Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection that mostly affects children. It causes an itchy blister-like rash that can cover the entire body. Chickenpox is rarely serious in healthy children but can cause complications in teens, adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Understanding what chickenpox looks like as it progresses can help you recognize the infection early and take steps to prevent spreading it.
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Early Signs Before the Rash
Before the rash appears, the first signs of chickenpox often include:
These flu-like symptoms usually last for 1-2 days before the rash develops
The Rash Begins
The classic chickenpox rash first shows up on the trunk, head, and neck. It starts as small red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites. These red bumps quickly develop into fluid-filled blisters.
The rash spreads over the entire body, often in “crops.” A few blisters will appear, then a new crop will show up after a day or two. It usually takes about 4-7 days for all the blisters to form.
Stages of Chickenpox Blisters
The blisters go through several stages:
- Small, red, raised bumps
- Fluid-filled blisters
- Cloudy blisters as they begin to dry out
- Scabs once blisters open and crust over
The blisters are very itchy but it’s important not to scratch them to avoid scarring and infection.
What Does Chickenpox Look Like in Pictures?
Here are photos of what chickenpox looks like at the different stages:
Child with early chickenpox rash. Image source: CDC
Fluid-filled blisters on child’s back. Image source: Immunize.org
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Scabs as chickenpox blisters heal. Image source: VeryWell Health
Symptoms in Teens and Adults
While chickenpox is mostly mild in children, teens and adults tend to have more severe symptoms and complications. Along with the rash, they may experience:
- High fever
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Cough
- Muscle aches
- Loss of appetite
The rash can also develop in the mouth, eyes, vagina, and anus. This can lead to very painful blisters and sores.
Prevent Spreading Chickenpox
Chickenpox is airborne and also spreads through touch. The virus can be caught from:
- Coughing and sneezing
- Touching the fluid from blisters
- Sharing contaminated objects like toys or utensils
The infection is contagious 1-2 days before the rash appears until all blisters are crusted over. This is usually 5-7 days after the rash began.
To avoid spreading chickenpox, keep children home from school and avoid contact with others during this time. The vaccine can help prevent infection.
When to See a Doctor
Call your doctor if anyone in the family comes down with an itchy rash and fever. Antiviral medication may be used in teens, adults, or people with weakened immune systems.
See a doctor right away if the rash develops pus, redness, warmth or swelling as this could indicate a bacterial infection.
Understanding the stages and symptoms of chickenpox can help you recognize the infection early and prevent it from spreading. Although mostly mild in children, the blistering rash and fever can be much more severe in teens and adults.
How you can treat chickenpox yourself
If you have chickenpox, youll need to stay off school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab. This is usually 5 days after the spots first appeared.
There are things you can do to treat chickenpox yourself at home without needing to see a GP.
- drink plenty of fluids (try ice lollies if your child is not drinking)
- take paracetamol to help with any pain and discomfort
- cut your childs fingernails and put socks on their hands at night to stop them scratching
- use cooling creams or gels from a pharmacy
- speak to a pharmacist about using antihistamine medicine to help itching
- bathe in cool water and pat the skin dry (do not rub)
- dress in loose clothes
- do not use ibuprofen unless youre told to by a doctor, as it may cause serious skin infections
- do not give aspirin to children under 16 years
- do not scratch the spots, as scratching can cause scarring
Do not go near newborn babies or anyone whos pregnant or has a weakened immune system, as chickenpox can be dangerous for them.
Stage 2: the spots become blisters
The spots fill with fluid and become blisters. The blisters are very itchy and may burst.
Miroslav Beneda / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-detail-baby-with-chicken-pox-rash-53122372.html?pv=1&stamp=2&id=55E4EE6E-6F54-4758-A74B-4058E5E59B4E&p=85303&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dD2BX3G%26qt_raw%3dD2BX3G%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d
White skin with stage 2 chickenpox spots.
There are 13 spots that vary in size, but theyre all less than 1cm. Some spots are close to others. Almost all the spots have formed a round or slightly oval blister. 1 spot looks flatter.
The blisters are pink and shiny. The skin around some spots looks slightly pink.
Science Photo Library is currently not live on their site as the company who were hiring the has gone into liquidation. However, the actual owner of the is looking to subscribe to SPL and has agreed to licence it to us.
Medium-brown skin with stage 2 chickenpox spots. There are more than 50 chickenpox spots covering a childs chest and upper arms.
The spots are different sizes, but theyre all less than 1cm. Many of the spots have formed a round or slightly oval shaped raised blister. Many of the blisters are white and shiny.
The skin around some of the blisters is pink. A few of the blisters look like they have burst and have formed dark scabs.
Mrs.Rungnapa akthaisong https://www.shutterstock.com/-photo/girl-had-blister-on-face-due-1319781899
Medium-brown skin with stage 2 chickenpox spots and blisters. There are about 40 spots on a persons forehead.
The spots vary in size from around 3mm to 6mm. Some are close to others. Many have formed a round or slightly oval shaped raised blister. Some spots look slightly flatter.
Some blisters are the same colour or slightly paler than the persons skin, while others are slightly pink. Some blisters look shiny and slightly white or grey.
CDC https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=4367
Dark-brown skin with stage 2 chickenpox spots and blisters. There are about 50 spots on a persons back and arm.
The spots vary in size from around 5mm to 1cm. Some are close to others. Many of the spots have formed a round or slightly oval shaped raised blister.
Some of the blisters look like they have burst and some may be forming a scab. Most blisters are the same colour or slightly darker than the persons skin. Some blisters look shiny and slightly white or grey.
Can people recognise chicken pox? #shorts #health
FAQ
What do chicken pox look like when they first appear?
Early chickenpox lesions consist of small red papules which quickly fill with a yellowish or straw colored fluid to form small blisters (vesicles), as seen in this photograph. Later, these vesicles will rupture forming shallow erosions that crust over and then ultimately heal.
How do you tell if it’s chicken pox or not?
- Low-grade fever.
- Feeling tired.
- Headache.
- A stomachache that makes you not want to eat.
- A skin rash that’s very itchy and looks like many small blisters.
- Bumps filled with a liquid that looks like milky water.
- Scabs after the blisters break.
- Skin that looks blotchy.
What could be mistaken for chickenpox?
How does a chicken pox spot look?
Some spots are raised and appear to be forming a round or slightly oval blister. Other spots are flatter. The spots are red and pink and the skin around the spots is pink. Light-brown skin with stage 1 chickenpox spots.