Adult Chicken Pox
All About Adult Chicken Pox
Adult chicken pox, also known as shingles, is caused by a virus that affects the skin. Any adults who had chicken pox as children are at risk to develop shingles. Doctors don’t know for sure why some adults who had chicken pox as children develop shingles, while others do not. However they do know that shingles tend to show up in adults whose immune system is weakened by stress or infections. Doctors also recommend that all adults over the age of 60 receive the shingles vaccine shot because their immune systems are weakened due to their age. Adults are more likely than children to suffer complications from shingles or chicken pox.
Complications from adult chicken pox include a condition called postherpetic neuralgia, also known as PHN. It causes extreme pain in the location of the rash, and sometimes the extreme pain sticks around for a long time after the shingles virus is gone.
Adult chicken pox is much more painful than the childhood version of the disease. Instead of red spots all over the body, the red spots are contained to just one side of the body. Doctors say this is because shingles affect just one side of the nerve. Symptoms of adult chicken pox include red blisters that usually start on the face, head, or upper body, itchiness, extreme fatigue, fever, aches and pains, and irritability.
Chicken pox and shingles are both very contagious diseases, and they can be spread through contact with an infected person. Both children and adults who have not had either chicken pox or the chicken pox vaccine can get the disease from an adult who has shingles. Adult chicken pox is contagious for a day or two before the rash develops until about a week after it first appeared. Most adults who have shingles are sick for three to 10 days with the virus.
If you come down with shingles, you should find some relief from the painful rash by taking a lukewarm bath about every four hours. Use two ounces of baking soda or corn starch in the bath to help soothe your aching skin. Also be sure to use soap in at least one of your baths per day. This will help kill the germs associated with the disease. Avoid the urge to itch or rub your skin, as this can make the infection worse. In between baths, try calamine lotion to give you more relief from the sores. It’s also a good idea to take an over-the-counter antihistamine to help with the itching. Any food is safe to eat while you have adult chicken pox, but if you have sores in your mouth you’ll find cool, soft foods are the easiest to eat.
In most cases you won’t need to be under a doctor’s care for shingles, but you should call one if you develop any complications. Signs of complications from adult chicken pox include a stiff neck and extreme headache, confusion, a rash that covers your eyes, and difficulty standing or breathing.