Chickenpox is considered to be a childhood disease. Indeed, it is worth one child to appear in kindergarten with this virus, as everyone begins to get sick in large quantities. However, there are lucky ones whom this misfortune avoids. And even being in direct contact with the patient, a person is immune to the virus. Should parents of such a child rejoice? Most likely not worth it. It is likely that, as an adult, he will meet with the carrier of the virus and become ill. At the same time , chickenpox in an adult is much more difficult and threatens with dangerous complications.
Disease Description
The disease is caused by chickenpox virus. In this case, the disease in adults is so difficult that it is necessary to fight not only with the pathogen itself, but also with all the symptoms. It is worth noting that the incubation period of chickenpox in adults is quite long, so stopping the disease at an early stage will not work. Most likely, you will realize that you get sick only when the symptoms become too pronounced.
Chickenpox in adults is much less common than in children of gardening age, but it is more serious. If the virus affects a person older than 18 years, then the threat of complications increases several times. There are reasons for this related to factors that we will consider in the framework of today's article.
Features
The virus, which penetrates the bloodstream and causes the disease, has a very small size. That is what allows it to be easily transported through the air at a decent distance. If you are working in a large office building where only one person is sick, it is expected that soon the epidemic will cover all departments. The pathogen is carried along long corridors and may for some time be in an active state outside the host organism. I must say that the survival period of the pathogen is not too long, but with a high density of crowds this time is quite enough.
In the body, the virus activates and begins to multiply. After a few days, the infected patient becomes contagious, although outwardly this does not manifest itself. The incubation period of chickenpox in adults is dangerous precisely for its duration. A person continues to visit public places, to use common household items, and the virus goes further.
Chicken pox or shingles?
Another feature of this virus is that in the body it can behave differently. Some develop symptoms of chickenpox , which we all know from red rashes and high fever. In others, the disease does not appear externally, but subsequently leads to the development of shingles. This disease can become chronic, accompanied by weakness and headaches, fatigue. And in the area of the affected nerve, rashes are observed, which gradually disappear after a couple of weeks.
However, this is not all. The incubation period of chickenpox in adults can end, but the ailment will not go into open form. The causative agent can stay with a person for life, while not externally manifesting itself. The main factor contributing to the reactivation of the pathogen is a decrease in immunity. This happens with a banal weakening of the body in the spring season, the presence of HIV infection, cancer, while taking immunosuppressants. That is why, most often, chickenpox affects children with immunity that has not yet been strengthened.
Routes of infection for an adult
For kids, this is direct contact with peers in kindergarten. The probability of infection is almost 90%. However, the higher the defenses of the body, the less chance of getting sick. The main way is airborne. For infection, just fifteen minutes in the same room with the infected is enough.
The secondary path is contact with the rash. Especially if the fluid protrudes from the damaged bubbles. The incubation period of chickenpox in adults can last up to 3 weeks. At the same time, the period when a sick person can become infected from another begins 3–5 days before the first signs appear, and ends when all the vesicles are covered with a crust.
Stage chickenpox in adults
This is important to know in order to understand when chickenpox ceases to be contagious. Let's look at the standard scheme, so to speak, the path of development that the virus goes through in each person’s body. When ingested, the virus rapidly populates RES cells. Further, it already penetrates the blood and spreads throughout the body. And now we list the main stages:
- The incubation period of chickenpox in adults and children. This is the first stage, which takes up to three weeks. At the end of this period, communication with infected people becomes dangerous for those who have not previously had chickenpox.
- The first symptoms of chickenpox in adults begin to appear approximately 2.5 weeks after the virus enters the bloodstream.
- Further, we can observe the rapid spread of the rash. The spots actively increase and fill with fluid.
- Recovery. This is the period when chickenpox ceases to be contagious. At this time, papules dry out and crusts form. Now the body has received a stable immunity to the disease.
How to recognize chickenpox
No, not at all on the red spots that appear much later. The first symptoms of chickenpox in adults are general weakness, as well as intoxication. A person cannot fully perform his daily work, he increasingly wants to sleep. As the virus captures all new organs and tissues, an ache appears in the body, which can be confused with a sign of influenza conditions. Uncomfortable sensations spread to muscles and joints, patients at this stage note that the limbs are twisted from unbearable pain. Doctors recommend taking antipyretic drugs at the time, which include painkillers in their composition. This makes it easier to survive the most difficult period.
A striking symptom is a headache. Nausea or vomiting is also not uncommon against the background of general intoxication of the body. Its intensity depends on the diet during treatment and the characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract.
A rash is the main symptom that allows you to accurately say that you have chickenpox. The treatment period lasts up to two weeks, after which the rash gradually disappears. In this case, the rash may be present not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes. In adults, more than in children, itching is pronounced. Antihistamines are used to reduce it.
Therapy Features
If the disease is easy enough, treatment at home is also possible. It will only be necessary to follow all the doctor's recommendations, and relief will come soon enough. Treatment is prescribed individually, in some cases only time and treatment of the vesicles with anti-inflammatory solutions will be required. In other cases, it may be necessary to prescribe more serious drugs. Therapy of chickenpox involves the appointment of the following groups of drugs:
- Antiviral medicines. This is Acyclovir or Famciclovir.
- Antihistamines that are needed to eliminate itching, such as Suprastin.
- Antipyretic drugs ("Ibuprofen").
- Antibiotics that may be required to correct complications. Most often prescribed "Cefazolin."
- Solution for intravenous infusion. This is a glucose solution, which is not prescribed to everyone, but only in severe cases, when a decrease in the concentration of toxins in the blood is required.
Complications of chickenpox in adults
Most often they occur in people at risk. These include pregnant women, smoking patients, people with weak immunity. There can be a lot of complications, so you should not take this disease lightly.
- From the skin, inflammation of the deep layers of the dermis can be observed. That is, a secondary infection gets into the wounds.
- Very often, pneumonia develops against the background of chickenpox. The likelihood of such a complication is about 15%. However, the inflammatory process can most often be detected only with x-rays.
- Inflammation of bones and joints is somewhat less common, especially since it is difficult to associate such a symptom with chickenpox.
- Brain damage, such as encephalitis and meningitis. This is a rare but very serious condition.
There are more severe lesions of organs and systems, but they, fortunately, are not so common. We have listed the most commonly reported complications of chickenpox in adults.
Prevention
In fact, this concept is exclusively theoretical. Due to the high infectivity, no reliable measures to prevent this disease exist. However, the stronger the immunity, the higher the chance that the body, if it does not avoid being infected by the virus, will at least tolerate it. Are there any drugs for the prevention of chickenpox in adults? No. All that is available is the right way of life, a healthy diet, optimal physical activity, intake of vitamins and minerals. In the spring, you can use echinacea to maintain immunity.