Adult Chicken Pox

Rarely, may you have seen adult person suffering from chicken pox, because chicken pox is childhood disease. In these cases the patient didn�t have chicken pox in their childhood. In normal healthy persons chicken pox is not so serious or dangerous disease. The effect of the virus differs from person to person.

Chicken pox can be more dangerous when adult, new born or pregnant woman is infected by the virus. Before 1995, annual death rate of the children was high as compare to deaths after invention of the chicken pox vaccine.

Infection: Normal healthy person can get infection through contact with Varicella infected patient. Sometime if, vaccine lost its effect then there is possibility of causing chicken pox.

Diagnosis of the chicken pox: Doctor can detect chicken pox by observing rashes and blisters. Even if you inform symptoms on phone doctor can give you primary treatment. Sometime patient need to do blood testing for confirmation. In blood, antibodies against varicella virus are present if he had chicken pox before. If the antibodies are absent then this confirms infection of the virus.

Symptoms of chickenpox: Symptoms in adults are similar to the symptoms in children.

In adults, early symptoms show drowsiness and fever before development of rashes. This symptom occurred in children after rash development on the skin
In adult, appearing of rashes and blisters starts from trunk, face and scalp then it spreads to the other body parts. Blisters can develop up to the 250 to 500 in number.
Three or more than three waves of the rashes can be occurred before the crust formation of the blister begins.
Patient shows other symptoms like cough, person do not feel like to eat, headache

Difference between chicken pox of children and adult

Rashes are red in color, warm to touch and can spread in the eyes also
Harsh coughing or problem can be created while breathing
Body temperature is much higher as compare to the children's; it is above 103 degrees
Muscle problem like stiffness in neck, cramps in limb muscles
Vomiting
Person is not able to co-ordinate the activities like walking and speaking
It shows secondary bacterial infection through skin blisters
Swelling in lungs and liver

Treatment:

Acyclovir Chickenpox affected adult is mostly treated by the acyclovir drug. This drug performs very important function in controlling multiplication of the virus. This medicine is available in the form of tablets or capsule as well as in the form of syrup.
Chicken pox vaccine Blood test gives confirmation of disease. If chicken pox vaccine is given to the infected person within three to five days of infection, it will decrease 90% severity of disease.

Complications of the disease

Chicken pox in adult shows more harmful effect as compare to the children. Only 5% of the adults are affected yearly. In these cases 55% of the patient caused death. Complications are given below

After rupturing of blisters, skin causes serious infection
Pneumonia
Infection can reached up to the joints and bones
Bacteria release some toxic chemicals in the body. These chemicals can cause fever, decrease in blood pressure, confusion or sometime patient can undergo comma
It can cause infection to the brain
Problem in bleeding
Cerebral ataxia -caused due to improper functioning of the cerebellum. It causes improper functioning of various activities like speech, walking and many more activities that are controlled by cerebellum.