
The first visible sign of chickenpox is usually a rash, but some people experience fatigue and fever 24 hours before the red rash (blisters) appears. Once skin lesions (characterized by red, rashy skin and blisters) appear, chickenpox usually manifests itself with a fever lasting several days, abdominal pain, and general fatigue and malaise. The rash usually appears as flat, red spots that rise up like small pimples.
The rash appears as small blisters called vesicles, which have the appearance of water droplets on a red background. The surface of these vesicles can be easily scratched off, or they can open up and dry out on their own; sometimes this happens within the first hour after they appear. At this stage, the itching can be very intense. Intense itching can increase the urge to scratch the blisters.
Scratching the blisters and leaving them unprotected increases the risk of bacterial infection. The scabs (if not scratched off) fall off within 9–13 days of formation.
The first visible sign of chickenpox is usually a rash, but some people experience fatigue and fever 24 hours before the red rash (blisters) appears. Once skin lesions (characterized by red, rashy skin and blisters) appear, chickenpox usually manifests itself with a fever lasting several days, abdominal pain, and general fatigue and malaise. The rash usually appears as flat, red spots that rise up like small pimples.
The rash appears as small blisters called vesicles, which have the appearance of water droplets on a red background. The surface of these vesicles can be easily scratched off, or they can open up and dry out on their own; sometimes this happens within the first hour after they appear. At this stage, the itching can be very intense. Intense itching can increase the urge to scratch the blisters.
Scratching the blisters and leaving them unprotected increases the risk of bacterial infection. The scabs (if not scratched off) fall off within 9–13 days of formation.