Is it possible to get chickenpox twice?

Chickenpox is a well-known childhood disease that every child should become familiar with. If you didn’t manage to get sick in childhood, it is recommended to spend money on vaccination so that you don’t have to get it after 18 years. Adult patients are more susceptible to the disease, so to avoid risks, it is better to protect yourself.

What is chickenpox

Chickenpox is a viral disease medically known as chickenpox. The disease is a type of herpes virus. If its usual form, as a rule, manifests itself as a sore on the lips, then chickenpox covers the entire body and is accompanied by a number of other associated symptoms.

The main feature of chickenpox is the damage to special liver cells. Since in a child these cells are still formed in limited numbers, the virus has no place to expand the affected area. The child tolerates the disease easily. The same cannot be said about adults. The liver of a person who has reached 15-18 years of age is already significantly different from the organ of a child. Viral cells can cause significant harm to health.

Chickenpox, being a type of herpes virus, just like herpes itself, is not eliminated from the body. The immune system, having produced antibodies, suppresses its activity and does not allow it to reproduce anymore.

Complications of herpes zoster

In general, herpes zoster goes away on its own, with or without treatment, and does not cause any serious conditions.

In rare cases, lichen can cause complications:

constant pain (postherpetic neuralgia). Damaged nerve fibers in the skin send erratic impulses to the brain, causing pain that may last long after the rash has gone away;
vision problems. If ringworm develops on or near the eyes, it can lead to blindness;
skin infections. The rash can become infected with bacteria, which leads to skin problems (streptoderma, for example);
disorders of the nervous system. Herpes on the face can affect various nerves that connect to the brain. This can cause problems related to nerves (facial paralysis, hearing loss, and balance problems). Rarely, herpes leads to encephalitis.

How does chickenpox become infected?

Chickenpox is spread by airborne droplets. Medicine notes the high volatility of particles, which ensures the virus’s good ability to “travel.” The ability of a virus to spread can be easily explained using the example of an apartment building. If a child with chickenpox appears on the first floor, then everyone who lives in apartments with common ventilation up to the fifth floor will become infected with a probability of 70% to 100%.

Therefore, when one child in a kindergarten group brings the virus even before the first symptoms appear, the entire group is instantly infected. Practicing pediatricians do not agree with the policy of kindergarten administrations, according to which infection with chickenpox becomes a reason for closing the group for quarantine. Due to the fact that the disease is mild in preschool age, delaying the moment does not make any sense.

Symptoms

Shingles usually begins with a burning, tingling, itching sensation in the area where the rash will eventually develop.
Sometimes this pain can be severe, and the child will complain of extreme skin sensitivity. This discomfort usually occurs several days before a visible rash appears. Often children will also experience other associated symptoms such as:

headache
fever and chills
malaise
nausea
body aches
enlargement of lymph glands.

A few days after the onset of discomfort, a characteristic herpes rash appears on the skin (or, which is rare, after a few weeks). It first appears as a cluster of small red spots that eventually develop into small blisters.

These fluid-filled blisters eventually rupture, and the small sores slowly begin to dry out and crust over. The scabs fall off after a few weeks, and the rash disappears in about two to four weeks.

Is it possible to become infected again?

Statistics indicate that chickenpox is a one-time disease and cannot be contracted again. However, only a couple percent of cases indicate the opposite. In this regard, studies were conducted that showed in what cases repeated infections are possible:

Those whose own immunity cannot fully function can get sick again. Antibody production occurs either incompletely, or the bodies disintegrate over time, allowing the virus to strike again.
The primary or secondary diagnosis is incorrect. An inexperienced specialist may confuse chickenpox with sudden exanthema or rubella. Therefore, when a real chickenpox infection occurs, the diagnosis will be re-diagnosed.
Varieties of the herpes virus can produce a clinical picture similar to chickenpox.

Diagnostics

The doctor can independently make a diagnosis based on the distinctive appearance and distribution of the characteristic rash, without resorting to laboratory testing methods. A painful, chain-like rash that is localized in certain areas of the skin is a sign of herpes zoster.

Diagnosing herpes zoster before the rash appears can be difficult. In cases where the diagnosis is unclear, laboratory tests are available to confirm the diagnosis. Depending on the clinical situation, testing may be done using blood samples (to detect antibodies to varicella-zoster) or by specialized testing of skin lesion samples.

Symptoms of primary and re-infection

Chicken pox begins to manifest itself as systemic symptoms, characteristic of the acute state of many respiratory diseases, and skin lesions:

First, your health worsens. This is manifested by general weakness and loss of appetite.
Then the body temperature rises. Values can reach 40˚C and last for 4-7 days.
On the second day after the condition begins to deteriorate, a red rash appears all over the body. Doctors usually focus specifically on the nature of the rash when making a diagnosis.
Every day more and more rashes appear on the body.

Doctors trained in Soviet times are confident that swimming is contraindicated for a patient with chickenpox. But modern medicine says the opposite. The main thing in this matter is to understand the difference between two concepts: “bathing” and “washing”. There is really no need to draw a bath and send your child into the water for half an hour. But you need to continue to monitor body hygiene, as before the disease. That is, it is not advisable to swim, but you need to wash.

High body temperature provokes increased sweating, which means that if the sweat is not washed off the body, the skin will itch. The chickenpox rash is considered itchy only because most modern adults grew up with the myth that you can’t wash yourself if you have chickenpox.

How to treat chickenpox in children? (diagnosis, symptoms and treatment)

Red spots appeared on the baby's face. What is this? Allergy? Mosquito bites? What if the body temperature rises?

With questions about a disease such as chickenpox, we go to an appointment with the pediatrician at the Expert Tula Clinic, Valeria Aleksandrovna Golovko.

— Valeria Aleksandrovna, what is chickenpox and how does it manifest itself in children?

This is an infectious pathology, also known colloquially as “chickenpox”.

The symptoms of chickenpox are varied. This is the appearance on the skin and mucous membranes of a specific rash in the form of spots, nodules and blisters. Elements of the rash are found on the face, scalp, body, arms and legs. They appear one after another, i.e. First a spot or papule appears, and then a vesicle. Later, crusts form in place of the opened blisters, falling off after 1-2 weeks. At the same time, the palms and soles remain clean.

Rashes on the mucous membranes are accompanied by pain, itching and the formation of erosions and even ulcers.

Fever, malaise, and decreased appetite and sleep are also noted.

— What causes chickenpox?

Varicella Zoster virus. It belongs to the herpes viruses.

What is herpes? Candidate of Medical Sciences, dermatovenereologist at Clinic Expert Tula says:

Sheinkman Vladislav Leonidovich

— How is chickenpox transmitted?

The disease can be contracted through airborne droplets from a person with chickenpox and herpes zoster (shingles). The virus spreads when a person talks, coughs or sneezes.

— Is chickenpox a childhood disease or can adults get it too?

Children are predominantly affected, but cases of infection in adults are also common.

— Is it possible to get chickenpox again or does it only happen once?

Different situations are possible. Suppose a person was ill in childhood, but for some reason the immune system was unable to “cope” with the virus completely. In this case, the virus can remain in the so-called nerve ganglia in an inactive state. Under certain conditions, it is able to reactivate, often manifesting as shingles. This could be, for example, during exacerbations of chronic pathologies, severe stress, hypothermia, or after suffering some kind of infectious disease.

The situation described is not a re-infection. However, this is also possible in principle. This risk exists in the elderly; persons receiving chemotherapy or hormone therapy; after organ transplant operations; infected with human immunodeficiency virus. In other words, with a significant weakening of the immune system.

Why do they smear brilliant green on a patient with chickenpox?

Zelenka can be considered a typical sign of chickenpox. If someone sees a child covered with a green rash, he will certainly think that he has chickenpox.

At the same time, brilliant green does not have any special therapeutic effect on the course of the disease. It does not speed up recovery. However, even in hospitals, they often carry out the procedure of painting over the rash with a solution of brilliant green. This is due to the fact that the rash clearly demonstrates the stages of the disease. As soon as new elements of the rash stop appearing, you can count down 7 days, after which the patient will no longer be officially considered infectious and dangerous to society.

Thus, by staining the rash with persistent green, doctors are able to control the appearance of new foci of the rash and determine when the patient can leave quarantine.

When should you contact a specialist?

In the vast majority of cases, herpes zoster can be diagnosed independently.

But urgent medical attention is needed in the following situations:

if rashes appear on the face. There is a chance that the rash will spread to the eyes, which can severely damage the child's vision. The doctor will take measures to prevent the infection from spreading to the eyes;
if the child has a weakened immune system. Complications such as superficial streptococcal skin infections and other nerve-related problems (facial paralysis, balance problems, and hearing problems) can occur. In some rare cases, inflammation of the brain has been reported;
painful rashes. If the child complains that the rash is very painful and itchy;
you are not sure that the rash is shingles;
no signs of healing even after 14 days.

If you suspect that your child is developing herpes zoster, it is better to immediately contact a specialist for diagnosis.

Is chickenpox dangerous during pregnancy?

Chickenpox, which is not dangerous for children, becomes a real threat to unborn babies. If a pregnant woman has not yet encountered the chickenpox virus before her pregnancy, then she needs to do everything possible to avoid contact with people with chickenpox during pregnancy. For this reason, if there are older children in the house who have not had chickenpox, it is better for them to refrain from visiting child care facilities while the mother is pregnant.

The first meeting of a pregnant woman with chickenpox will be a real disaster for the fetus. In the early stages, chickenpox causes miscarriages. And after the 20th week of pregnancy, the fetus suffers serious deformities.

Treatment

Treatment for herpes zoster is aimed at reducing the impact of the virus, as well as relieving pain.

There are several medications that can be used; talk with your doctor about the best treatment options for your specific situation.

The vast majority of cases of herpes zoster can be treated at home. In some situations, immunocompromised children or children with severe symptoms and/or complications may require hospitalization.

Antiviral drugs. Used in the fight against the varicella zoster virus. These drugs help shorten the course of the disease, reduce the severity of the disease and speed up the healing of skin lesions. They will also help prevent possible complications that sometimes occur. Antiviral drugs are most effective when started within 3 days of the first appearance of the rash, but in some cases of herpes zoster (for example, in a patient with a weakened immune system), they can be started after 72 hours.

There are several antiviral drugs that can be used. These are Acyclovir, Famciclovir and Valaciclovir (the last two are not prescribed to children under 12 years of age).

Means to reduce pain. Some doctors prescribe topical creams or sprays, skin patches, or oral medications to minimize pain caused by the virus. In some cases, medications such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen may be recommended to combat pain.
Treatment of inflammation. If the rash spreads to the eyes (which is a major complication of herpes zoster), your doctor will prescribe antiviral medications along with steroids to reduce the rash. Topical corticosteroids are sometimes helpful in reducing skin inflammation, although they should only be used under the guidance of a doctor.
Medicines to relieve itching. Your doctor will prescribe antihistamines to relieve the itching of the rash.
Caring for damaged skin. Skin rash care can be provided with home remedies and may provide some relief from symptoms. Calamine lotion is applied topically to the rash to relieve itching. And cool wet compresses have a calming effect.

It is important to maintain good personal hygiene, avoid scratching the affected area, and try to keep the area clean to prevent secondary bacterial skin infection.

Shingles cannot be completely cured because the virus is rarely killed by any antiviral drug. However, its emergence and development can be effectively stopped. A strong immune system prevents the virus from reactivating and multiplying.

Therefore, children with herpes should be provided with a healthy diet rich in protein and vitamin C throughout their lives. This is the best preventative measure against shingles.

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 damaged by the action of the pathogen. After the infectious process in the body is stopped, most of the 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.

Chicken pox and herpes zoster

Varicella Zoster can cause two diseases with a similar clinical picture and etiology: chickenpox and herpes zoster. While chickenpox mostly affects children, shingles 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 a sharp disturbance in health, headache, and 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.

Factors contributing to reinfection

To the question whether a child can get chickenpox a second time, an affirmative answer arises in the following cases:

critical state of immunity: after incorrect vaccination, HIV syndrome, against the background of cancer;
chemical and medical interventions: after transplantation, taking antibiotics, steroid treatment, chemotherapy, radiation;
frequent and close contact with carriers of infection;
negative effects on the body: hypothermia, injuries, physical fatigue.

Shingles often occurs after prolonged stress.

Features of the pathology

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 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. There are no clinical symptoms, 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 enters the endings of nerve cells and integrates 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.

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.

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

Patients who have undergone any major 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, disruption of the endocrine system, etc.
People who are constantly exposed to stress, neuroses and mental pressure.