Chickenpox Chickenpox is a common childhood skin disease that caused by a viral infection. The virus that is involved is called the varicella zoster virus (www.medicinenet.com). The disease has a worldwide distribution and is reported throughout the year in regions of temperature climate. The peak incidence is generally during the month of March through May lifelong immunity for chickenpox generally fellow the disease. Chickenpox is highly contagious it is easily passed between families and school classmates through airborne particle droplets in exhaled air fluid from the blisters or sores. It can be transmitted indirectly by coming into contact with article of clothing and other item exposed to fresh drainage from open sores. Patients are contagious up to five days (more commonly, one to two days), before and five days after the date that their rash appears. When all of the sores have crusted over they are no longer contagious. Before the rash appears children will get a fever, headache, swollen glands and flu like symptoms. Because chickenpox is so contagious there are treatments that you can do at home to relieve the itchy and discomfort. * For the blisters you can apply cool compress, calamine lotion, lotion containing diphenhydramine (Benadryl) should not be used. * A cool water bath every three hours to four hours, you can also add baking soda to the water to calm itching or you can soak in aveeno oatmeal bath to soothe itching blister. (www.emedicinehealth.com). * Trimming fingernails can help prevent infection from scratching the blister. If a small child has been infected you can cover their hands with mitten to prevent them from scratching. * Taking over the counter Benadryl orally can relieve itching. * Treating a fever you can use over the counter Tylenol or Ibuprofen. * If a child develop blister in the mouth