Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. Although the incidence of chickenpox has declined significantly since the development of the chickenpox vaccine, there are still children who develop chickenpox every year, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology. Fortunately, there is a lot parents can do at home to help ease their children’s symptoms.
“The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the vaccine,” said board-certified pediatric dermatologist Sheila Fallon Friedlander, MD, FAAD, a professor of pediatrics and dermatology at the University of California San Diego. “However, if your child still gets chickenpox, there are many ways to relieve his or her symptoms and prevent skin infections.”
