Chickenpox – that word says it all. Any parent who have received a message on the group forum or a letter from the nursery or school knows what that entails. But does a child with unexplained spots have chickenpox or is there another confirmed diagnosis? What exactly do you do?
NHS ‘Help Us Help You’ Campaign
Fortunately, the NHS England ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign is there to provide essential public health tips. It states that community pharmacies are the ideal place to help manage chickenpox and other minor illnesses. At the same time, a community pharmacy can protect patients with long-term conditions while preventing ill health. Our travel clinic pharmacies will not only help with correctly diagnosing and managing common symptoms but also protect against it altogether.
What Are The Common Symptoms Of Chickenpox?
It commonly affects children but it is notably worse in adults. The condition starts with red spots that appear anywhere on the body which can fill with fluid that blisters and may burst. These spots often spread but in some cases they stay within a small area where the spot cycle repeats itself. Some of the most common symptoms include itchiness, loss of appetite and a high temperature.
Why Vaccinate Against Chickenpox?
You can catch chickenpox by being in the same room as someone who has it and also contact with clothes or bedding. If you haven’t had it before, you can also get it from someone with shingles. Chickenpox is extremely infectious from two days before the spots appear until they have crusted over. This is usually about five days after they first appeared.
It takes one to three weeks from the time you were exposed to chickenpox for the spots to appear. You will need to stay away from school, the nursery or work until all the spots have crusted over which is normally five days after the first appearance of the spots. Most airlines will also not allow you to fly if you have chickenpox which could potentially ruin your holiday plans or leave you stranded away from home.
How Can The Bristol Travel Clinic Help?
The Bristol Travel Clinic offers private chickenpox vaccinations at a low cost for both children and adults. We have the lowest prices in the South West and also offer a price match guarantee for added peace of mind. Even if you’ve been in contact with someone who has it, you can still get vaccinated.
There are several tips to help ease the symptoms which include the following:
- wear loose clothing
- cut your child’s nails
- putting socks on the child’s hands to stop them scratching especially at night
Final Thoughts
It is absolutely essential to not be around pregnant women, newborn babies and people with a weakened immune system as chickenpox can be extremely dangerous for them. Anyone in these vulnerable groups that comes in contact with or has suspected spots, including all adults with chickenpox, should seek urgent medical attention.
The chickenpox jab is one of the popular low-cost vaccinations, travel jabs and medicines including Meningitis B, Hepatitis A and B, Measles, Rabies and antimalarial tablets. All of these vaccinations come with a price match promise guarantee. Visit bristoltravelclinic.co.uk for more information on prices and discounts or call us The Bristol Travel Clinic free on 0800 772 3575.
