There are many types of smallpox, how are they treated?

Most people probably only know one form of smallpox, namely chicken pox. Chicken pox or chicken pox is indeed the most common contagious skin disease. Most of the cases of chickenpox occur in children. However, do you know if you are at risk of getting another type of smallpox in the future after recovering from this disease, namely shingles? Yes. There are several other types of smallpox with different levels of severity so that it needs to be watched out.

The type of smallpox caused by varicella-zoster

Viral infection varicella-zoster can cause two types of smallpox, namely chicken pox and shingles or shingles. This virus initially infects the respiratory tract and then spreads in the blood vessels and causes infection in the skin tissue.

Both chickenpox and shingles cause their own characteristic symptoms even though the causes are the same. So that, the treatment steps are also different. How does the same viral infection produce different types of skin diseases?

1. Chicken pox (chicken pox)

The main symptom of chickenpox is the appearance of a skin rash in the form of red spots that cause a strong itching sensation. One to two days before the appearance of the main symptoms, people who are infected with this type of smallpox will first experience fever and flu-like symptoms.

Within a few days the rash will turn into fluid-filled vesicles or loops. The elastic will then deflate into papules before drying out to form a scab.

Chicken pox is a type of disease self-limiting , meaning that this disease infection can heal by itself. The progression of chickenpox until the scab peels off on its own, and within 24 hours no more skin rash appears, usually taking 2-3 weeks.

Chicken pox treatment

Treatment for this type of smallpox aims to shorten the period of infection so that the disease can heal faster, as well as control symptoms. However, this disease can be completely prevented through vaccination.

For early fever symptoms, the use of pain relievers such as acetaminophen can be an option. Meanwhile, antivirals such as acyclovir that focus on inhibiting infection can be given within 24 hours after the first skin rash appears.

The itching sensation caused by this type of smallpox can be very annoying, especially at night, making the sufferer not stop scratching the affected skin. Therefore, doctors usually also give drugs such as antihistamines.

In addition to the use of chickenpox medicine, there are various supportive care steps that can be taken to overcome this disease, one of which is to take a bath with chickenpox using a mixture. oatmeal and baking soda.

2. Shingles (shingles)

This type of chicken pox is also often referred to shingles or shingles caused by a skin rash that is indicated by a bright red color and a spreading pattern that collects and coils in one area of ​​the body.

Many suspect that someone will catch shingles when a person who has been infected with chickenpox is infected for the second time. In fact, shingles is not caused by re-infection of the varicella-zoster virus.

By the time you get chickenpox and recover, the virus doesn't go away from your body. The varicella-zoster virus can live and "sleep" in the nervous system for years before reactivating as shingles.

It is very easy to distinguish between shingles and chickenpox. Apart from the spreading pattern of the rash, this type of chickenpox also causes pain and a burning sensation on the skin. This condition is caused by damage to nerve cells due to re-activation of the virus.

Shingles treatment

This type of smallpox is generally experienced by people aged over 60 years. However, people who have a persistently weakened immune system, such as pregnant women and people with HIV / AIDS are also at high risk of developing shingles.

In addition to using antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, to relieve pain, shingles treatment is usually combined with corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone and analgesics. The dose required will be adjusted by the doctor according to the severity of the pain.

The type of smallpox from the pox virus family

Viruses of the genus Orthopoxvirus that cause smallpox (smallpox), monkey pox and molluscum contangiosum cause the main symptoms of a skin disease similar to chickenpox.

These three smallpox diseases are actually not common in Indonesia, in fact, one of its types was declared extinct by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the late 1980s.

Unlike chickenpox and shingles which commonly affect certain age groups, this type of smallpox can harm anyone. Each has specific disease criteria, generally distinguished by symptoms.

Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases before the vaccine was found, monkey pox has a serious disease severity, while molluscum contangiosum has the potential to become a sexually transmitted disease when it attacks the genitals.

The following is an explanation of the symptoms, causes, and ways of handling the three types of smallpox.

1. Smallpox (smallpox)

The virus that causes smallpox or smallpox is variola. The main characteristic of smallpox is the spread of boils or pus-filled blisters all over the body. Symptoms are similar to chickenpox, not infrequently the two are often confused.

However, this type of smallpox has been declared extinct since 1980. The last recorded case of this disease was in Africa in 1977. Previously, smallpox had become a dangerous epidemic that claimed many lives since the 18th century.

The elimination of smallpox is one of the great achievements in the medical world, this is inseparable from the incessant smallpox vaccine program that has been carried out for decades. The smallpox vaccine was the first vaccine produced to stop a disease caused by a viral infection.

There is no specific treatment for this type of smallpox. Although the vaccine can be relied upon for the prevention of similar diseases, nowadays the smallpox vaccine may be difficult to obtain due to the scarcity of this type of smallpox.

2.Monkey pox (monkeypox)

Aka monkey pox monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by a rare viral infection. This virus is a zoonotic virus or virus of animal origin. Previously monkeys were the main hosts of viruses monkeypox . Therefore, this disease is called monkey pox.

The symptoms of this disease are generally similar to those of smallpox (smallpox), but accompanied by health problems such as fever, blistered skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes in the armpits.

From the cases of monkey pox that were found. Transmission of this type of smallpox initially took place from direct and indirect contact between humans and infected wild animals.

Meanwhile, transmission of monkey pox between humans is thought to occur through direct contact with skin lesions, body fluids, mucosal droplets released when sneezing and coughing, and exposure to material contaminated with monkey pox virus.

The dangers of this disease can be effectively prevented through vaccines. Meanwhile, antivirals for the treatment of chickenpox are still being studied in a further manner. The types of cidofovir or tecovirimate have so far been effective antivirals that have helped cure in some cases. The smallpox vaccine can help prevent this type of smallpox.

3. Molluscum contangiosum

Molluscum contagiosum infection causes a red rash or rash. The nodules are usually 2-5 mm in size with a spot in the middle.

These small nodules can appear on the skin on any part of the body affected by the virus, such as on the face, eyelids, armpits, body, and thighs (groin). Unlike other types of smallpox, this symptom does not appear on the palms, soles of the feet and mouth.

The appearance of the bumps is usually not accompanied by inflammation, unless you scratch the affected skin, the symptoms of the bumps will spread in a row pattern, this condition is called a crop.

If this type of smallpox appears on the eyelids, it can cause symptoms of pink eye disease which is also contagious.

Molluscum contagiosum will go away on its own after a few weeks. This type of smallpox usually leaves no marks.