Many are interested in whether there is a cough with chickenpox. According to available statistics, 9 out of 10 people have experienced chickenpox in their lives. That is why this infectious disease is familiar to many. Its main symptoms include an increase in temperature, the appearance of rashes in the form of small bubbles on the skin, and the manifestation of significant weakness. In some cases, patients develop a cough. This sign indicates that the causative agent of the disease has entered the respiratory tract of a person. This complication is considered one of the most dangerous, which is why it should be treated with the utmost care.
Main possible causes
Chickenpox cough is a symptom that in most cases occurs due to possible causes such as:
- The appearance of rashes in the throat or on the mucous membranes of other respiratory tracts. First of all, it concerns the trachea and pharynx. Bubbles here can provoke accumulations of excessive amounts of mucus, which irritates nerve receptors, thereby provokingoccurrence of cough. Such symptoms do not require any specific therapy, since they will pass on their own immediately after all the rashes in a sick person disappear.
- Accession of a secondary infection. Due to the fact that chickenpox provokes a significant weakening of the whole organism, its protective functions also decrease to a certain extent. Due to the fact that the immune system loses its capabilities, it often cannot cope with fairly simple pathogens, with which it had previously fought quite successfully. That is why on the 5-10th day after the onset of the development of chickenpox infection, patients often develop a cough due to the fact that other pathogens have entered their respiratory system in the form of a bacterial infection. In such situations, it is necessary to determine the diagnosis of the patient and prescribe appropriate therapy.
- The appearance of pneumonia. This complication of the development of chickenpox is considered to be one of the most dangerous. Cough in this case occurs on the 1-3rd day after infection. The disease can have a different etiology of its occurrence - both viral and bacterial. The type of cough that appears directly depends on this. Most often it is initially barking and dry. After some time, it turns into a wet form with a fairly large amount of mucus secreted.
Due to the fact that chickenpox is one of the most dangerous complications for human life, it must be considered in more detail and carefully.
Chickenpox pneumonia risk
The development of pneumonia in chickenpox is due to the fact thatThe Zoster virus enters the human respiratory system. It almost never happens in childhood. Most often, adults suffer from this problem.
To risk groups who can still develop pneumonia with chickenpox, experts include people such as:
- adults;
- adolescent patients;
- regular smokers (including passive smokers);
- patients with obstructive chronic diseases of the pulmonary system;
- pregnant women;
- patients with some type of human immunodeficiency.
All people who are at risk of developing pneumonia with chickenpox should be as careful as possible when the first symptoms appear. This is due to the fact that the addition of an additional disease can lead to a significant deterioration in their he alth with the occurrence of certain adverse consequences.
Main signs of chickenpox
1-3 days after the clinical picture of chickenpox fully manifests itself, most often people from risk groups have the first signs of pneumonia joining the disease. Its symptoms directly depend on the state in which the immune system of a sick person will be at a particular moment. In this regard, there are two possible options for the development of cough with chickenpox:
- Mild to moderate illness with severe cough, shortness of breath and shortness of breath even with mildphysical activity. After examining the patient, the doctor can state that he has a large number of dry rales in the lungs. If after that a reliable and effective therapy is prescribed, then recovery will occur in 2-4 weeks of following all the recommendations of the specialist.
- Severe course of the disease against the background of severe respiratory failure, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and severe shortness of breath. The patient, as a rule, has sputum, which has bloody inclusions in its composition. In addition, pulmonary edema often occurs.
Coughing before chickenpox is often a sign of developing pneumonia. If, in a severe variant of the development of pneumonia, the patient is not provided with appropriate medical care within 48 hours, the risk of death increases to almost 100%.
For whom is pneumonia especially dangerous?
The main danger is pulmonary edema. Significant mortality primarily concerns patients with severe immunodeficiency, as well as pregnant women. It is these two groups of patients who most often die due to varicella pneumonia in case of untimely seeking help from specialists in medical institutions.
Diagnosis of disease
In the event of a cough with chickenpox, the patient should have a second consultation with his doctor. The latter should assume the possibility of developing pneumonia against the background of examining the patient and collecting the appropriate history. to diagnosticcriteria that allow this to be done, experts primarily include the following:
- appearance of a characteristic symptom complex of various signs;
- manifestation of the inflammatory process in the lungs during the first 3 days after the onset of the full clinical picture of chickenpox.
Many are concerned about the question, can chickenpox start with a cough? Due to reduced immunity, a cough may occur, but this is not always a sign that chickenpox is starting.
Doctor's Opinion
In order to accurately determine the area of development of pneumonia and extensive damage to the pulmonary system, an appropriate x-ray examination is often prescribed. On the image in the future, the doctor can notice all the foci of the onset of infection. They will look like white small, slightly blurry blotches located in two lungs. Their complete disappearance with proper and timely started therapy occurs on the 2-4th week of its course. Despite this, in some cases certain consequences of the disease remain. First of all, this applies to calcifications - foci of calcification in places where there was the most significant inflammation of the tissues.
Cure disease
Therapy of cough with chickenpox in an adult should be carried out in a complex way. These two diseases should be treated simultaneously with each other. If the problem is that a person has a rash in their airways, the following is recommended:
- Therapeutic diet. From the diet, experts advise to remove those products that can additionally irritate the nerve receptors in the throat. This applies to fried and spicy foods, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits. It is best to eat food grated and warm against the background of alkaline drinking.
- Steam inhalation will help eliminate a strong cough with chickenpox. For them, it is recommended to use a variety of medicinal herbs. It can be mint or chamomile. The use of essential oils and eucalyptus is also allowed. Such treatment contributes to the thinning and easier discharge of sputum accumulated in the throat against the background of the appearance of rashes there.
Symptoms and treatment of chickenpox in children is something that interests many, but not everyone knows that this process is purely individual. Treatment is prescribed only by the attending physician, taking into account the physiological characteristics of the baby. In no case should steam inhalations be carried out if the patient has an elevated body temperature. In addition, they are contraindicated in the presence of severe cardiovascular diseases in the patient's history. Also, their experts do not advise carrying out if blotches of blood or pus are noticeable in the mucus.
Chickenpox Therapy
Many do not know if there is a cough with chickenpox. Doctors are of the opinion that such a symptom is often present in chickenpox. This may indicate the development of a serious disease. Treatment of pneumonia against the background of chickenpox should be carried out in a hospital. Due to the fact that the cause of the development of this disease is a virus, antibacterialdrugs in such situations will not give any effect. Patients are advised to implement etiotropic therapy, which is based on the use of antiviral drugs and immunoglobulins - these methods will help eliminate dry cough. Chickenpox can cause serious complications, so you should see a doctor if you have symptoms of a cold.
What to do about a bacterial infection?
In case of a bacterial infection, the patient is given antibiotic therapy. Relief of the patient's condition in such situations occurs within one week.
Regardless of what type of cough a patient has with chickenpox, he should adhere to recommendations such as:
- Bed rest.
- Plentiful drink.
- No acidic or overly hot drinks.
- Staying in a room where the temperature does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
Coughing with chickenpox is often a sign of pneumonia. That is why, when the first signs appear, you must immediately seek help from a medical institution to undergo an appropriate examination and determine the cause of the disease.
Doctor's conclusion
Many mothers are interested in how to treat a cough with chickenpox in a child. You should be aware that self-medication can cause the development of serious complications. Only a doctor should prescribe treatment. The child's body is too vulnerable, so home treatment will greatly harm the baby.
Folk treatments: for or against
Herbs and infusions are not harmless remedies that always have a positive effect on the overall he alth of a person. Many herbs contain hormones. With improper use of folk medicine, complications often occur that lead to death. Symptoms and treatment of chickenpox in children is a topic that worries many parents. You should be aware that the manifestation of symptoms depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. The treatment process should be controlled only by a doctor.