Publication date Sep 13, 2007
Chickenpox is a condition that causes an itchy rash. It usually goes away after a week or so, but for some people it can cause a serious illness.
Chickenpox is caused by a virus. It's very catching. You can pass it on to other people for a day or two before you even know you have it. Most people get chickenpox as children. Once you've had it, you can't usually get it again.
The main symptom of chickenpox is a rash. You may also feel generally ill and have a temperature. At first you'll get itchy spots that are filled with fluid. After a few days, the spots will turn into scabs. They don’t usually leave a scar unless they get infected. This can happen if you scratch them.
Children usually recover from chickenpox on their own. Calamine lotion may help with the itchy rash. You can buy this at a chemist. Paracetamol syrup (Calpol) may help with pain or a temperature. You shouldn't give aspirin to children or teenagers under 16.
Most children are better in a week or so. Your child will probably need to miss about a week of school. Talk to your doctor if you're worried about your child for any reason.
If you're pregnant and you come into contact with someone who has chickenpox, there's no problem if you've been vaccinated or you've had chickenpox before. If you haven't had it before, see a doctor straight away. You can be given an injection of antibodies to try to prevent chickenpox. Or if you get chickenpox in the second half of your pregnancy, you may be given a drug called aciclovir.
Most women who get chickenpox while pregnant have a healthy baby. But if you get it during the first six months of pregnancy, there's a small risk it could harm your baby. Between about 1 in 50 and 1 in 200 babies whose mothers had chickenpox during this time have underdeveloped arms or legs, brain damage or eye problems.
If you get chickenpox late in your pregnancy, especially around the time you have your baby, your baby could be born with chickenpox. See a doctor if you get chickenpox within a week of giving birth. Your baby can be treated with a drug called aciclovir or injections of antibodies.
For teenagers, adults, the elderly, babies, pregnant women or people with a weak immune system, chickenpox can be more serious. You (or your baby) may need treatment. If you belong to one of these groups, see a doctor as soon as you can after coming into contact with someone who has chickenpox. Treatments work better the earlier you get them.
Aciclovir is a medicine that helps fight the chickenpox virus. Its brand name is Zovirax. It comes as tablets, a liquid and a drip (an intravenous infusion or IV). If you take it within a day of getting ill, your chickenpox will probably be milder.
In the UK, aciclovir is recommended for women who get chickenpox in the second half of their pregnancy. It's also recommended for new babies who get chickenpox, or people with a weak immune system. And it can be used for adults who get chickenpox.
Aciclovir tablets reduce the length of fever in children by about a day. For adults, they help to make the rash less severe. As a side effect, aciclovir can cause diarrhoea and make you feel sick.
Injections that contain antibodies may also help fight chickenpox. They're called immune globulin. But you need to have them within 10 days of coming into contact with someone who has chickenpox, before you start to get ill.
In the UK, immune globulin is recommended for people with a weak immune system, pregnant women, and new babies whose mothers might have had chickenpox when they gave birth.
There isn’t much research about using immune globulin injections to prevent chickenpox, but doctors think they can help. The injection can cause redness and swelling at the place where you have it.
A vaccine can help prevent chickenpox, but it's not included in the usual childhood jabs in the UK. Research has found that it stops children from getting chickenpox, but there haven’t been any studies on whether it works for adults.
The vaccine is recommended for health care workers and people in contact with someone with a weak immune system (for example, someone who has a sister or brother with leukaemia). If you're thinking of getting pregnant, you may also want to ask your doctor about the vaccine, because catching chickenpox during your pregnancy could harm your baby. But if you have the vaccine, you should wait for three months afterwards before trying to get pregnant. It's not safe to have the vaccine if you're already pregnant.
The vaccine can cause mild side effects, such as a rash. It's also been linked to having a seizure. This happens to about 1 in 1,000 people who have it. There's a very small chance you could spread chickenpox to someone else after having the vaccine.
Most people get better from chickenpox without any treatment. But the virus that causes chickenpox stays in your body after you get it. About 1 in 7 people who've had chickenpox get shingles later in their lives. You get pain and blisters on one area of your body, such as your chest.
Chickenpox can be more serious for adults, babies or people with a weak immune system. Occasionally, healthy people get other problems from chickenpox. Your rash could get infected. Other problems include swelling in the brain, an infection in the lungs (pneumonia) and losing too much fluid (dehydration).
Most airlines won't let people travel if they have chickenpox.
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice.
If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.