Children under 10 years old are the main target of chicken pox. Adults can catch chicken pox as well, but this is very rare. Once you have had chicken pox, you can not develop it again. However, if you have not had chicken pox by the time you were ten, then things do not look so good. Older children and adults that develop chicken pox risk more severe complications. Winter and spring are the most common seasons for chicken pox. There are also some people that are more vulnerable to chicken pox than others. For example kids that are immunosuppressed or newborns are especially vulnerable to chicken pox.
Chicken Pox- Symptoms
The symptoms of Chickenpox is worse in adults than children. Complications are most common among the older age group. Serious and widespread dissemination of the disease can occur in patients who are immunosuppressed e.g patients with leukemia, lymphoma, HIV and Transplant patients. The lungs and brain may get involved causing pneumonia or encephlitis.
Chicken pox is a disease that affects mainly children. It is contagious and can be spread even through air. The main way of chicken pox transmission is by direct contact with the person infected by chicken pox. Like many other disease, chicken pox also has symptoms. These signs will appear about three weeks after infection with the virus that causes chicken pox. The reason for this is because the chicken pox virus has an incubation period. The proper medical term fro chicken pox is actually varicella, because the name of the virus that causes this children' s disease is called varicella zoster.
Some of the chicken pox symptoms are quite characteristic. However, many of the other symptoms of this skin problem are similar to many other skin conditions. It is important to examine the chickenpox symptoms below to ensure that the problem is actually chicken pox and not some other illness. When in doubt, contact a physician or skin doctor to properly diagnose the condition.
Causes of Chickenpox
Chickenpox occurs mostly during the end of the winter and the beginning of the spring. It generally affects children aged from 2 to 8 and can take the form of epidemics.
The symptoms of chickenpox are: fever, itchy, red bumps that transform into round blisters with a red base. These blisters will form a crust and will eventually dry. For at least 5 days the infected person should not get into close contact with people that have not suffered from chickenpox and children should not go to school because they can infect others. Pregnant women who have made chickenpox before are safe and so is their baby. If she has not made chickenpox and got in contact with an infected person, the doctor can administer antibodies of chickenpox within 4 days of a possible contamination. After the dry scabs form the rate of contamination will decrease.
Posted in: Chicken Pox
Related Post:
Widget by [ Iptek-4u ]
