Chicken pox is a highly contagious airborne disease. In most cases, this disease is diagnosed in young children. When a person fully recovers from an ailment, special antibodies will form in the body that will prevent re-infection with chickenpox. However, in medical practice, chickenpox also occurred a second time in a child. This disease has specific signs and some features of therapy. If symptoms appear, consult a doctor immediately. This is especially true in cases where chickenpox appeared a second time in a child. This is what we will talk about in this article.
Can I get sick 2 times?
The main feature of chickenpox is that in the event of a complete recovery in the human body, viral pathogens remain. As a rule, they are located in nerve fibers, but are inactive, therefore, they can not harm human health. If the child’s immune system decreases, chickenpox may occur a second time, but only small rashes will form on the body. But in the case of a serious decrease in protective function, a complete re-infection of this infection occurs. As a rule, chickenpox a second time in a child occurs against a background of impaired natural production of immunoglobulins.
In addition, a repeated disease may be a simple mistake during diagnosis. The fact is that the specialist can easily confuse the symptoms of this smallpox with any other viral disease, which is characterized by the appearance of blisters on the skin. Currently, specialists know 8 varieties of herpes virus that can provoke a rash. In most cases, if a child gets chickenpox a second time, then this indicates that his body has not had time to develop the necessary number of antibodies to help form an immune system for smallpox. The most accurate reasons for the re-development of the disease are not known to doctors.
Signs and Symptoms
So, we have figured out whether it is possible to get chickenpox a second time to a child. But will the signs and symptoms be the same as the first time? Or will they be different? The beginning of the development of the disease is considered to be the moment when pathogens began to multiply rapidly in the human body. A few days after this process, the patient encounters a headache, dizziness, and then fever is added. Of course, the second time chickenpox in children can not do without skin itching. In addition, the child begins to suffer from severe fatigue, his health worsens, his activity and vitality decreases. After two or three days, small vesicles form on the body, not leaving the skin for a week.
Disease development
The mechanism for the development of re-disease will be as follows:
- Initially, well-being worsens, appetite disappears, and temperature rises.
- Numerous blisters are formed on the skin integument filled with a cloudy liquid.
- After some time, these pimples mature, burst on their own, and pimples remain in their place.
- Ulcers form that crust over.
- After some time, the crust dries, after which it falls off on its own.
Above, we found out whether a child can get chickenpox a second time. The answer to this question will be positive. The duration of the recurrence of the disease is about 2-3 weeks. The exact indicator will depend on the state of immunity of the child, the absence or presence of concomitant chronic ailments. The worse the health, the longer the chickenpox will last. When the first signs of this disease appear, you should seek help from a doctor.
Similar diseases
Some mothers still doubt whether chickenpox occurs a second time in children. That is why often they confuse it with other diseases that have similar symptoms. For example, outwardly chicken pox can be confused with shingles. At the initial stage of development, the symptoms of these ailments are similar. Itching, burning, redness appears, small blisters form on the skin. But unlike chickenpox, shingles spreads in only one area. In addition, there are differences in the fullness of these bubbles. Inside, there may be blood, pus, as well as other fluid. With chickenpox, a rash forms over several days, and with herpes zoster, neoplasms occur very quickly - over several hours.
Features of the disease
The second time chickenpox occurs in children and adults. However, attention should be paid to the fact that re-illness is much more difficult than the first time. Patients have a high temperature for a long time, which is quite difficult to bring down with drugs. Patients are tormented by severe itching, which does not disappear even after processing the vesicles with special ointments. If there is no treatment for a long time, then very serious complications can develop in the patient, especially in the adult. There have been cases when people lost their sight completely or partially, scars appeared on the skin, and postherpetic neuralgia developed.
In some cases, the symptoms of smallpox may remain with the patient even after he has fully recovered. Most often it spreads to the skin. In such cases, the patient is forced to endure burning and itching on his body for a long time. This complication in most cases persecutes elderly patients who have a weakened immune system. Other very serious consequences can also occur, for example, hearing loss, facial paralysis, staggering when walking, encephalitis. Everything will depend on which particular nerve fibers are damaged.
Treatment features
If you get sick again with chickenpox, then this disease needs immediate medical treatment. Only thanks to this it will be possible to accelerate the entire healing process, as well as stop the unpleasant symptoms of smallpox.
Medication
To get rid of fever, specialists prescribe antipyretic or anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, Paracetamol, as well as its analogues. To stop the discomfort on the skin, it is necessary to constantly treat it with a simple brilliant green or with a solution of fucorcin. To reduce the itching sensation, specialists often prescribe Tavegil, Suprastin, as well as other glucocorticoid hormones.
When the first acne appeared on a person’s body, he is forbidden to take a shower for three days, to wet his skin with a wet towel. You can completely get rid of rashes only after 2-3 weeks. In order to minimize the risk of scarring and scars, you should always lubricate your body with some emollient cream, for example, baby. To speed up the process of skin restoration, bed rest, heavy drinking and a milk diet are recommended. In the case of the development of more severe conditions that were caused by secondary chickenpox, the specialist prescribes complex therapy with antiviral agents, for example, Acyclovir, Gerpevir, Diazolin.
Prevention
As you can see, repeated chickenpox in a person with a weakened immune system is much more difficult. Therefore, in order to prevent the development of a re-disease in oneself, one should adhere constantly to some preventive rules. First of all, you need to carefully monitor personal hygiene. The skin should be dry and clean. If any wounds appear on it, then they must be treated immediately.
You should also completely review your wardrobe. Experts say that you should not wear too tight things that are made of synthetic or too dense fabric.
In no case should you use creams and ointments that cause allergic reactions and irritation of the skin. When the first symptom of repeated chickenpox appears, you should refuse to visit public places so as not to weaken your immune system even more.
Little conclusion
In conclusion, it should be noted that chickenpox can be diagnosed a second time in adults and children. Please note that the course of the re-disease is more severe. That is why, when the first signs and symptoms of chickenpox appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. Follow all the recommendations of specialists, and then repeated chickenpox will be cured successfully, without any complications.