Chickenpox is an acute infectious disease caused by varicella zoster virus infection. It mainly occurs in infants and preschool children, with adult onset symptoms being more severe than in children. It occurs frequently in winter and spring, and its infectivity is strong. Chickenpox patients are the only source of infection. It is infectious from 1-2 days before the onset to the dry and scabbed stage of the rash. Contact and inhalation of droplets will be infected, and the incidence rate of susceptible children can reach more than 95%. Next, we will briefly introduce the hazards, nursing, and preventive measures of chickenpox.
1、 The hazards of chickenpox
1. Causing skin discomfort symptoms
Chickenpox is mainly manifested as papules, blisters, etc. on the surface of the skin. Although the disease can self heal in the later stage, during the illness, these rashes can cause severe itching, which is very painful for patients and can have a serious impact on their daily work, life, and study.
2. Infection
Chickenpox has strong infectivity. Chickenpox can be transmitted through respiratory droplets and direct contact, as well as through contact with contaminated utensils. The dry winter and spring seasons are the peak seasons for chickenpox. Especially for infants and young children, their resistance is relatively poor and they are more susceptible to infection.
3. Complications may occur
Chickenpox may cause serious complications such as pneumonia, hemorrhagic chickenpox, etc. Among them, pneumonia caused by chickenpox is prone to occur in people with poor immunity, which can cause symptoms such as cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening. Hemorrhagic varicella is caused by virus invasion of the blood system, which can lead to varicella bleeding and even gastrointestinal and nasal bleeding. In severe cases, it can also be life-threatening.
4. Can be transmitted to the fetus
Women should also avoid contact with chickenpox patients during pregnancy. Pregnant women with chickenpox may transmit it to their fetuses, causing them to develop congenital chickenpox syndrome, manifested as intellectual disability, limb deformities, etc.
2、 Nursing care for chickenpox
(1) Daily care
1. Avoiding transmission
After contracting chickenpox, attention should be paid to prevention and isolation, such as wearing masks, not sharing bowls and chopsticks, avoiding contact with the patient's respiratory secretions, blister fluid, and blood, exposing the clothing, utensils, and rooms of chickenpox patients to sunlight, boiling, and ventilation, which can effectively eliminate bacteria and reduce the probability of transmission.
2. Rest in bed and drink plenty of water
Most chickenpox patients will experience fever, during which they should rest in bed, drink plenty of water, and be given easily digestible food. Some patients' oral mucosa may be affected by chickenpox, but most people mistakenly think they have oral ulcers. In this case, they need to rinse their mouth with physiological saline to avoid the occurrence of oral mucosal infections.
3. Fever reduction
If there are symptoms of fever, it is best to use physical fever reduction methods such as ice pillows, towels, and drinking plenty of water. You can also use medication according to medical advice.
4. Avoid scratching herpes with your hands
Especially be careful not to scratch herpes on the face to prevent it from being scratched and causing suppurative infection. If the lesion is deeply damaged, it may leave scars.
（2） Dietary regulation
It is advisable to provide light, easily digestible, and nutritious liquid and semi liquid diets. It is suitable to drink mung bean soup, honeydew, wheat soup, Congee, noodles, dragon whisker egg noodles, etc. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement vitamins in the body. Fasting food, such as coriander, brewed wine, crucian carp, ginger, green onions, mutton, male chicken, seafood, eel, etc. Avoid spicy foods such as chili peppers, chili oil, mustard, curry, garlic, chives, fennel, cinnamon, pepper, etc.
3、 Preventive measures for chickenpox
1. Vaccination against chickenpox
The chickenpox vaccine is currently the most effective measure for preventing chickenpox. After injection, it can develop long-lasting resistance. Even if a small number of children cannot be completely immune after vaccination, their symptoms are relatively mild, and even if they are infected with the chickenpox virus, they may not develop rashes. Therefore, if conditions permit, vaccination with varicella vaccine should be administered.
2. Life prevention
In daily life, children should develop good habits and wash their hands before meals, after using the toilet, and after going out and returning home to avoid cross infection. To maintain indoor hygiene, windows should be opened frequently for ventilation. Healthy children should try to avoid going to crowded public places and should not visit the homes of people with chickenpox to avoid contact infections.
3. Stay away from the source of infection
If a school or kindergarten discovers that a child has chickenpox, they should promptly take the child home to rest and isolate them.
If there are suspected symptoms of chickenpox, seek medical attention promptly and follow the doctor's treatment recommendations to alleviate symptoms and prevent complications. The most important thing is that each of us should enhance our awareness and understanding of chickenpox in order to better protect our own and others' health.