Dr Bernadette Carr is here to answer your questions
Chickenpox is a very common contagious childhood illness and, although it may occur at any age, it is commonest in children under 10.
Around 90% of people who come into contact with it will develop the disease. Most children will catch it and make a full recovery. It is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus which causes fever and a rash of red itchy blister spots and most outbreaks are between March and May. Some children will have a few spots while others may have spots on their entire body. The spots crust over to form scabs and will eventually drop off in a week or two.
Chickenpox is very infectious and is spread by direct person-to- person contact; coughing and sneezing. It is infectious from a few days before the onset of the rash and not more than six days after the first spot appears. It takes seven to 21 days (most commonly 10-14 days) to develop symptoms after catching the virus. The symptoms include:
* A headache.
* A temperature of 38C or more.
* General aches and pain.
* A dry cough and sore throat.
* Feeling sick.
* Loss of appetite.
If your daughter does develop spots or is unwell you do need to bring her to your GP who can make a diagnosis. If the diagnosis is chickenpox, your GP can advise on medication and suggest lotions, cooling gels and antihistamine for the itch.
Your GP will also advise on the length of time your daughter should stay at home to prevent spreading it to other children in the crèche.
Children can become very unwell very quickly so if you become concerned about your daughter then you need to seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Arthritis means inflammation of the joints; osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two types of arthritis. The symptoms of both include pain and stiffness in addition to swelling of the joints but the cause is different.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type and it affects the cartilage which covers the ends of bones and the tissue surrounding the bones. Our bones are repairing constantly because of the wear that they undergo every day.
In some people a problem develops with this process due to either severe wear and tear or a problem with the repair process itself.
The condition develops gradually, people are often unaware of the condition’s progress until they experience pain or restricted movement, factors which can contribute include:
* Age – it is more common in those over 50.
* Women are more likely to develop the condition.
* Family history — if someone in the family already has it.
* Obesity will contribute to osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.
* Previous injury to the bone (fracture) or ligament may contribute to the condition.
The treatment for osteoarthritis is painkillers, anti-inflammatories or steroids and physiotherapy. Lifestyle changes such as losing weight, taking exercise and a healthy diet may help relieve the symptoms. Some people with severe osteoarthritis may need joint replacement surgery.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common form of arthritis; it is also more common in women and develops usually between 40 to 70.
It is an auto- immune disease, antibodies in the body’s immune system are there to attack bacteria, with rheumatoid arthritis the antibodies attack the tissues in the body.
It affects the joints of the fingers, thumbs, wrists, shoulders, feet and ankles and symptoms develop over weeks to months.
Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is the same as for osteoarthritis. Some people respond well to other prescribed anti-rheumatic medications not used to treat osteoarthritis.
Early diagnosis and treatment is important as symptoms can be subtle and slow to develop.
