Today we will talk about a peculiar method of natural vaccination. How to get chickenpox at home? The question is asked by many parents of babies. After all, it is known that at a young age the disease is quite easily tolerated, and immunity against its pathogens lasts for life. If chickenpox is infected enough by adults, then this will be fraught with a severe course of the disease, as well as multiple complications.
Virus characteristics
The causative agent of the disease is the Varicella zoster virus. It belongs to the category of herpes type 3. How is it distributed? How to get chickenpox at home?
The "journey" of the pathogen - by airborne droplets, through microparticles of biological fluid (saliva, mucus, etc.), which are distributed to the diseased in the air when talking, coughing, sneezing.
A rash that is observed on the patient’s skin is also involved. Its vesicles contain a liquid in which the concentration of Varicella zoster is very high. If the patient accidentally touches, combes the wound, then the liquid will splash out with the same microparticles into the environment, threatening people who are not immune from chickenpox.
Varicella zoster virus can be attributed to the most "tenacious". It is capable of covering distances up to 100 meters - taking into account the "associated" air flows. For the causative agent of chickenpox, it is not a problem to "cross" through natural and artificial barriers - ventilation, an open window, an elevator shaft, etc. If you have no idea how to get chickenpox at home in 5 minutes, this information convinces you of the possibility of this.
Is it easy to get infected?
Chickenpox (the official name is chicken pox) is an infectious disease transmitted by airborne droplets. Is it easy for them to get infected? It can be said that even very much. Indeed, the susceptibility of a person to the virus is almost 100%! The immune system of the non-painful person cannot withstand it in any way. Therefore, once in the body, the pathogen virus is almost guaranteed to cause the development of chickenpox.
Most often, the child picks up the disease in kindergarten, on the playground, in the clinic, in another institution where mass gatherings of young citizens are observed. Therefore, not many parents think about how to get chickenpox at home for their son or daughter. The disease in most cases naturally overtakes a child.
After a person has chickenpox, he develops a lifelong immunity to the pathogen virus. This virtually eliminates the re-infection later in adulthood.
Chicken pox is a purely human disease. Animals, including domestic ones, do not suffer from it and cannot transmit such a virus to people.
How is it possible to get infected?
Now the most important thing. How can I get chickenpox at home for a child or an adult? For all people, regardless of their age, the same pathways of infection. We list them:
- The presence of the patient in the room. Especially closed and unventilated. As we said, sometimes 5 minutes are enough for infection. The sick person can just talk, play with the child, which will cause infection.
- Physical contact. This is a handshake, stroking, hugs or kisses.
- Sometimes it’s enough to go past a patient with chickenpox on the street to get the virus.
- One of the rare, one might say, exotic cases. If one of the neighboring children in a multi-story building above or below the floor is sick with chickenpox, then it can be passed on to his young neighbor! As we already said, the virus can get into another apartment through an open window, ventilation and so on.
As for adults, there is another way of infection - from a person who is sick with herpes zoster.
How does infection happen?
Now you know how to get chickenpox at home. Let's now look at how the process of human infection with chickenpox occurs:
- Once in the environment, the virus can easily spread in different directions - this is facilitated by air currents.
- With the natural respiratory process, air enters the human body, which contains Varicella zoster. This already provokes infection.
- First, the pathogen appears on the mucous membrane of the nose, oropharynx.
- His next step is the deep penetration of epithelial cells and mucous membranes.
- Varicella zoster entrenched in the body. He then begins active replication of himself. It uses the system of reproduction of the protein of the cells of the host organism.
- The concentration of Varicella zoster in the location of introduction increases.
- Then the circulatory, lymphatic system of a person carries the virus already throughout the host. This leads to a high level of intoxication of the system, which symbolizes the onset of chickenpox disease.
How is it impossible to get infected?
We continue to analyze how to get chickenpox at home (at 11 years of age or another - the infection paths are the same for all people). Now we list the methods that exclude the transfer of Varicella zoster from patient to healthy:
- Through a third party. For example, if a person who is immune to chickenpox strokes a sick child, plays with him, he will not pass on the virus to someone else - young or adult.
- Through clothes, toys, bedding, personal items. Thinking how to get chickenpox at home at age 12, someone considers it possible that the disease will be transmitted if you hold in the room something from the items belonging to a patient with the Varicella zoster virus. But this is not so.
Why are the listed methods “not working”? This virus cannot exist for a long time in free space far from the body of its carrier - a person. It dies under the influence of many factors - natural solar ultraviolet radiation, with a change in environmental humidity.
Hence the infection through a third party, the patient’s things are impossible. Of course, we will not take into account such strange cases as putting on the clothes of an infected person immediately after he takes off this thing.
During what period is the disease contagious?
This is not to say that an infected Varicella zoster becomes contagious from the first days as soon as the virus has settled in its body. Contagiousness appears 1-3 days before the diagnosis of the first signs of the disease. In the body fluids released by the patient's body, then a high concentration of Varicella zoster is observed.
Throughout the course of chickenpox, contagiousness will continue. Its end is diagnosed 5-7 days after the last characteristic rashes come off the skin of the patient.
Should chickenpox be a child or adult?
How to get chickenpox at home at 13? In the same way that we described above. But at this age, an infected person may already have complications. Therefore, the most “desirable” period for the disease is still kindergarten.
In an older person, the disease will proceed much harder, give various complications. In addition, having had chickenpox, he will not gain immunity. With an apparent recovery, the virus will take only a passive form, "hiding" in the cells of the nervous system.
Any weakening of the immune system is enough - Varicella zoster will make itself known again. Only now in the form of herpes zoster (shingles). These are local herpes-shaped rashes on the skin. For the patient, it is unpleasant that the affected areas are very itchy, sore. The syndrome persists for months, if not years.
Chicken pox vaccine
How to get chickenpox at home at 14 years of age and older? Already an adult should not look for an infection with the disease - this will not help develop immunity.
If you haven’t "had time" to get chickenpox in childhood, then there is a much easier and safer way to develop immunity against the disease - with the help of a vaccine. The drug was developed a long time ago (in 1974) by scientists from Japan. In many countries, it is free and required for children. In Russia, the situation is different so far - the vaccine is given at will and at an additional cost.
Who is vaccinated for?
The chickenpox vaccine is sometimes vital for the following people:
- Suffering from chronic diseases of the lungs, heart, kidneys, leukemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension. Such a serious test as chickenpox, for them can turn into death.
- An adult who does not have immunity against the disease - a person who no more than 76-92 hours ago had the opportunity to contract chickenpox. The vaccine will ease the course of the disease in case of infection, help to avoid the consequences.
- For persons with immunodeficiency, a suppressed immune system. The body may not cope with the virus.
- Women who did not have chickenpox, planning a pregnancy. An infection can cause a fetal development to fade, a miscarriage.
- Employees of medical, preschool institutions who have not had the disease in childhood.
Getting chickenpox even at home is relatively easy. However, in the modern world, such a natural vaccination is already replaced by a simpler and safer vaccination.