How do I work out whether its chicken pox or something else?

[DoubleYew]

Tonight noticed ds had about 20 small red spots mostly on legs. He fell alseep on my lap after bath while I was trying to get his pjs on - not like him! He has been grumpy and unsettled at night but he's just had a bad cough so I figured it was the aftermath of that. Bit hot too but also been teething.

Someone mentioned to me that impetigo and slapped cheek are going around locally. But it looked to me like Chicken Pox and he was flinching when I touched the spots - I remember from having it at 15 that I had a weird tingly itch when the spots were appearing.

So how do I diagnose and what can I do for him? Plus what are the rules about going out with him?

It wouldn't be impetigo, that is quite differnent, impertigo is an infection i think when bacteria from itching enters a wound, it looks wet and weepy.My dd had it recently.
When my children had chicken pox new spots appeared literally over night, they were covered in them, they had small blistered tops to them, but i always thought it started on the trunk of their bodies? They were always more poorly before getting the spots with cold like syptoms. If you think its chicken pox, buy some calamine lotion to ease the itchyness:) Calpol for temperature and lose fitting clothes.Keep nails trimmed to discourage itching and therefore scaring.
Anyone who hasn't had chicken pox could catch it, its especially dangerous if a pregnant woman has never had chicken pox as can cause miscarriage if exposed, my dd had it when i was pregnant so i had to be tested to see if i was resistant to it.If you or anyone else has already had it you shouldn't catch it again. I called on call doctors who informed me you can't catch shingles from it either, that is when the chicken pox virus lays dormant in your body, so you don't catch it.
Once all the spots have dried up it isn't any longer contagious, although it still doesn't look very nice, i had some funny looks when i took my kids out all spotty. My kids were alot better after 4 or 5 days.Hope this helps.

If it is CP, it is most likely that he'll be covered in spots by morning, and they'll go scabby.

However, DS recently had CP and it took 5 days of "is it, isn't it" from first little cluster of 3 seemingly harmless spots to full blown pox, but when it happened, there was no doubt!

www.webmd.boots.com/children/ss/slideshow-common-childhood-skin-problems

I think chicken pox is quite a distinct rash - I Recall my kids having a big spot followed quickly by many clear fluid filled spots that looked a bit like dew drops on rose petal (only unpleasant and ick). My dcs had a cough about 2 days before the rash started and once I was aware of it, the spots multiplied practically in front of my eyes.

If it it - porridge oats wrapped in a sock fastened with a rubber band. Bung under taps as bath running. Let porridgey gunk seep into bath and at end, squeeze over skin. Very soothing.

When the spots are developed and wet, a tbsp of bicarb in the bath can help dry them out. Lanacaine medicated talc was good. Piriton too.

Thank you all, that is really helpful. We have oats so he can have a soak tomorrow if he's still spotty.