Causes And Symptoms Of Chicken Pox
Chicken pox is a viral infection that causes rashes on the skin. It is a highly contagious disease and is mostly seen in children below fifteen years of age. If it affects adults and infants then it will be more severe.
Once a person gets chicken pox then he will develop life long immunity against this disease. Chicken pox spreads through air as the air contains exhaled particles from the infected person.
It also spreads through direct contact and by contact of used articles of the infected person. The patient spreads the virus five days prior and five days after the appearance of rashes.
Causes of Chicken Pox
Chicken pox is caused by a virus called “Varicella Zoster” which is otherwise called human herpes virus 3. Infants when weaned from breast milk to formula milk may have a chance to develop chicken pox. People having sensitive skin are more prone to this disease.
Symptoms of Chicken Pox
The infected person first shows the symptoms of fever and he may experience burning sensation in the eyes. Eyes may become red and watery. After two or three days the infected person may develop pink rashes on the skin which will turn in to blisters with in two or three hours. In one or two day’s time the fluid inside the blisters will turn in to cloudy fluid and that oozes out. Then the blister starts to crust.
Most probably rashes appear first on the face and the body and there after it spreads to limbs, scalp, hands etc. It may also affect the mucous membrane of the mouth and genitals. The number and the size of blisters vary from person to person.
Symptoms of chicken pox lasts for about 10 to 12 days and the symptoms will be severe and longer in adults. When the chicken pox is settling the blisters turns in to scabs and slowly dries up. The infected person may develop blisters inside the digestive tract also.
Now a day vaccination against chicken pox virus is available and it provides life long immunity.
