What do chickenpox look like?

Question

I noticed this evening that my son has a raised pimple like rash over the trunk of his body. Some of them feel like they have a very tiny head though there are no blisters. I found a small bump on his wrist yesterday and he now has a few on his arms and legs also. Could it be the start of chickenpox? Also, if it is, what are the risks to his dad who has never had it?

Answer 1

Appearance of Chicken Pox
The chicken pox rash begins on the trunk and spreads to the face and extremities. The chicken pox lesion starts as a 2-4 mm red papule which develops an irregular outline (rose petal). A thin-walled, clear vesicle (dew drop) develops on top of the area of redness. This "dew drop on a rose petal" lesion is very characteristic for chicken pox. After about 8-12 hours the fluid in the vesicle gets cloudy and the vesicle breaks leaving a crust. The fluid is highly contagious, but once the lesion crusts over, it is not considered contagious. The crust usually falls off after 7 days sometimes leaving a craterlike scar. Although one lesion goes through this complete cycle in about 7 days, another hallmark of chicken pox is the fact that new lesions crop up every day for several days. Therefore, it may take about a week until new lesions stop appearing and existing lesions crust over. Children are not sent back to school until all lesions have crusted over.

http://dermatology.about.com/cs/chickenpox/l/blchickenpox3ph.htm Here's a picture of an early stage chicken pox lesion.

Hope that this helps & good luck!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

"Red blotches appear first on the skin of the back or chest. They change into pimples after a few hours, and then into blisters that enlarge and may become filled with a milky liquid. The blisters dry up in a few days and are covered with scabs (dried tissue). The skin rash appears in crops (groups). New blotches form while old ones change to blisters and dry up.

The incubation period (time between exposure to the disease and the appearance of symptoms) ranges from 11 to 20 days. Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is one of the herpesviruses. This same virus causes shingles (see SHINGLES). A child who has had chickenpox usually does not get it again. Adults may get the disease if they did not have it as a child. However, they are more likely to develop shingles. In a small number of patients, secondary infections follow the chickenpox. An uncommon but serious complication is Reye's syndrome.

In otherwise healthy children, treatment is limited to relieving the symptoms, especially itching. Also, the patient's fingernails should be kept short and clean to lessen the risk of infection from scratching. Aspirin should not be given to children with chickenpox because of the possible link to Reye's syndrome. In 1995, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine for chickenpox. Children should be vaccinated after they reach 12 months of age."

Answer 4

I was told by my doctor that chickenpox look very different depending on whether the person has been vacinated for them or whether they are "natural" chickenpox. It sounds like natural chickenpox if he's never been vaccinated for them. Either way, you should take him to the doctor to verify. The Health Department will need to be notified as well, especially because of the low occurance of natural chickenpox now that there's the vaccine. Good luck!
My hubby never had them either and did not get them when our daughter got them last year. He just stayed away until they scabbed over.

Answer 5

Donna, as a nurse I remember small red whelps, that itch terribly, (don't scratch or you'll have bad scars). These red whelps will develop a white center that still itch. I used Benadryl orally perscribed by the Dr. & used Benadryl Creme also but the oral Benadryl should cool the itch. The red lumps start in warm places on the body, under the clothes then spread all over the body including the palms of the hands & soles of the feet within a day or 2. Just keep the patient warm & dry. The disease will probably last about a week & then the picture of the person with all the old crust is bad but will gradually heal & they'll be as good as new. Good Luck Hope All gets well before New Year

Answer 6

Certainly sounds like Chicken Pox, they tend to come out in waves, the first ones you saw should develop a watery blister appearance, followed by more red pimples which will develop also. I am not sure if there is any risk to the Dad, its not like mumps which can cause sterility in adult males, he could get a nasty case of the Pox, or do adults always get shingles?
Sorry not to have been more help!

Answer 7

That sounds like it might be chicken pox. My son just had them. I was told by the Dr if I had brought him in at the first sign of it there was a medication he could have taken that would have lessened the severity of them. I believe also, that a person is contagious before the bumps actually show up. If I were you I would call the Dr. Maybe there is something your husband could take also.

Answer 8

Sounds like chicken pox. Chicken pox usually start on the abdomen or back and so it's pretty clear that's what he has. He has a few on his arms and legs because they are starting to spread.

The only risk to his dad is that he could get them, unless he stays away from your son until he's better.

People have suggested taking him to the doctor, but there's really no need. He's got chicken pox--not really something worth bothering a doctor for. His chicken pox will most likely clear without treatment. Just make sure he has plenty of fluids, plenty of rest, and plenty of calamine lotion!

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Yes there is a risk to Dad and it can be quite nasty in adults. It does sound a bit like chicken pox, but he would have a mild fever with it, and feel generally unwell.