Should my child see a doctor when he gets chickenpox?

[Fiona2011231]

My six-year-old boy got the chickenpox three days ago. I have read that there is hardly anything to be done. You just stay home and wait for the problem to end after one or two weeks.

Does it mean that even if my child sees a doctor, the doctor would be unable to do anything for him?

My sincere thanks,

I think so. We didn't go to the doctor. All the "treatments" are available in supermarkets and are purely to alieviate the itching.

I hope your son is ok - my 2 got it terribly :(

Thank you. So we just let him stay home and wait.

About three weeks ago, we brought him and his younger brother to a pharmacy for chickenpox vaccination. His brother was given the first injection. At the time, my son kept crying and refused to do it. I relented, thinking that he would not get the problem anytime soon.

Now I regret my weakness at that time.

I took my dd to the drs with chicken pox, but only because she got a couple of infected spots and she was prescribed antibiotics, and you will know if they get infected, apart from that just use the usual relief remedies and keep them at home.

Give Virasoothe and Piriton a try.

Worked here.

On the NHS website, they say a child should be kept at home for five days. Then the child can return to school.

Is it usually the case?

Thank you

I think it's contagious until the spots all come out and scab over. I would think may be longer than 5 days.

Not certain though.

they can go back once all of the spots have burst and scabbed over, until they have all scabbed over they are still contagious.

We waited until all the sores had crusted over and my daughter felt a little better. She seemed to get quite "ill" with it and was all floppy on the sofa. It seems to have quite distinct stages. Once they were crusted over she felt a lot better but still looked awful as she was covered in them!

It is worth ringing the drs and telling them he has chicken pox so they can record it on his notes, it can be worth knowing from a medical POV.

No point taking him in though unless he seems very unwell with it, calamine lotion being painted on with paint brushes worked for dd. I think he is not contagious once they spots have scabbed up.