person is our son, brother, nephew, etc., we must inform the nursery or school. Likewise, it is recommended to avoid those public places to avoid infecting other people, especially children. Therefore, it is recommended not to go to the park, toy libraries or similar places.
The same happens with sports centers such as gyms or swimming pools. It is recommended that until the child or affected person is fully recovered, they do not go to these places. That would be completely irresponsible, increasing the chances of infecting other people.
Even if there is no one in the pool or if you have a pool at home, it is not recommended to swim in it. The reason is that the scabs can soften and produce a very intense itch. It is advisable to wait until all the rashes have completely dried up.
You should take quick showers, better if it is with lukewarm water or cold if you can bear it. This will relieve the itching. Long baths with hot water are not recommended. When you have to dry the child, you have to do it without rubbing. With this, the scabs are prevented from falling off and leaving scars, as could happen with a disease such as smallpox. In this case, the scars would not disappear if not with a surgical intervention.
Finally, it is best to keep the affected person at home until the disease is no longer contagious. All skin rashes should have completely dried and crusted over. This usually happens about a week after the start of the first rash.
