Varicella (chickenpox)
A highly infectious viral disease, known familiarly as chickenpox. (In many countries, this disease is always called “varicella.”)
Chickenpox has nothing at all to do with chicken. The name was meant to distinguish this “weak” form of the pox from smallpox. “Chicken” is used here, as in “chickenhearted,” to mean weak or timid. The “pox” of chickenpox is no major matter unless it becomes infected (through scratching) or occurs in a person with an immunodeficiency
However, there can be very major problems from chickenpox including pneumonia and encephalitis. Reactivation of the same herpes virus is responsible for shingles (zoster). Chickenpox is responsible for more deaths than measles (rubeola), mumps, whooping cough (pertussis) and H. flu (Haemophilus influenzae type B) meningitis combined. Contrary to what many people believe, chickenpox is by no means a mild disease.
The current aim in the U.S. is to achieve universal (or come as close as possible to universal) immunization of children with the chickenpox vaccine. The rationale for childhood chickenpox vaccination is not just to protect the children but also to protect everyone with whom they come in contact, including adults (who can die from the chickenpox) and pregnant women (so that the unborn baby does not get chickenpox).
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See Chickenpox immunization.
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Varicella (chickenpox) is characterized by a rash, often the first sign of the disease. The rash of chickenpox develops in crops with raised red spots arriving first, progressing to blisters that burst, creating open sores, before crusting over. This process usually starts on the scalp, then the trunk (its area of greatest concentration), and finally […]
- Varicella vaccination
See Chickenpox immunization.
- Varicocele
Elongation and enlargement of veins within the network of veins (pampiniform plexus) that leave the testis to form the testicular vein. A varicocele appears bluish through the scrotum, feels like a bag of worms, and can cause pain or discomfort.
- Varicose vein
A vein that has enlarged and twisted, often appearing as a bulging, blue blood vessel that is clearly visible through the skin. Varicose veins are most common in older adults, particularly women, and occur especially on the legs. Varicose veins can cause cramping pain and movement problems, or they may simply be a cosmetic concern. […]