Can chickenpox appear a second time? Chickenpox in adults re-infection

Chicken pox happens only once in a lifetime - most people live with this statement, but practice shows the opposite. In medicine, cases have been described in which chickenpox was re-diagnosed. However, the opinion of experts still differs: some say that the diagnosis was incorrectly made, while others say that you can get sick again under the influence of a combination of negative factors. Such cases are rare. The majority of people have experienced the disease only once.

Does chickenpox happen twice?

Chickenpox develops due to the penetration of the herpes virus type 3 into the human body. Another name for the pathogen is varicella zoster. After illness, the patient develops a strong immunity to infection.

In most cases, the disease is observed in childhood. Up to 7 years, it is easy, recovery occurs faster, and there are no complications. In adults, chickenpox is characterized severe course, the emergence negative consequences.

Once a virus enters the body, it remains there forever, even after recovery. The pathogen is latent, does not cause pathological activity, and therefore does not manifest itself in any way. On the question of whether it is possible to get chickenpox again, scientists are still debating and have not come to one conclusion.

Their opinions are radically different:

Some believe that it is impossible to get chickenpox a second time. All diagnoses that confirm the development of chickenpox 2 times are erroneous. After all, some diseases provoked by the same pathogen cause similar clinical manifestations. There are differences in rashes, but in most cases doctors do not prescribe laboratory research, since the rash is characteristic of chickenpox. As a result, an incorrect diagnosis;
Other doctors believe that you only get chickenpox once. However, in adulthood, the virus can lead to shingles. Since the pathogen is the same, the pathology is the same, only the clinical manifestations are slightly different;
Third opinion of doctors When asked whether it is possible to get sick again, the answer is positive. They argue that the virus is capable of “waking up” under the influence of harmful circumstances and causing secondary infection. This occurs 10-20 years after the first illness. At the same time, the probability of the virus mutation in the body is noted.

Conclusion: there is no exact answer to the question of whether it is possible to get chickenpox a second time. Wherein reinfection It is not 100% denied, so there is a possibility.

Who is sick for the second time?

Objectively speaking, developing chickenpox a second time is a minimal probability. People with a history of the disease acquire stable immunity to the development of pathology. But if the activity of the immune system is disrupted, immunity to the virus can be leveled, which leads to a secondary disease.

Persons at risk include:

People with a history of human immunodeficiency virus.
Cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy.
Patients suffering from two or more chronic diseases who have been taking potent medications for a long period of time.
Women during pregnancy.
Patients with chronic anemia.

As already noted, it is possible to become infected with chickenpox twice. However, it is possible that an adult develops herpes zoster - an exacerbation caused by provoking factors, as a result of which the immune status, and the “dormant” herpes virus wakes up and becomes active.

Secondary infection is characterized by a severe course; complications of varying degrees of severity are almost always present. If a characteristic rash is detected during pregnancy in the first trimester, doctors recommend terminating the pregnancy. Since there is a high probability of intrauterine development disorders.

Clinical manifestations of re-infection

As with primary infection, everything begins with a deterioration in health. There is weakness, general malaise, and headache. The temperature rises, but only slightly, or remains within normal limits.

Worth knowing: if you are infected with chickenpox for the first time by airborne droplets from the patient, then reinfection comes “from within” the body due to a malfunction of the immune system.

Rashes on the body appear 2-4 days after the first signs of deterioration appear general well-being. Re-infection is characterized by multiple rashes affecting the entire body. At the same time, the duration of the rash increases to 9 days.

If re-infection with chickenpox occurs, the development mechanism is as follows:

Deterioration of general condition;
The appearance of bubbles with liquid contents;
Maturation of blisters, formation of ulcers;
The appearance of crusts, subsequent falling off.

The duration of the rash is determined by the state of the patient’s immune system. The weaker a person is, the longer a new rash occurs and the more severe the disease.

If we take the clinic of herpes zoster as a basis and answer the question whether it is possible to become infected with chickenpox 2 times, negatively, then the manifestations are as follows:

Painful sensations, itching and burning at the site of the future rash.
The appearance of blisters in the affected area - arm, leg, side, etc.

Unlike chickenpox, lichen affects only one area of the skin. In this case, the bubbles line up in a chain, they are filled clear liquid, pus or blood, depending on the severity of the pathology.

With herpes zoster, the rash is one-sided; recurrent rashes are not detected unless the lesion is moved to another part of the body.

The danger of recurrent chickenpox

The relevance of the question of how many times people get chickenpox is justified. Since in childhood the disease passes relatively easily, but in adults, repeated infection with chickenpox leads to various complications.

At adequate therapy Secondary chickenpox has a low risk of complications. But the development of negative consequences cannot be ruled out:

Visual impairment. If the virus penetrates the cornea, rashes appear on the eyelids and the whites of the organs of vision. Afterwards, scars form that lead to partial or complete loss of vision;
Encephalitis, meningitis. If herpes affects the membrane of the cerebral hemispheres, coordination of movements is impaired, and there is a risk of irreversible complications;
Development of arthritis. Often the consequences are temporary. As soon as the last rashes disappear, inflammatory processes in the joints are leveled out.
In pregnant women, elderly people age group pneumonia develops. If the infection is not stopped in time, malfunctions in the functioning of the kidneys, liver, etc. are detected. internal organs and systems.

Even if you answer the question whether you can have chickenpox twice in a lifetime and say no, this does not detract from the fact that shingles has dangerous consequences, since the disease develops and occurs against a background of low immune status.

Shingles is a dangerous infection motor nerves, which leads to the development of paralysis, movement disorders; is fraught with pneumonia, hepatitis, problems with duodenum, bladder and etc.

For your information, the most common consequence of lichen (in 40% of patients) is painful sensations even after recovery, which persist for several months or years.

How to prevent a second chickenpox?

Re-infection with chickenpox can be prevented. Unfortunately, simple measures will not help with this; vaccination will be required. This manipulation not necessarily, is a recommendation for persons at risk.

To eliminate the possibility of having chickenpox twice in the presence of provoking factors, an injection of herpes virus antibodies is needed. It is carried out regardless of the person’s age and medical history.

Positive aspects of the procedure:

Preventing a second occurrence of chickenpox, shingles.
Prevention of autoimmune pathologies caused by chickenpox.

Vaccination is not recommended in childhood. Vaccinating young children does not guarantee that they will not develop chickenpox in adulthood.

So, how many times can you get chickenpox? Some doctors say that it happened once, while others do not rule out re-infection. However, the second option is rare; most people get sick only once. In this case, shingles can be mistaken for chickenpox, which further reduces the likelihood of secondary infection. If there is a risk - immunodeficiency, AIDS, oncology, vaccination will prevent secondary chickenpox and shingles. If the immune system works fully, then the likelihood of infection is reduced to zero.

Getting chickenpox twice is the exception rather than the norm. This infectious disease is considered to be a childhood disease and, as a rule, occurs in childhood. After recovery, a strong immunity is formed in the body, as doctors have always said. But the features of education immune defense to chickenpox, have not been fully studied. Is it possible for an adult to get chickenpox a second time? Let's try to figure it out.

Possible re-infection?

The virus that causes chickenpox enters the human body through airborne droplets. Having provoked a disease, it remains in the body forever. It is not enough for a recurrence of the disease, but it is enough for the constant production of antibodies to it.

Experts believe that it is the remaining virus that causes a disease such as shingles in adults. Unlike chickenpox, it can appear once, but many times. However, repeated cases of infection do occur. But this is more an exception to the rule than the norm. A person who had chickenpox as a child may get it again. Symptoms, incubation period, all features will be similar to the previous period of the disease, but the disease occurs in mild form, and does not threaten complications.

Who is susceptible to infection?

Re-infection, according to statistics, occurs in adults after 25 years of age.

Re-infection, according to statistics, occurs in 5 to 20% of all cases. These are mainly adults over 25 years of age, although cases of infection in adolescents cannot be ruled out. As a rule, antibodies to a previous disease remain in the body forever. But there have been cases of their disappearance after 5 years. Therefore, repeated chickenpox returns for the second time mainly 10-20 years after it primary manifestation.

Reasons for repetition

The source of its appearance a second time may be a weakened immune system. Operations, severe stress, transfer complex diseases– fertile ground for re-infection.

Symptoms

If you have had contact with an infected person and signs of illness appear, contact a specialist. The symptoms of the disease that appears in adulthood are no different from those suffered in childhood. Sometimes an adult has a stronger headache and a higher temperature than a child.
Asymptomatic disease occurs, but this is a rare case. Rather, one of the signs may be absent or the clinical picture may be blurred.

There is an opinion that if a child suffered an illness without visible signs, you will definitely get infected a second time. This is a big misconception. It all starts with pain in the head, and sometimes soreness in the throat. Then the temperature rises, fatigue and general bad feeling. Characteristic rashes appear only 2-3 days after the initial signs. The secondary rash is less in number than the first time and appears within 2-7 days. The disease develops according to the following scheme:

Loss of appetite, increased temperature, poor health.
Rash with watery head. There is clear or cloudy water inside. When the rash appears, the skin becomes very itchy and itchy.
Once ripe, small blisters begin to burst, forming ulcers.
The ulcer gradually becomes covered with a crust.

You cannot pick off the crusts; they must dry out on their own and fall off.

The secondary manifestation of the disease from onset to recovery takes from 14 to 21 days. In this case, the immune system plays important role. If it is weakened, the number of days for acne to appear increases, and the recovery period is accordingly delayed.
The signs of shingles, which is mistaken for chickenpox, are significantly different:

the first to appear is itching and pain in the place where pimples will subsequently appear;
the rash does not cover the entire body of an adult, they are concentrated only in one place (side, leg);
blisters are arranged in a chain;
the heads of pimples can be filled with fluid, pus or blood, which depends on the complexity of the disease;
the appearance of the rash does not last for several days, everything happens at one time, and spread to other areas occurs only when an infection occurs.

In both the first and second cases, the patient feels unwell. Links two diseases severe itching and pain. Besides, appearance unpleasant and may leave scars. The infection is easily transmitted, as we have seen, even for those who have already had it. Therefore, it is necessary to limit live communication with others during repeated exacerbation of the disease.

Chickenpox infection occurs through airborne droplets. – 7 days, and at this time the carrier is already contagious. Infection does not necessarily occur during initial contact and not all contacts may become ill.

In what cases can you get chickenpox a second time? There are several factors that can affect re-infection:

Immunity impairment. In childhood, it may be associated with vaccination or previous illness.
Frequent stay in children's team. A lot of infections are transmitted from child to child. Kid visiting kindergarten or developmental activities are more susceptible to infection, as are adults who have frequent and close contact with children.
The period after chemotherapy. Infection occurs against the background of weakening of the entire body.
During pregnancy.
During treatment with hormones.
For HIV.
After undergoing organ transplantation.
For oncological diseases.

If there was light form primary chickenpox without the formation of bubbles, and immunity to the virus has not formed.

Symptoms and features of re-infection

On forums you can find many user messages that they or their children got chickenpox for the second time. Basically, people are accustomed to believing that if they have chickenpox in childhood, it will not happen to them again.

Therefore, when they discover symptoms of the disease in adulthood, they are lost and do not know what to do. It is important to find a competent doctor who will confirm the diagnosis and give recommendations.

What should you be wary of?

A sharp increase in body temperature to a high level.
Heavy rashes - blisters - all over the body: the rash can appear on the feet, palms, ears, mouth, eyes and under the hair.
The rashes are more prominent than during the primary infection.
Unbearable itching.
Headache, dizziness.
Loss of appetite, severe weakness.
Severe treatment, up to 20 days.

Secondary infection in adults is much more difficult than in children.

The child has the same symptoms. By changes in the baby's behavior and condition, parents will understand that something is wrong. The first thing you need to do is call a doctor at home to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Signs of re-infection with chickenpox in children

The child suddenly becomes lethargic and irritable.
Body temperature rises.
Rashes in the form of blisters begin to appear on the body, which the baby scratches furiously. The rash quickly spreads to all parts of the body.
An aversion to food appears.
Headache, nausea, and joint aches may occur.
Inflammation of the throat mucosa and enlargement of the lymph nodes may occur.

One of the main criteria for diagnosing chickenpox is a rash on the scalp. Typically, the spread of bubbles throughout the body begins from there.

Herpes zoster as a manifestation of secondary chickenpox

In adults, the signs of the secondary manifestation of chickenpox are very similar to the manifestation of herpes zoster. It is much less common in children. This is also a herpes infection with symptoms similar to chickenpox. And it can be infected several times.

A characteristic symptom of the disease is signs of general intoxication. Only a doctor can diagnose shingles.

The main differences between the symptoms of secondary chickenpox and herpes zoster:

The nature of the rash. With chickenpox, they are heterogeneous, located chaotically throughout the body and last up to 7 days. Herpes zoster is characterized by homogeneous rashes, localized in certain places, and appearing within a day, and then stopping.
A repeated wave of rashes is possible with chickenpox, but not with shingles.
The sensations from the rashes vary: with chickenpox they are very itchy, and the second type of disease also adds burning and pain.
Duration of the disease.

Chicken pox most often lasts from 10 to 20 days, shingles - up to 4 weeks.

Possible diagnostic errors

What is the probability of setting misdiagnosis? There are several types herpetic infections, manifested by rashes on the skin and mucous membranes. Therefore, cases of misdiagnosis cannot be excluded. It all depends on the competence of the doctor and laboratory technician conducting the analysis.

A personal examination of the patient by a specialist with a survey of the patient or his relatives is important. Ideally, when a rash appears, you should contact an infectious disease specialist: this specialist doctor will evaluate the nature of the rash, the accompanying symptoms, and determine whether it is chickenpox or another type of herpes.

In complex, difficult to diagnose cases, the patient may be prescribed serological tests for the presence of antibodies to herpes, which causes chickenpox. One of the most reliable methods today is PCR. To carry out the analysis, blood is drawn in the morning on an empty stomach.

Treatment methods for recurrent chickenpox

There is no specific thing, both at the first manifestation and at the repeated one. After confirming the diagnosis by a doctor, efforts should be directed toward treating symptoms and alleviating the patient’s condition.

First of all, you should be patient, because the recurrence of chickenpox is most often long-lasting. Medicines and their dosage is prescribed by an infectious disease specialist. If you follow his recommendations, you can significantly reduce the symptoms.

High temperatures are brought down with antipyretics. Nurofen and Panadol are effective for children. Adults can take medications based on paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Used to reduce itching antihistamines : Fenistil, Diazolin, Zyrtec, Zodak and others.
Adults are often prescribed antiherpetic drug Acyclovir and its analogues.
Sami rashes can be lubricated with products based on zinc oxide, for example, the Tsindol suspension has proven its effectiveness. Many mothers choose it to lubricate blisters on the baby’s body instead of the usual brilliant green.
The most unpleasant manifestation of chickenpox is mouth ulcers. The mucous membrane is treated in turn with hydrogen peroxide and rivanol until the rash disappears completely.
Already ripe crusts on the body are smeared with Vaseline or a rich cream (like F 99) so that they fall off faster.
If chickenpox is accompanied by an infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

During the period of illness, you need to follow a gentle diet and completely eliminate:

spicy, fried,
fat meat,
coffee,
potentially allergenic products(chocolate, citrus fruits, nuts, seafood, chicken).

It is prohibited to go outside and visit crowded places. Until then, new rashes do not stop, the patient is contagious, and he should not have contact with people. It is important to ventilate the room well.

Opinion of doctors and patients

Doctors, including Dr. Komarovsky, note that children under 12 years of age most often suffer from chickenpox. Older children and adults suffer the disease much more severely, and repeated infection with chickenpox always has even more pronounced symptoms.

For the treatment of chickenpox in adults, Komarovsky recommends taking antiherpetic drugs and under no circumstances using aspirin to avoid complications with the liver.

Doctors' answers regarding infection during pregnancy are disappointing. In this case, there is a high risk of having a child with pathologies. Therefore, it is important to contact a specialist in a timely manner who will provide treatment with a specific immunoglobulin.

When treating chickenpox, most mothers still prefer brilliant green, believing that it relieves itching and disinfects. Dr. Komarovsky notes that brilliant green solution is useless for treating chickenpox. They use it simply to track the cessation of new rashes in time. Every morning, the mother smears new blisters with brilliant green, and when it turns out that there are no more fresh ulcers, we can assume that after 5 days the child will no longer be contagious.

Chickenpox greatly undermines the immune system, so it is better for children who have been ill not to go to kindergarten for at least three weeks. And for adults, put all their efforts into maintaining immunity: take vitamins, eat right and healthy image life.

Doctors' advice on how to avoid getting chickenpox a second time boils down to the following:

You can get vaccinated, but the vaccine only lasts for a decade, then you need to be vaccinated again. Dr. Komarovsky does not consider this vaccination mandatory.
Maintain immunity, especially in autumn and spring: drink vitamins, immunomodulators, exercise, walk more fresh air and receive full treatment for any ARVI.

Many people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to become infected with chickenpox a second time if a person suffered from this disease in childhood.

Chickenpox is commonly called chicken pox. This disease is highly contagious and is very easily transmitted from a sick person to in a healthy way airborne transmission. This disease is considered common in childhood. It is generally accepted that in the process of experiencing a disease in childhood, a person develops a strong immunity to this disease. However, it is worth noting that there are some exceptions to this rule. Therefore, the question of whether people get chickenpox again is not meaningless.

For some categories of the population, the question of whether it is possible to become infected with chickenpox a second time is very relevant. In medical practice, cases of re-infection in Lately began to meet often.

To study the likelihood of re-infection, you need to know what a disease such as chickenpox is and what its characteristic symptoms are.

Chickenpox - characteristics of the disease

It is difficult for an adult body to cope with an emerging infection, since a person is practically defenseless against the virus attacking him. Very often, during the development of the disease, an adult experiences the appearance of pain in the throat; in some cases, convulsions may occur, and the disease itself lasts a longer time.

Chickenpox is classified as a type of illness that is characterized by its own course and gradual subsidence.

Important! Chicken pox is a very common disease, the course of the disease is not very complicated even when infected child's body It heals quite quickly.You need to know that this disease can cause quite noticeable discomfort in a child, which is reflected in a deterioration in the general well-being and condition of the body.

One open question is how exactly the chickenpox pathogen spreads between people. Massive and rapid infection of children occurs if a sick child is in large group children in indoors. In this case, the probability of infection of all children in the group approaches 100%.

Herpesovirus, which is the causative agent of chickenpox, is highly contagious. The conditions most suitable for its rapid spread are closed premises with a large concentration of children or people, influenced viruses. In some cases, infection may occur healthy person from a patient in an open space, since the virus can spread up to 20 m from the source of infection. Under appropriate conditions, a child can become infected with chickenpox from an adult suffering from herpes zoster, since the causative agent of these ailments is one type of herpesovirus.

There is a widespread belief among doctors that after chickenpox the virus is localized in the spinal tissues in a dormant state, and when it occurs favorable conditions he is able to wake up, which can provoke re-infection with chickenpox. In addition, activation of the virus from a dormant state can provoke the development of such unpleasant disease, like shingles. Most often, you can get chickenpox again as an adult.

Development of repeated itching

A rash that occurs during the development of chickenpox in the body for the second time indicates active processes of inflammation in the vessels of the surface layer of the skin. During the incubation period for the development of the disease, the herpesovirus is transported from the site of penetration - from the epithelium respiratory system into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Through these systems, the pathogen reaches the surface layer of the skin; in addition, through the circulatory and lymphatic systems, the pathogen penetrates into all organs.

Today, experts identify several forms and varieties of chickenpox:

- light form;
- moderate form of the disease;
- severe form;
- hidden atypical form;
- gangrenous form;
- hemorrhagic;
- generalized form.

Important! Secondarily, a person most often develops severe and moderate forms of the disease

Patients who develop these forms of the disease experience severe weakness and malaise; in addition, a person with chickenpox is susceptible to rapid fatigue. Additionally, sleep disturbance, deterioration in the overall health of the body and a significant increase in general body temperature may occur.

Is it possible to get chickenpox a second time?

Chickenpox in childhood is normal occurrence for a person. During the course of the disease, a strong immunity is formed in the body, which can persist throughout life.

The development of chickenpox is accompanied by severe rashes on the surface of the skin, the resulting rash causes severe itching. The problem is that you cannot scratch the areas affected by the rash. Damage to the resulting rash blisters can provoke the penetration of a more serious infection into the body, which will provoke the development of complications.

Chickenpox is severe in adolescents and older people.

Many parents, after their children have had chickenpox, are interested in the question of whether it is possible to become infected with chickenpox a second time. There is no clear answer to this question, but it is worth noting the fact that there are cases of re-infection.

People interested in the question of whether it is possible to get chickenpox again should familiarize themselves with the statistical data obtained by doctors recently, and they answer in the affirmative the question of whether people get chickenpox again. The fact is that, according to medical statistics, up to 20% of people who suffered from this disease in childhood are re-infected with chickenpox. In adulthood, a person suffers this illness more severely than in childhood. Particularly dangerous is chickenpox, which develops again in old age.

Main symptom recurrent chickenpox is the appearance of a characteristic rash on the skin. When chickenpox develops in an adult, symptoms such as:

- weakness;
- increased general temperature;
- pain in muscle tissue and joints.

These characteristic symptoms When a person is re-infected, diseases manifest themselves more strongly than when a child is infected. In some cases, when the disease develops in a child, these symptoms may be almost invisible. The incubation period for the development of chickenpox during re-infection of the body lasts 21 days.

Under what conditions does chickenpox re-infection occur?

Those who are wondering whether chickenpox can be repeated in the body should remember that the course of the disease in an adult is more severe compared to the course of the infection in a child.

When a person is re-infected with chickenpox, severe itching occurs in the areas of the skin where the rash forms.

Although chickenpox is a common childhood disease and many children develop it, there is a high risk of re-development illness in later life.

Does chickenpox happen again? Most doctors answer this question in the affirmative. Re-infection occurs if a person has poor immunity and weak body resistance to infection.

Most often, when chickenpox is re-infected, the disease is very severe. The blisters that form on the surface of the skin are larger in size compared to the blisters that form during primary chickenpox. The inflammatory process is more pronounced.

When the body is re-infected with the chickenpox pathogen, all signs and symptoms appear with a vengeance, and the disease itself becomes more severe.

The clinical manifestations of repeated chickenpox have significant differences. The disease is called herpes zoster. After a person has recovered from this disease, the body develops a strong immunity to the causative agent of the disease, which lasts throughout life. When examining the question of whether re-infection with chickenpox is possible, it should be noted that the recurrence of the disease is possible in people who have a certain predisposition to developing this disease.

The insidiousness of infection with herpesovirus, which causes recurrent chickenpox in adulthood

A person who is repeatedly infected with chickenpox experiences a significant deterioration in health, and in addition there is a significant decrease in appetite. The body of a sick person is exposed increased influence inflammatory process happening in the body. In this case, an increase in temperature and the appearance of blisters are observed, which fill with liquid contents in the affected areas of the skin. After ripening, the blisters rupture and small ulcers form.

Over time, the places where blisters and sores form begin to dry out. A crust forms on the surface, it comes off after a while, and normal skin forms at the site of ulceration. The duration of repeated chickenpox is 20 days. The duration and complexity of repeated chickenpox is greatly influenced by the state of a person’s immunity. The weaker the body's immune system, the more a long period blisters appear and mature.

If shingles develops, the patient experiences severe pain and burning in the area where blisters subsequently form. A rash at the site of the burning sensation appears some time after the onset of the disease.

The location of herpes zoster is side surface torso, legs or arms. This disease is quite complex, and this is due to the fact that people suffer from the disease in adulthood, children are not susceptible to this disease.

Chickenpox has always been considered a childhood illness, so if a child once had chickenpox in childhood, then the question of whether it is possible to become infected with chickenpox again is not idle, especially if the illness in childhood was mild, and the likelihood that in the child’s body I did not have time to form a stable immunity to the virus, it is minimal.

Attention! Chicken pox in an adult can provoke the development serious complications, the occurrence of which is due to the fact that every adult organism has varying degrees security.

Treatment of recurrent chickenpox

It is worth noting that the healing process of the body can be significantly accelerated, and unpleasant symptoms, accompanying the development of the disease, reduce. Relieving the severity of symptoms helps to stop the disease. Very often, doctors are asked how to reduce the symptoms of the disease and which remedies are the most effective.

To alleviate the condition during the peak period of development of the disease, it is recommended to reduce body temperature, trying to keep it within normal parameters. For this purpose, you can use various antipyretics, such as Paracetamol. The use of Paracetamol is also justified from the point of view of the fact that this drug has anti-inflammatory properties.

To neutralize the pain and itching that occurs during the formation of a rash characteristic of chickenpox, you can use lubricant skin rashes brilliant green 1 time per day. Fukortsin solution can be used to lubricate the rash.

When developing especially severe conditions recommended for use during medical procedures antiviral drugs, which are capable of significantly stopping the development and spread of herpes virus in the body. This may be Gerpevir, available in tablets and capsules, or Acyclovir. The use of Diazolin also allows you to significantly reduce the manifestations of general symptoms and prevents the development of swelling in the body.

In addition, to speed up the healing process, it is recommended to use such drugs as Tavegil and Suprastin. These drugs have little hypnotic effect and soothe itching.

Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the herpes virus Varicella Zoster. The pathogen is transmitted from one infected person to another through airborne droplets. The pathology is acute in nature and occurs with pronounced symptoms: vesicular rash, high temperature, fever, etc. It is believed that a person who has had chickenpox has lifelong immunity against of this disease. However, this is not entirely true. IN in rare cases Doctors note re-infection with chickenpox in patients.

Chicken pox is acute reaction immune system to the introduction of the V.Zoster virus into the body. The disease is highly contagious, that is, it is easily transmitted from one sick person to another. The pathogen enters the body by embedding itself in the mucous membranes.

The disease normally occurs in several main stages:

Infection and incubation period. At this time, the virus integrates into epithelial cells and begins to multiply rapidly. Clinical symptoms are absent, the patient’s health is normal.
Initial symptoms of the disease. The pathogen enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. The human immune system begins to produce antibodies to destroy the virus. This process is accompanied by deterioration of well-being, pain in muscles and joints.
Acute phase. The virus gets into the endings nerve cells and is built into them. During the same period, the patient develops a characteristic vesicular rash, which is a specific reaction of the body to the presence of Varicella Zoster.
Recovery phase. The number of rashes gradually decreases, the patient's condition noticeably improves.

This is how chickenpox occurs in a first-time patient. In people who have already had chickenpox, the pathology can manifest itself with atypical symptoms and lead to a number of complications. The most common are:

stomatitis or gingivitis;
otitis;
pneumonia;
nephritis;
pain of unknown etiology;
arthritis;
hemorrhagic smallpox - the appearance of a rash with bloody exudate.

Attention! Chicken pox also occurs severely in people over 18-20 years of age who become ill for the first time. To avoid the development of pathology, it is recommended to resort to vaccination as a preventive measure.

Formation of immunity

After the first reaction to penetration into cells nervous system Varicella Zoster The immune system begins to produce immunoglobulins. These are specific structures aimed at identifying and neutralizing various pathogens. Immunoglobulins destroy viruses and body cells that have been damaged by the action of the pathogen. After infectious process stopped in the body, most antibodies die. However, a small part of them mutate and become so-called memory cells. These are structures that allow the body to recognize Varicella Zoster and immediately destroy the virus if it begins to become active.

In some people, for a number of reasons, the immune system is completely unable to produce memory cells, or they die several months or years after having chickenpox. In this case, the patient may get chickenpox again if he encounters an infectious carrier of the virus.

Attention! Science has not yet been able to establish for what reasons some people lose the memory cells responsible for developing immunity to chickenpox. IN medical practice There have been several cases where patients contracted chickenpox more than 3-4 times.

Is it possible to get chickenpox again?

In most cases, people who have had chickenpox once are no longer at risk of contracting this infection. However, in approximately 3-5% of cases, patients get it again. Relapse of the pathology occurs against the background of a depressed state of the immune system. The developed immunity to chickenpox is non-sterile. This means that after past illness not only does the person remain immune to chickenpox, but the virus itself continues to exist in the patient’s body. The pathogen is in spinal ganglia, that is, in the endings of nerve cells. In most cases, the virus remains inactive in cells and continues to exist for decades.

It is due to the fact that pathogens are located in the cells of the nervous tissue that the immune system continues to constantly produce antibodies to them. Re-infection with chickenpox is possible in two cases:

Immunity produces an insufficient amount antibodies, as a result of which the virus that has entered the body from the outside begins to actively multiply.
Varicella Zoster is activated due to a sharp weakening of the human immune system. IN to the greatest extent Elderly people are susceptible to this.

Attention! Cases of repeated chickenpox occur in adults in more than 80% of cases, but children can also become infected again. This indicates that the child’s immune system is suppressed due to some other, more severe pathology. In addition, symptoms similar to chickenpox can occur with a number of other diseases: scabies, allergies, dermatitis, etc.

Video - Is it possible to get chickenpox again?

Chicken pox and herpes zoster

Varicella Zoster is capable of causing two diseases with similar clinical picture and etiology: chickenpox and herpes zoster. If chickenpox affects in most cases children, lichen most often develops in adults or the elderly. Both pathologies have the following symptoms:

The onset of the disease is acute: the patient complains of sharp violation well-being, headache, fatigue. On examination, febrile fever up to 39-39.5°C is noted.
After 12-48 hours, vesicles form on the patient’s skin and epithelium - small pock-shaped vesicles filled with transparent or whitish content.

A characteristic difference between lichen and chickenpox is that the rashes with herpes zoster are located along the nerve trunks, which is caused by damage to cell processes by the virus. Vesicles are usually localized in the intercostal space, collar area, neck and cheekbones. The rash that has formed gives the patient intense pain, which can only be relieved with the use of local and general analgesics.

Attention! The causative agent of herpes zoster can provoke disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system. When this pathology is detected, in most cases the patient requires hospitalization.

Shingles develops due to exposure to the same pathogen as chickenpox and has clinical manifestations similar to it. That is why the pathology in some cases is diagnosed as a repeated case of chickenpox or its complication.

Who is at risk?

The secondary development of chickenpox is observed in people with impaired immune function. In this case, the virus manifests itself in the form of shingles, affecting the abdomen, armpits, neck and shoulders.

susceptible to re-infection with chickenpox the following groups of people:

Patients who have undergone any heavy operations, organ and tissue transplantation, blood transfusions, etc.
People with suppressed immunity, including people with HIV and AIDS and patients taking drugs with cytostatic effects.
Patients with autoimmune diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, crest syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis.
Patients with chronic pathologies: peptic ulcer, diabetes mellitus, disruption endocrine system etc.
People who are constantly exposed to stress, neuroses and mental pressure.

Diseases similar to chickenpox

There are also a number of diseases clinical symptoms which is very similar to the manifestations of chickenpox. However, these pathologies have a different etiology. Most often, when diagnosed as chickenpox, other disorders caused by the herpes virus are mistakenly diagnosed. Modern medicine identifies eight main types of herpetic infections.

Comparative characteristics of herpes viruses

Pathogen name	Localization in the body	Symptomatic manifestations
Herpes pathogen 1	Trigeminal nerve cells	Herpes lesions of the mucous membrane of the eyes and oral cavity, encephalitis
Herpes pathogen 2	Nerve endings of the sacroiliac symphysis	Rash in the genital area, meningoencephalitis
The causative agent of chickenpox and herpes zoster 3	Spinal nerve endings	Chickenpox, herpes zoster
Epstein-Barr virus	B lymphocytes, mucous membranes of the nasopharynx	Infectious mononucleosis, Burkitt's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, B-cell lymphoma
CMV	Leukocytes, mucous membranes, salivary glands, renal tubules	Cytomegalovirus infection, dysfunction of the central nervous system, retinitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, general viral infection body
Human herpes type 6	B lymphocytes	Defeats skin in children under two years of age
Human herpes type 7	Undefined	Skin lesions - exanthema
Human herpes type 8	Undefined	Multiple hemorrhagic sarcomatosis

Attention! The human body may contain several various types herpes virus. In this case, a combined infection develops, which manifests itself various signs one or another strain of the pathogen.

For acute infectious diseases, which cause intestinal viruses, patients also develop blistering rashes on the epidermis and epithelium. Such pathologies with misdiagnosis mistaken for the development of chickenpox.

Chickenpox is an acute reaction of the body to the introduction of a pathogen into cells. Most patients, after suffering from chickenpox, develop stable immunity to the pathogen. However, in a number of cases, under the influence various factors the human body does not produce the antibodies necessary to suppress the virus, which can lead to secondary development chickenpox.