The chicken pox virus is an extremely contagious, airborne illness commonly experienced before the age of 12. Infections of adults and infants can cause serious complications. The shingles virus is actually dormant chicken pox virus brought out by stress in adults. Both are easily treated and manageable illnesses except for the pregnant or those with immune disorders.

Symptoms of Chicken Pox
Chicken pox symptoms begin a day or two before blisters appear. Early symptoms include fever, headache, abdominal pain, and sore throat. For the next 2-4 days a rash of small, red bumps will spread from the abdomen or back to the entire body, including mucous membranes. The bumps become blisters that break to form scabs. Fevers typically run from 100-102 degrees. Younger children experience minimal symptoms.

Treating Chicken Pox
The first step is not to scratch the blisters which is difficult due to itching. Many products help with itching like Calamine lotion (keep away from mucous membranes), Ricola cough drops, and Aloe Vera ointments. Oatmeal baths, acetaminophen, and cool compresses, along with avoiding spicy, salty, and acidic foods, can help. With severe symptoms in adults and older children a physician may prescribe an anti-viral medication.

Complications
Chicken pox is usually harmless for young children, at worst causing skin infection due to scratching, but it can cause severe problems for pregnant women, infants, and those with immune disorders. In these cases a physician should be consulted. Bacterial infection of sores can be treated with antibiotic ointments or by adding a tincture of echinacea or essential oil of tea tree to cool compresses.

Chicken Pox Vaccine
This vaccine is regularly given to children 12-15 months with a booster shot at 4-6 years. Long-term vaccine immunity is unknown, so the CDC recommends anyone over the age of 13 who has not had chicken pox to be vaccinated twice more. Normal contraction of the disease confers lifetime immunity, and immune mothers pass immunity to their children in utero and through breast milk. Children with immune and breastfeeding mothers should not be vaccinated.

What is Shingles?
The causes of shingles chicken pox are stress factors, including over-work, negative emotions, cancer, and other unrelated sicknesses. These stress factors are enough to "wake up" the dormant disease, commonly in people over 60, which hides in nerve cells. Whether you've had chicken pox or been vaccinated, you have a 20% chance of developing shingles later.

Shingles symptoms are worse than the chicken pox in young children. The rash, usually preceded by burning and sensitivity of the skin, erupts along the nerve pathways leading from the spine making a rash that can last up to a month. Shingles treatment should be the same as for chicken pox. Essential oils of rose and other cooling herbs can be added to topical ointments for relief.

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