Chickenpox can be 2 times. Recurrent form of chicken pox. The specifics of the flow. Briefly about windmill

Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the Varicella Zoster herpes virus. The pathogen is transmitted from one infected person to another by airborne droplets. Pathology is acute, proceeds with pronounced symptoms: vesicular rash, high fever, fever, etc. It is believed that a person who has had chickenpox has lifelong immunity against the disease. However, this is not entirely true. In rare cases, doctors note that patients are re-infected with chickenpox.

Chickenpox is an acute reaction of the 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 in the mucous membranes.

The disease normally proceeds in several main stages:

1. infection and incubation period. At this time, the virus is embedded in the epithelial cells and begins to multiply rapidly. There are no clinical symptoms, the patient's health is normal.
2. 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 a deterioration in well-being, pain in muscles and joints.
3. acute phase. The virus enters the endings of nerve cells and is embedded in them. In the same period, the patient develops a characteristic vesicular rash, which is a specific reaction of the body to the presence of Varicella Zoster.
4. recovery phase. The number of rashes gradually decreases, the patient's condition improves markedly.

This is how chickenpox occurs in a first-time sick 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! Severe chickenpox also occurs in people over 18-20 years of age who have 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 the introduction of Varicella Zoster into the cells of the nervous system, 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 affected by the action of the pathogen. After the infectious process in the body is stopped, most antibodies die. However, a small part of them mutate and become the so-called memory cells. These are structures that allow the body to recognize Varicella Zoster and immediately destroy the virus if it starts to become active.

In some people, the immune system, for a number of reasons, is not able to produce memory cells at all, or they die a few months or years after suffering chickenpox. In this case, the patient can get chickenpox again if he encounters an infectious carrier of the virus.

Attention! Science has not yet been able to determine why some people lose the memory cells responsible for developing immunity to chickenpox. In medical practice, there have been several cases when patients fell ill with chicken pox more than 3-4 times.

Can you get chickenpox again?

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

It is due to the fact that pathogens are 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:

1. The immune system produces an insufficient amount of antibodies, as a result of which the virus that enters the body from the outside begins to actively multiply.
2. Varicella Zoster is activated due to a sharp weakening of the human immune system. Elderly people are most affected by this.

Attention! More than 80% of cases of recurrent chickenpox occur in adults, but children can also become infected again. This indicates that the child's immune system is depressed 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?

Chickenpox and herpes zoster

Varicella Zoster is able to cause two diseases with a similar clinical picture and etiology: chickenpox and herpes zoster. If chickenpox affects children more often, then lichen most often develops in adults or the elderly. Both pathologies have the following symptoms:

1. The onset of the disease is acute: the patient complains of a sharp deterioration in well-being, headache, fatigue. On examination, febrile fever up to 39-39.5°C is noted.
2. After 12-48 hours, vesicles form on the skin and epithelium of the patient - small pox vesicles filled with transparent or whitish contents.

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

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

Shingles develops due to exposure to the same pathogen as chickenpox and has similar clinical manifestations. That is why 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 noted in people with impaired immunity. In this case, the virus manifests itself in the form of shingles, affecting the abdomen, armpits, neck and shoulders.

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

1. Patients who have undergone any major surgery, organ and tissue transplantation, blood transfusions, etc.
2. People with depressed immunity, including people with HIV and AIDS and patients taking drugs with a cytostatic effect.
3. Patients with autoimmune diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, crest syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis.
4. Patients with chronic pathologies: peptic ulcer, diabetes mellitus, disruption of the endocrine system, etc.
5. People who are constantly exposed to stress, neurosis and mental pressure.

Diseases similar to chickenpox

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

Comparative characteristics of herpes viruses

Attention! There can be several different types of herpes virus in the human body. In this case, a combined infection develops, which is manifested by various signs of a particular strain of the pathogen.

In acute infectious diseases caused by intestinal viruses, patients also develop blisters on the epidermis and epithelium. Such pathologies, if misdiagnosed, are mistaken for the development of chicken pox.

Chicken pox is an acute reaction of the body to the introduction of a pathogen into the cells. In most patients, after suffering chickenpox, a strong immunity to the causative agent of the pathology is developed. However, in some cases, under the influence of various factors, the human body does not produce the antibodies necessary to suppress the virus, which can lead to the secondary development of chickenpox.

Chickenpox or chicken pox is an infectious disease of viral etiology. The causative agent is Varicella zoster, which belongs to the herpesvirus family. Once having been ill with this infection, a person acquires specific immunity to the pathogen virus. It is believed that re-infection is impossible. However, is this true?

Chickenpox is ill once in a lifetime and there should be no re-infection, however, there have been conflicting cases in medical practice

Can a child get chickenpox a second time?

Some parents, whose children have already had chickenpox once, fear a recurrence of infection. In fact, the deep conviction of people that they get chickenpox only once is a mistake. Cases of re-infection and even the possibility of a third infection have been known for quite a long time.

The main thing in such a situation is the observation of a competent specialist. It is important to differentiate chickenpox from other diseases of a herpetic nature, since the course of the disease and treatment will differ for each type.

There are two main ways of reinfection:

1. Infection occurs from the outside, through contact with sick children. The disease manifests itself as chicken pox. This is due to the production of antibodies, insufficient to fight the virus that has entered the body.
2. Activation of the varicella zoster virus dormant in the dorsal ganglia. This is because after primary chickenpox, “non-sterile” immunity is acquired, in which the herpes virus remains in the human body and “wakes up” under favorable conditions for it. The disease passes in the form of herpes zoster.

How common is secondary chickenpox?

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In fact, secondary infection is not common. Certain conditions are necessary for the appearance of the disease. They will be discussed in more detail later.

A special risk group is infants who have had chicken pox, since the immune system has not yet been formed. It also includes those who had a mild form of the disease with a low temperature and a small amount of rashes.

So what is the likelihood of re-infection in children? The answer is ambiguous, because the immunity of people is deteriorating every year, and this applies primarily to children. From this we can conclude that over time, cases of secondary chickenpox become more frequent. So far, according to official statistics, re-infection is 3%.

Factors contributing to re-infection

The mechanism of entry of the pathogen - airborne droplets. Infection occurs when the carrier's saliva comes into contact with the skin and mucous membranes of a healthy child.

Incubation lasts seven days, during which time an infected child can already transmit the virus to other children.

It is customary to think that infection occurs exclusively through primary contact. Most parents wonder if it is possible to get chickenpox a second time.

There are special factors that contribute to the secondary infection of the child:

• vaccination (against the background of immunity disorders);
• frequent and close contact with children;
• immune deficiency;
• the period after chemotherapy;
• treatment with glucocorticosteroids;
• infancy of the child;
• transplantation;
• oncological diseases;
• erased form;
• abortive, in which bubbles do not form, due to which immunity is not formed.

In the presence of even one of the factors, the dormant virus in the blood can enter the active phase. Then the child can get chicken pox 1 more time.

Symptoms and features of re-infection

The main feature of a recurrent disease is the severity of the course. Even death is possible. Typical symptoms will be a number of manifestations:

• severe hyperthermia;
• more profuse rashes over the body, especially on the soles of the feet and palms;
• may occur in the mouth, ears, genitals, on the conjunctiva and under the hair;
• the nature of the rash is more prominent;
• intense and unbearable itching;
• dizziness and headaches;
• symptoms of intoxication and loss of appetite;
• severe and prolonged treatment, up to 20 days.

There are a large number of photos on the Internet where you can see what papules and vesicles look like during chickenpox. It is important to distinguish at what stage smallpox vesicles are.

Herpes zoster as a variant of the manifestation of secondary chickenpox

Secondary chickenpox is sometimes confused with herpes zoster, but the disease is more common in adults. It is much less common in children. Herpes zoster is an infection that is similar in nature and symptoms. Just they can get sick three or five times.

Clinical manifestations are similar to chickenpox in nature, but there are differences. One important distinguishing feature is the localization of the vesicles. Due to the fact that the nerve cells are affected by the virus, the location of the bubbles will be along the affected fibers, consisting of neurons. The rashes are quite painful, and often, in order to avoid complications from the central nervous system, the patient needs to be hospitalized.

From the characteristic symptoms, enlarged lymph nodes, temperature and general signs of intoxication can be distinguished. The course of the disease resembles chicken pox, so you need to diagnose carefully.

Comparative table of secondary chicken pox and shingles:

For children, there are two main predisposing factors:

• seasonality (spring - autumn);
• intrauterine disease with chickenpox or herpes zoster.

Are diagnostic errors possible?

No one is immune from misdiagnosis. They can be allowed by both the doctor and the laboratory assistant at the stage of the analysis.

Differentiation must be carried out, since there are 8 types of herpes, which are manifested by rashes.

Firstly, the examination by a doctor, his competence in this matter, is very important. Ideally, an infectious disease specialist should examine the patient. By the nature of the rashes and symptoms, the doctor needs to determine whether this disease is chicken pox or not.

Secondly, in particularly difficult and controversial situations, serological tests for the presence of antibodies to Herpes zoster in the acute period can be prescribed. Molecular genetic diagnostics is carried out to determine the DNA of the pathogen. PCR is currently the most accurate method, and also one of the most expensive.

How to prevent re-infection with chickenpox?

Vaccination is used as a specific prophylaxis. However, its duration is only enough for a decade, then it will have to be vaccinated again. In the territory of the former CIS countries, the Varilrix vaccine is used. These are live, but weakened microorganisms that, when they enter the bloodstream, provoke the formation of antibodies. While vaccination is not mandatory, the decision remains with the parents.

Everyone has heard of such an infection as chicken pox. The virus that causes this disease is highly contagious, so the human body most often encounters it in childhood. Many people are interested in the question: is it possible to get chickenpox a second time after some time?

How does chickenpox get infected?

How many times do they get chickenpox, what affects it? Many people face this problem only once in their life. The virus that causes chickenpox is transmitted by airborne droplets. At the same time, you can get chickenpox even with a short stay in the same room with the patient.

You can get rid of the chickenpox virus in the apartment with the help of regular ventilation and wet cleaning. The disease-causing organism will quickly die in such conditions.

In a child or adult, the disease develops in the following stages:

• incubation period - from 1 to 3 weeks;
• prodromal period - about a day;
• period of high virus activity - from 3 days to 2 weeks;
• the recovery period is 1-3 weeks.

Characteristic symptoms

With primary or re-infection with chickenpox, almost the same symptoms appear.. A sick person first develops weakness, fatigue, possibly a slight increase in temperature. Everything that is characteristic of the classic ARVI is happening.

Only after a few days a rash appears, which is the main symptom of chickenpox. In adults, chickenpox symptoms begin with red patches on the skin. After some time, they are converted into small bubbles with liquid inside. After three days, the rash becomes covered with a dense crust, which disappears on its own in about 10-20 days.

With chickenpox, the patient usually has a fever. Body temperature can rise to 37-39 degrees.

A rash in pathology appears in waves. New papules are repeatedly formed, which are on the body along with dried crusts. Can there be chickenpox without this rash? The disease almost always manifests itself in this way, although there are other atypical symptoms - nausea, loss of coordination of movements, the formation of abscesses, zones of necrosis.

How many times can you get infected

Is it possible to get chickenpox again, how likely is it? To answer this question, it is necessary to consider the mechanism of transmission of a pathogenic virus. The penetration of a pathogenic microorganism into the human body occurs through the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx or eyes. As a result, the infected person has an active reproduction of the virus and its movement along with the bloodstream. Thus, it is able to penetrate into all the cells of the body, which during the incubation period is not accompanied by any symptoms. At the peak of its activity, the virus infects the skin, which is manifested by the appearance of a rash. This sign is considered the main one in diagnosing chickenpox in both children and adults.

We must not forget that re-infection with chickenpox is extremely rare, because after meeting with the virus, the human body produces specific antibodies. These are special immunoglobulins or compounds of a protein nature. They are able to repeatedly suppress the activity of the virus, so the majority of people get chickenpox only once in a lifetime.

In most cases, an adult or child cannot be re-infected, since the antibodies produced deactivate the virus and destroy all the cells it has modified.

Subsequently, some of these immunity structures self-destruct. At the same time, part of the immunoglobulins remains in the human body in the form of memory cells. They provide lifelong immunity and protect against the reappearance of chickenpox.

But in some cases, there is a failure of the protective functions of the body. This leads to the loss of acquired immunity. Therefore, if you ask a doctor how many times you can get chickenpox, he will not give a definite answer. Is it possible to get infected with this pathogenic virus a second time? This variant of the development of events is probable, but occurs only in the presence of certain factors.

When can reinfection occur?

Can you get chickenpox again? Such a rare phenomenon occurs under the influence of adverse factors:

Atypical causes of relapse

You can get chickenpox again as a result of external factors. Sometimes the disease recurs in a person's life in response to severe stress, a change of place of residence. In some cases, it is very difficult to find out the true causes of chickenpox infection in adults. Sometimes even the banal use of antibiotics or other drugs can lead to this. Therefore, any drug treatment should take place under the strict supervision of specialists.

Some doctors argue that it is impossible to get chickenpox twice. They attribute recurrences of chickenpox to misdiagnosis of the primary disease. The manifestations found could signal a completely different problem. Therefore, in rare situations, infection with chickenpox 2 times can actually be a primary infection.

How does relapse occur?

Is it possible to get chickenpox if this problem was observed before? Most experts are of the opinion that the recurrence of the disease manifests itself in the form of herpes zoster. Can a child get this disease?

Herpes zoster appears at any time, but the elderly or those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to it. It can develop in a person who has previously had chickenpox. In this case, the activation of the virus occurs due to "internal" causes.

Chickenpox re-evolves with the following clinical picture:

• Rashes characteristic of chickenpox are localized only on one side. They are most often located along the nerve trunks.
• Before the appearance of a rash, a person feels unwell, tired. The patient may have an increase in body temperature.
• Herpes zoster is accompanied by an increase in the size of the lymph nodes, the presence of pain.
• After healing of the formed papules, pigmentation remains on the skin, which may not disappear for a long time.
• Herpes zoster is characterized by the appearance of postherpetic neuralgia, which is quite difficult to treat.

Now it is clear that the question of whether people get chickenpox a second time is very difficult. In any case, re-infection is possible only in individual cases, if certain factors are present.

Chickenpox is a dangerous viral infection. The disease usually affects children aged 2-10 years. Infants, adolescents, and adults are much more susceptible to chickenpox than those in the main risk group. People who are faced with a severe form of infection ask the doctor if it is possible to get chickenpox a second time.

Is re-infection possible?

In the bulk of patients who have had chickenpox, there is a stable immunity to the causative agent of infection. For the rest of your life, defender cells protect the body from the negative effects of the Varicella Zoster virus. Antibodies block the activity of pathogenic microorganisms, which prevents re-infection. But in some people, protective mechanisms fail, which leads to repeated chickenpox. This phenomenon occurs in 1-3% of patients who have had an infection in childhood. The disease is accompanied by symptoms that are identical to those of primary chickenpox.

You can get chickenpox after the age of 25. But sometimes it happens that adolescents are re-infected. This is due to the fact that with weak immunity, antibodies lose their memory. They completely cease to protect the body from the virus about 10 years after the initial lesion.

A person is able to get chickenpox not 2, but several times. When memory cells are not stored again after the second infection, infection with the herpes virus can occur again.

Reasons for re-infection

Weakened immunity is the main reason for re-infection with the herpes virus Varicella Zoster. The likelihood of chickenpox increases:

• if the protective forces of a child or an adult do not provide adequate resistance to infectious agents;
• when the concentration of antibodies in the blood is excessively low.

The second time you get chickenpox can:

• HIV-infected;
• a child or adult patient with a cancer during the period of chemotherapy;
• a person who has undergone a serious illness or operation;
• patients with chronic pathologies;
• those who are prone to stress and depression;
• children and adults taking medications that weaken the immune system for a long period of time;
• people who have lost a significant amount of blood, donors.

Misdiagnosis at the first appearance of symptoms is another reason for a second case of chickenpox. This disease is determined by external signs. No studies to identify the pathogen are prescribed to patients, which sometimes leads to an erroneous diagnosis. The doctor mistakes another infection with similar symptoms (high fever and skin rash) for chicken pox.

Symptoms

First, with secondary chickenpox, nonspecific signs develop. Patients experience the following symptoms:

As chickenpox develops, skin rashes occur. The foci of lesions in the second time are less extensive than in the first case. New blisters form within 2-7 days. Although, if you get chickenpox again, the rash can go away in a single wave.

Tiny red spots appear at first. After a few hours, the rash turns into papules that look like mosquito bites. In the future, single-chamber vesicles appear at the site of small swellings. The blister cavity is filled with clear or cloudy exudate. The rashes itch unbearably.

The child or adult experiences discomfort. Patients comb the lesions. In place of the opened vesicles, sores remain, covered with a crust. The formations gradually dry out and exfoliate. The skin is cleansed, there are no defects left on them.

If you get chickenpox 2 times, the process of converting a red spot into a dry sore takes from 24 to 48 hours. The skin is completely cleared of rashes in 15-20 days.

Route of infection

The exudate filling the cavity of the blisters contains a huge amount of infectious agents. After opening the papule, herpes viruses instantly spread through the air. The causative agent of infection is easily transmitted to healthy people who come into contact with an infected person. Pathogens enter the mucous layer of the nasopharynx and are carried throughout the body with the bloodstream.

Shingles - a type of chickenpox

In a person who has had chickenpox, the herpes virus penetrates the nerve endings, is fixed in the cells, and goes into a dormant state. Activation of the pathogen occurs in people with a weakened immune system after 40 years. Chickenpox develops in the form of herpes zoster.

Since both pathologies are caused by the same type of pathogen, doctors say that the patient was again able to become infected with chickenpox. With shingles, rashes appear on the skin. Epithelial tissues in the lesion itch, hurt badly, they burn unbearably.

Ringworm differs from chickenpox in that the rashes are localized in one place, and not distributed throughout the body. Papules may cover only the side, arm or leg. Pimples are arranged in a chain.

Shingles, like chickenpox, is a contagious infection. Pathology is easily transmitted to healthy people by airborne droplets. You can get shingles not only once or twice. The infection can infect the body repeatedly. Moreover, people who have had chickenpox twice become infected with the virus.

Patients are prescribed symptomatic treatment. There is no specific therapy for chickenpox and shingles. Manifestations of infection disappear within 14-20 days.

Patients with chickenpox are very unwell. They feel intense discomfort, pain and itching caused by unattractive sores on the face and body. In order not to get sick again, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system, eat rationally, and avoid contact with infected people.

When asked whether it is possible to get chickenpox a second time, many answer in the negative. It is believed that once covered with a rash caused by a virus, a person acquires lifelong immunity. In fact, cases of re-infection with chickenpox, although rare, are found in medical practice.

From this article you will learn

Can a child get chickenpox twice

Mindful of the impossibility of reinfection, parents do not show concern and do not take protective measures. Such behavior is erroneous: there are situations when the virus again makes itself felt. Under certain circumstances, there is a threat of infection for the third time.

Diseases with herpetic etiology, the symptoms of which are similar to chickenpox, are divided into several types. Only a specialist can distinguish one species from another and confirm reinfection based on laboratory data. The type of treatment and ways to protect all family members from infection depend on the results.

After an illness, the virus does not completely disappear from the body. Its remnants are located in the spinal nerve nodes, in the medical language referred to as ganglia. After a certain period, a person does not pose a danger to others, but is a carrier of the virus. Its internal systems constantly produce antibodies to the infection. Under the influence of negative circumstances, the body's defenses fail, and the disease appears twice and thrice. There are two likely ways to get chickenpox again:

• Get it again upon contact with an infected person.
• Get sick like shingles. Under favorable conditions, the dormant virus is activated, unlike the primary disease, chickenpox can be observed several times and go into the chronic stage.

And here is what the famous doctor Myasnikov says about the possibility of a recurrence of the disease:

How common are reinfections?

The frequency of reinfection rather suggests that such cases are an exception to the rule.

According to statistics, the number of re-sick people is about three percent.

How many times you get chickenpox in your life depends on a number of reasons:

• Primary infection occurred against the background of unformed structures of the immune system.
• The disease proceeded in a mild form.
• Immune function is impaired.

Factors contributing to reinfection

When asked if a child can get chickenpox a second time, an affirmative answer arises if:

• critical state of immunity: after improper vaccination, HIV syndrome, against the background of oncological diseases;
• chemical and medical intervention: after transplantation, antibiotics, steroid treatment, chemotherapy, radiation;
• frequent and close contact with carriers of the infection;
• negative effects on the body: hypothermia, injuries, physical overwork.

Shingles often occurs after prolonged stress.

Symptoms and course of re-infection with chickenpox

Recurrent disease manifests itself in the same way as the primary one. Probably shortened incubation period. Apathy sets in, mood decreases, temperature may rise, sometimes to critical numbers. Other signs include:

• unpleasant and painful sensations in the joints and muscles, eyes, headache;
• lack of need for food and sleep or its decrease;
• persistent itching that is difficult to bear.

The nature of the chickenpox rash: pronounced, spreading to the soles of the feet, palms. Ulcers can be observed in the scalp, on the genitals, in the mouth. They may be less than the first time, but the rash is more difficult to tolerate due to pain and itching. The disease can develop severely, requiring hospital treatment and special treatment for three weeks or more. The most difficult thing is to transfer it to children.

Shingles as a form of recurrent chickenpox

It is believed that this disease is the destiny of the elderly. However, it is possible to suffer from it in childhood, during adolescence, it also occurs in young people, if there are concomitant reasons. If the patient is a teenager, shingles may be the result of hormonal changes in the body.

The first stage of the disease is characterized by weakness, mood swings, and a decrease in overall tone. Harbingers of a rash are reddish rounded spots localized in the back, chest, and abdomen. The rashes have a rounded shape and an uneven surface, cause itching and pain.

After some time, a rash appears on the site of the inflamed skin: vesicles with fluid inside. The bubbles are located separately or merge together, forming a blister. The vesicle eruption phase can be as long as four weeks. After this period, crusts form at the site of the rash, then peeling. Painful sensations in virus-affected areas persist for a long time, they are difficult to alleviate with medications.

The disease can recur several times in a lifetime. In men and women, it can take severe forms: gangrenous and hemorrhagic.

Important! Shingles is contagious to those who have never had chickenpox. The virus is transmitted with the liquid contained in the vesicles, therefore, in order not to infect households, the patient must follow all precautions, home regimen.

Misdiagnosis

Even a doctor or a laboratory worker can make mistakes in diagnosis, so parents should absolutely not draw conclusions from photos on the Internet. The pediatrician issues a conclusion based on the clinical picture of the disease: an analysis of the course of the disease and its symptoms is carried out.

Since there are eight types of herpes, each of which is accompanied by a rash, consultation with an infectious disease specialist is necessary. With chickenpox, pathologies such as eczema, pyoderma, and allergic dermatitis are differentiated. The initial stage of herpes and the listed diseases proceeds with similar symptoms, it may differ in specifics.

Table 1. The difference between secondary chickenpox and herpes zoster (Important! The table can be scrolled to the right and left)

If the disease proceeds in an atypical form, laboratory tests are prescribed. The picture will be clarified by serological tests, enzyme immunoassay, which determines the specific class of antibodies. Modern PCR diagnostics is the most accurate and expensive method of pathogen recognition.

Important! Does it happen that parents think that chickenpox has bypassed the baby, but in fact the infection has taken place? Sometimes rashes on the skin with primary chickenpox are single, and weakness and temperature are associated with external signs: hypothermia or acute respiratory infections.

Prevention of reinfection

An effective remedy for all manifestations of chickenpox is timely vaccination. Its disadvantage is that it needs to be set more than once. The vaccine has a relatively short period of validity - 10 years, then it will need to be given again.

In our country, vaccination is carried out at the request of parents. It is necessary to protect women who are planning the birth of a baby and have never had chickenpox. It is advisable for adults and children to consult an immunologist before vaccination.

It is advisable for children at risk to minimize contact with patients. The threat of getting chickenpox increases again during the transitional season - in autumn and spring.

No one can give a prediction about the likelihood of re-infection and the chances of a relapse of the disease, an exact explanation of why it occurs. Whether it is possible to get chickenpox a second time depends largely on the general state of health. Strengthening agents include:

• feasible physical activity that does not lead to fatigue;
• taking multivitamins and a nutritious diet;
• prevention of psycho-emotional overload;
• other components of a healthy lifestyle.

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