chickenpox treatment

Do you have chickenpox? Contact your provider or visit MedExpress for treatment if you:¹

• Have never had chickenpox before and have not received the chickenpox vaccine
• Have a weakened immune system (for example, you have had a transplant or have HIV/AIDS or cancer)
• Are on long-term steroids or immunosuppressive medication
• Are undergoing chemotherapy
• Are pregnant
• Are less than a year old or over 12 years old

You should also seek care if you have any of the following symptoms:¹

• Fever above 102°F (38.9°C) or one that lasts longer than four days
• A rash that becomes red, warm, tender, bruised, leaks pus or bleeds
• Any difficulty waking or confused behavior
• Neck stiffness
• Frequent vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• Severe cough or severe abdominal pain

Generally, antiviral medications will be prescribed to help those more likely to develop a more serious case of chickenpox. Those people are:¹

• People 12 years old and up
• Those with chronic skin or lung disease
• Those receiving long-term salicylate or steroid therapy
• People who are pregnant
• Those with a weakened immune system

Antiviral medication works best if it is given 24 hours after the rash starts. Antibiotics are not prescribed as virus-caused illnesses can’t be treated by them.²

You or a child with chickenpox may get relief from the itching of chickenpox and prevent skin infections with the following at-home remedies:¹

• Use calamine lotion on areas with a rash
• Take a cool bath with baking soda, uncooked oatmeal or colloidal oatmeal
• Keep fingernails trimmed to minimize scratching

If you or a child are experiencing a fever, use acetaminophen. Never use aspirin or aspirin-containing products as they have been associated with Reye’s syndrome, a disease that impacts the liver and brain and may cause death. You should also avoid ibuprofen, as it is it linked to life-threatening bacterial skin infections.¹

If you happen to scratch a blister or your rash, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds. If you don’t have soap and water available, use hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol.

While you are infected you should try to avoid those who might be susceptible to the infection. The elderly or those on immunosuppressant medications, infants, or those fighting malignancies will all be at significant risk of suffering higher complication rates if this virus is shared with them by an actively infected patient.

For your convenience, we accept most major insurance, most of which cover treatment for chickenpox treatment. To verify that your insurance is in-network, visit the Plan Your Visit page. We also offer a discount to those patients who choose to pay in full for their visit at the time of service. Self-pay services are $199.

What Is Chickenpox?

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Anyone who has not had chickenpox before or has not received the chickenpox vaccine can get the disease. It is spread through close contact with those who have been infected by the disease.

What are the symptoms? Chickenpox appears as a blister-like rash on the face, chest and back before spreading to the entire body including the mouth, eyelids and genital area. Within a week, the blisters become scabs. Chickenpox usually lasts about 4 to 7 days.⁴

Other symptoms that start one to two days before the rash may include⁴

• Exhaustion
• Headache
• Fever
• Loss of appetite

Beyond being itchy, chickenpox is a very serious disease for babies, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women.⁴

Sometimes, even people vaccinated against chickenpox can still get the disease. They usually have milder symptoms with fewer or no blisters, mild or no fever, and are sick for a shorter period of time than unvaccinated people.³

Is it contagious? Yes. Chickenpox is very contagious. Up to 90 percent of the people close to someone with chickenpox and who are not immune will also become infected. It takes about two weeks after exposure to a person with chickenpox for someone to get a rash.⁴

Those with chickenpox are contagious up to two days before they get a rash. They will remain contagious until all the of their chickenpox lesions scab over.⁴

Vaccinated people who get chickenpox may develop lesions that do not crust. They are considered contagious until no new lesions have appeared for 24 hours.⁴

How many people get chickenpox? Thanks to the chickenpox vaccine, fewer than 350,000 people get it yearly in America.⁴ In the past, four million people were infected each year. Over 10,500 of those people were hospitalized and 100-150 of them died.⁴

How do you prevent chickenpox? The chickenpox vaccine. Everyone should get two doses of the vaccine if they have never had chickenpox or were never vaccinated.¹

If you or your child have chickenpox, you should remain home and keep them at home as well until their lesions have crusted over. You should not travel, as close contact on airplanes makes it very easy to spread the disease.

What Is Shingles?

The varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles. After someone recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body and may reappear later in life to cause shingles.⁴

In the U.S., approximately 1 out of every 3 adults (nearly 1 million people) who had chickenpox will go on to develop shingles. As you age, your risk for having shingles and serious complications increases.⁵

These complications may include:⁵

• Developing nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia
• Eye problems, including vision loss

In rare cases, shingles complications may include:⁵

• Pneumonia
• Hearing issues
• Brain inflammation
• Death

What are the symptoms? The early signs include pain, itching or tingling before the rash appears. Some may also have a fever.⁶

The main symptom is a rash that looks like a single stripe around the left or the right side of the body. It can also appear on the face, which may impact the eye and cause vision loss. Blisters will scab over in 7 to 10 days at which point you will no longer be contagious. They will be fully cleared up in 2 to 4 weeks.⁶

Symptoms of shingles can also include:⁶

• Chills
• Headache
• Upset stomach

Is it contagious? Yes. People with shingles can spread VZV to people who have never had chickenpox or never received the chickenpox vaccine. This can happen through direct contact with the fluid from shingles rash blisters or if someone breathes in the virus particles that come from the blisters. If they get infected, they will develop chickenpox, not shingles. It takes about 2 weeks after exposure to a person with shingles for someone to develop chickenpox.

How is shingles treated? Antiviral medication should be given as soon as the rash appears. It will reduce the severity and length of the symptoms.⁵ Antibiotics are not prescribed as virus-caused illnesses can’t be treated by them.²

Pain relief medicine -- over the counter or a prescription from your provider – may also help. To relieve itching, use wet compresses, calamine lotion and warm oatmeal baths.⁵

If you think that you have chickenpox or shingles, you can visit your neighborhood MedExpress for treatment today. We’ll get you back to feeling better fast.

References:

1 CDC. How to Treat Chickenpox. Last updated April 24, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024.

2 CDC: Medication Safety and Your Health. Last updated April 17, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024.

3 CDC. Chickenpox Symptoms and Complications. Last updated May 10, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024.

4 CDC. About Chickenpox. Last updated April 24, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024.

5 CDC. About Shingles. Last updated May 10, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2024.

6 CDC. Shingles Symptoms and Complications. Last updated April 19, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024.