When my eldest daughter Bella first started nursery I thought that at some point she would get chickenpox. I remembered reading the notice board announcements when a new bout of chickenpox was going through the nursery. I was always hoping that she would not have it because there was always something organised for us to do and I didn’t want our plans to be ruined. For example, a family trip to Peru, Bella’s birthday party or me being pregnant. During the 3 years that Bella was at nursery, she survived 4 breakouts of chicken pox! Can you believe it? I even thought she was perhaps immune or something!
So when she started in reception at school, I was pretty sure that she would get it at some point. Not surprisingly, the inevitable happened and she got chickenpox in the last term, towards the end of the school year. By this time, Sienna had already been born and was already about 9 or 10 months old so perhaps it was not only going to be Bella who got the chickenpox.
Not surprisingly, both girls ended up with chickenpox at the same time! Bella’s started first and we were actually lucky because she got it during half term so she didn’t miss school. We had already arranged for her to visit her grandparents so she actually ended up having some time at their house with chickenpox.
I hadn’t had any other experience with chickenpox apart from having it myself when I was a child. I didn’t remember what we needed to do, so I googled the best treatments to help reduce any discomfort. One of the products I used to calm their itchiness was Care Virasoothe Cooling Gel. This was really helpful and it did calm down a lot that uncomfortable feeling.
For those of you that are still waiting for your little ones to get chickenpox, I thought that with the help of Care Virasoothe and some of my own online research, it would be handy to share in more detail about what chickenpox is, how to spot it, how to treat it and what type of products to use…
What is Chickenpox?
Chickenpox is a mild but infectious disease which is most common in children under 4 years of age. It is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster. Actually, in Peru, we call it Varicella.
How does chickenpox spread?
Chickenpox is transferred from one person to another through direct contact with the broken chickenpox blisters. It can also spread when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes.
What are the symptoms of chickenpox?
Before developing a rash, your little one might have some flu-like symptoms, including:
- Feeling sick
- Raised temperature or fever
- Loss of appetite
- Generally feeling unwell
A few days after some or all of the above symptoms are noticed, you will notice that a red rash appears, which starts as small, itchy red spots. These spots then become fluid-filled blisters which eventually scab over. The rash can occur anywhere on the body or face including behind the ears, on the scalp and even on the soles of feet. This can be incredibly itchy and annoying for your kids.
What is the incubation period and how long should I keep my child at home for?
It can take 10-21 days for your child to develop the symptoms after they have come into contact with the virus. This is called the ‘incubation period’.
How long should I keep my child at home for?
Chickenpox is very contagious and is infectious until the last blister has burst and scabbed over. It is therefore very important to keep your little ones at home until all of the blisters have fully crusted over. This can be frustrating because it can mean having your child at home for about a week, which can mean not being able to work.
You should let your child’s school or nursery know that your child has chickenpox. Also, It is advisable to avoid contact with pregnant women, newborn babies, and anyone who has a weak immune system.
Can your child get chickenpox more than once and are there any complications?
After having chickenpox, it is very rare to get it a second time. Also, it is unusual to get any complications and most cases are quite mild. The most common complication is when the blisters become infected. This can happen as a result of scratching, which can lead to long-term scarring.
How should I treat chickenpox?
As chickenpox is a virus there is no cure for it, but there are things you can do to help relieve your child’s symptoms:
- Drink plenty of water
- Take Paracetamol if they have developed a fever
- Keep them cool using a cooling sponge or bathing may also help
- Dress your child in light, loose clothing and keep bedding to a minimum
- Cut your child’s fingernails and keep them clean and short. This will prevent deep scratching
- Use products such as Care Virasoothe Chickenpox Relief Cooling Gel, which is clinically proven to relieve chickenpox itching
About Care ViraSoothe
Care ViraSoothe is a clinically proven cooling gel which helps to cool and soothe the distressing symptoms of chickenpox. Unlike calamine lotion or antihistamines, Care ViraSoothe is specifically formulated to break the itch, scratch, infection cycle by rapidly calming the persistent itch. It is also available in an easy to use spray gel format.
It utilises a unique osmotic action – drawing water from the dermis (lower level of the skin) into the epidermis (upper level of the skin) which creates a cooling effect as it then evaporates. This not only relieves the irritation but protects the skin’s environment, allowing it to heal naturally which can help reduce long-term scarring. Care ViraSoothe is non-messy, can be easily applied all over the body and face and is suitable for children over 6 months of age. It should be applied 2-3 times a day, or whenever relief is needed.
Where Can I Buy Care ViraSoothe Chickenpox Relief Gel?
Care ViraSoothe is available at supermarkets and Boots stores nationwide (Asda Pharmacy, Co-op Pharmacy, Sainsbury’s Pharmacy and Tesco Pharmacy), Rowlands Pharmacy and Independent Pharmacies nationwide), retailing at £5.73 for 50g and £8.43 for 75g for the Gel. The Spray Gel is £8.43 for 75g. You can also purchase it online at Boots, Sainsbury’s, LloydsPharmacy or Amazon.
Our Experience with Chickenpox
Thankfully, my girls only had mild chickenpox. They had spots all over their body spread out evenly. They both got very itchy though but the Care ViraSoothe, cool sponging and some Paracetamol helped a lot to reduce a lot of their discomfort. I was in shock when I first realised that both girls had it but now I’m actually glad that they have both now had it. It is better for them to have it at an early age. I was worried because Sienna was very little but it worked out better that way. As she was small, it was much easier applying the gel.
For more information on chickenpox visit All The Care You Need. You never know when your kids might get this virus so it is good to be prepared. If you would like to win some ViraSoothe Cooling Gel in a nice branded box, I am hosting an Instagram Giveaway for 5 of my readers to win one. Head to my Instagram to find all the information you need to win. Good Luck!
Have your little ones had Chickenpox already? How did you treat it and how was it? Are you still waiting for your little ones to get it? Did you find this blog post useful?
*Disclosure: This is a collaborative post with Care ViraSoothe. I was compensated for my time to write this post, however, all views are my own. Please note that there is an Amazon affiliate link.
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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George didn’t have it half as bad as I had worried he might. He also avoided several bouts and in the end caught it near christmas which meant he missed his christmas party at preschool and also we had to cancel a blogging holiday to Bluestone which we were gutted about. Thankfully George was fine and we managed to reschedule.
I swore by Piriton to prevent him from getting itchy and Calpol to keep his temperature down as he gets overheated easily.
Glad your girls have got it out of the way when they are younger.
#KCACOLS
This is a really good article. I have over-worried myself about this countless times with my daughter, and she hasn’t even come close to having it yet. #KCACOLS
Wish I’d read this last year. My little boy got ill just before ok gave birth to his brother. Had no sleep for two weeks prior! Will remember this when his baby brother gets it!! Amy x #KCACOLS
Thank you for making so much useful information available.
Chicken Pox is the worst but always better for them to get it whilst they are young. My two had it last year when they were in reception #KCACOLS
Same than Bella! 🙂 x
I’ve not seen ViraSoothe, but anything that eases the itching has got to be worth it!
Great post – havent tried this before – sounds great
E was like Bella didn’t get chickenpox until he was in Reception too – and also in the last term! He didn’t suffer too badly but poor M had it all over his body! I’ve not heard of Virasoothe but it sounds like it can really help keep the itchiness at bay. #KCACOLS
Both of my girls had chicken pox and they were smothered in spots. I followed the doctors and the chemists advice but none of the products I used really helped with their itchiness.
Oh no, poor little girls! What a shame! 🙁
My daughter had the chicken pox quite bad, wish I had tried Virasoothe. I was glad I knew not to give Nurofen for children as I had seen this can be really dangerous as it does not let the virus come out.
I took advantage of being stuck indoors by decorating the living room.
Ah that was productive! 🙂
My youngest daughter is immune to chicken pox we have been trying to get her to catch them for over 5 years
Wow! My daughter took time as well as she got it at 5 and I thought she was immune too but you never know! Of course not as bad as yours bad she didn’t catch so many before that one.
My little boy is 2 next week, still waiting for the dreaded pox
My eldest Granddaughter really suffered when she had Chickenpox and was ill for well over a week while my youngest simply had the spots and nothing else. x
Both my little ones have had it already my daughter Sheriah had it when she was 4 and kindly gave it to her brother Charlie when he was not even 1
My daughter had chicken pox recently and I used this and I must say, it was wonderful. Cleared the spots up in no time
Great to hear that! 🙂 x
We used this with all 3 of my children and it helped ease the itchiness with all of them. I would highly recommend it #kcacols
It is great isn’t it! We loved it too! 🙂 x
It has been a while since I had to cope with chickenpox so your review is useful. Good to know about Virasoothe, too. Thank you.
You are welcome! It makes me happy that this info can be useful for others, 😉
My twins at nearly 7 both just had chickenpox at the same time. It’s been 8 years since I’ve had to deal with chicken pox.
We used a combination of virasoothe gel, calamine lotion, and oral antihistamine and paracetamol (when needed):
One had twice as many spots as the other, but thankfully all scabbed and on the mend now.
Good to hear thay they are on the mend now. Thank you for stopping by 🙂