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Chickenpox (varicella) is a viral disease. And the disease is easiest to progress in childhood (from 3 to 10 years). Adults usually suffer from chickenpox in a very severe form, with further complications.

How to determine how old a child must be to “go looking for chickenpox”?

For each child, the age at which chickenpox is tolerated without consequences for health and appearance is different. It all depends on how developed the child is.

Is it possible to explain to him that it is impossible to scratch the rashes on the skin, as this will lead to a scar on the body?

Is it easy to captivate a child with quiet play in order to distract him from scratching the rash?

Will your baby react calmly to a home daily routine and diet?

When you understand that you can safely answer yes to all of the above questions, you can go in search of chickenpox!

This is, of course, a joke, since each organism itself knows at what age it is best to suffer this disease. There’s no point in “going for chickenpox” on purpose, so as not to pick up something else in the bouquet.

SYMPTOMS OF CHICKENPOX IN CHILDREN

The first manifestation of the disease is a rash on the body. Incubation period: from 10 days to 3 weeks.
The first signs may not appear immediately, but 21 days after contact with the virus.
The rash, initially similar to mosquito bites, quickly turns into blisters filled with water. The rash is present on the entire body, except for the feet and palms (unlike enterovirus infection).

A child is considered contagious for seven days after the first spot appears.

At the first sign of chickenpox in a child, you should call a doctor.
* avoid contact with water, so as not to spread the infectious liquid from the bubbles to healthy areas of the skin
* drink plenty of fluids and follow a diet (easily digestible food).

A disease that many people have known since childhood is chickenpox. Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a common disease that occurs mainly in children. The name chickenpox comes from its phenomenal contagiousness, because the ability to infect a person upon meeting is 100%. The first symptoms of chickenpox can be mistaken for a common cold. The disease begins to manifest itself with an increase in temperature from 39 and above, weakness, the appearance of fever, and if not for the rash that forms after a few days, one could attribute everything to the flu. The rash appears as blisters, and there is no order of rashes, as with other infections. After a few days, the bubbles begin to open and burst. After approximately the third day, when the last blister bursts and no new skin rashes appear, the person ceases to be contagious, regardless of the number of spots on the skin.

The resulting bubbles contain a virus; it is important to remember that they cannot be opened, since contact with the skin promises further diseases. The virus found in the blisters belongs to the third type of herpes; it is a close relative of the type of herpes that appears on a person’s nose and lips. Moreover, the causative agent of this infectious disease can be present in a person throughout his life, and manifest itself only when immunity decreases. Also, this class of diseases causes a serious illness called herpes zoster, which occurs in people aged 35 to 50 years, since this category is more susceptible to this type of infection.

Are there ways to prevent chickenpox? The first thing to do is get vaccinated. The first vaccination against chickenpox appeared in 1990. Nowadays, all children over the age of one year are vaccinated against chickenpox. When chickenpox appears, specific treatment methods are not needed. Parents of children should definitely pay a visit to the clinic so that the doctor notes the disease in the medical book, and then what is required is to use antipyretic drugs that contain paracetamol. When bubbles begin to open, they should be dried. No further treatment is required. Particular attention must be paid to medications for drying out blisters.

Good for this action. Under no circumstances should iodine be used, as this remedy causes an increase in an already high temperature. For adults who have a viral disease, it is not so convenient to use brilliant green or other bright-colored preparations, so you can get by with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A person with chickenpox should drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and be sure to stay in bed. You should not turn to traditional medicine, as the advice can have a detrimental effect on human health. Treatment for chickenpox is not as difficult as it seems; you should be patient and carefully follow the recommendations of your doctor.

A highly contagious disease. It is caused by type 3 herpes viruses, the so-called herpes zoster. It is believed that every person is 100% susceptible to it. The name is associated with the erroneous assumption that this type of smallpox, which was called chickenpox due to its relatively mild course. The effect of the herpes zoster virus on the body is similar to other forms of herpes that affect skin cells and nerve cells.

Chickenpox itself is not considered a dangerous disease, but in about 5% of cases it comes with complications. It is difficult for people with weakened immune systems, children over 12 years of age, and infants. During pregnancy, the virus can harm the fetus, the risk is especially high from 12 to 20 weeks and in the last week. If a woman has not had smallpox before conceiving a child, she will have to be tested for antibodies during pregnancy and, if she does not have protection against the type 3 virus, undergo a course of treatment with immunoglobulin.

This treatment is prescribed pregnant women to avoid fetal malformation, which is rare but occurs in women with chickenpox. For the same reason, a gynecologist may give a referral for an abortion due to the risk of giving birth to a sick child for women who contract chickenpox before 12 weeks of pregnancy. After birth, infants under 2 months of age can get chickenpox only in cases where infection has occurred:
- in utero, if a woman falls ill in the last week of pregnancy;
- with artificial feeding, because antibodies are transferred to the child along with mother's milk;
- when breastfeeding, if the woman has not had chickenpox and has not been vaccinated, since she does not have immunity;
- with severe immunodeficiency, for example, with cancer or AIDS.

More often chickenpox Children aged 4-7 years are affected. In our country, a child with chickenpox is isolated from other children, and he is in quarantine for 5-9 days from the onset of the first rash. In most European countries, patients with chickenpox are not restricted from communicating with children, since pediatricians there believe that it is best for the child to have chickenpox before going to school. In preschool children, chickenpox occurs more easily and quickly.

Adults Usually the disease is more severe than children. Therefore, you should not protect a preschool child from contact with someone with chickenpox. It’s better to let him get over chickenpox in kindergarten. Often, in adolescents and adults who have had chickenpox, scars remain on the body at the site of the rash, and in young children they heal without leaving a noticeable mark.

Has several stages. The gaps between them can be several decades. Both a child and an adult who has never been sick can become infected for the first time. The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets. It attaches to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, accumulates there and multiplies. This stage is asymptomatic for about 2 weeks, and the patient is not contagious.

Varicella zoster virus It is transmitted only from person to person. It does not survive in the body of domestic animals or in the external environment. The source of the primary infection becomes a patient in the acute stage of chickenpox: 1-2 days before the rash and within 4-7 days when pimples appear, and a patient in the acute stage of herpes zoster. Sometimes infection can occur through contact with the contents of pustules.

Gradually virus penetrates the blood, and then the immune system reacts to the foreign invasion. The temperature may rise, weakness, headache and lower back pain may appear. This period lasts 1-2 days, the patient is contagious. The first acute stage occurs when the virus takes hold in the cells of the spinal cord. A rash appears on the skin, which occurs periodically over the next 4-7 days. Sometimes it is subtle, which complicates diagnosis. The patient is contagious. The rash can appear anywhere, even under the hair and on the mucous membranes. It is not uniform in appearance, since the rashes appear on different days.

If with immunity everything is fine, after 4-7 days the rashes stop, the condition improves, the patient ceases to be contagious and recovers. But the virus firmly attaches itself to nerve cells and remains there for life. The secondary acute stage may appear many years later due to weakened immunity, including stress. This time, the rash appears most often in the armpits and abdomen, depending on which nerve is affected.

Secondary manifestation herpes zoster virus called shingles. There may be no skin manifestations; symptoms are limited only to pain. During the period of rashes, the patient is contagious, as with chickenpox, including for children. Severe forms of chickenpox are also dangerous because the rash can cover not only most of the entire body, but also spread to internal organs. There are cases when the cause of encephalomyelitis - inflammation of the brain - is a complication of chickenpox.

Before present time no method has been found to help completely destroy the herpes zoster virus. Once established in the body, it becomes practically impervious to antiviral and immune drugs. Therefore, chickenpox can be characterized as the first stage of a chronic disease of the herpes virus type 3. But after the first infection with chickenpox, a person develops a strong immunity. He no longer suffers from the first acute stage. Subsequent manifestations of the disease occur due to an existing virus. Therefore, many countries believe that it makes sense to vaccinate the population.

In our country they prescribe for treatment antihistamines to reduce itching, as well as antiseptics and antipyretics. Most often, for chickenpox, brilliant green is used for disinfection. But from an aesthetic point of view this is not always convenient. Therefore, more and more often recently, doctors recommend disinfecting wounds with a solution of potassium permanganate, fucorcin and yellow rivanol. It is important to know: it is impossible to treat pustules with alcohol and decoctions of medicinal herbs. Traditional methods of treatment can lead to infection in the wounds that form at the site of burst blisters. Antibiotics are not effective in treating chickenpox because the disease is caused by a virus.

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Everyone knows that chickenpox is a childhood disease. There is an opinion that it is best to get chickenpox in childhood, since adults suffer from it with great complications. Children, as a rule, tolerate the disease more easily, and immunity to this infectious pathogen is developed for life.

However, not all children feel equally well during acute periods of infection. Then, at what age is it better to get chickenpox? The most favorable age range is from 3 to 10 years. Why? Let's understand the intricacies of this disease.

The causative agent of chickenpox is considered to be herpes virus type 3. Its danger lies in the fact that the spread of “volatile” microorganisms occurs through airborne droplets. In other words, the sick person may not even come into direct contact with the sick person, because for infection it is enough to be close to the source. For example, in a closed room that is very rarely ventilated.

The period of development of the virus in the human body is from 2 to 3 weeks. During this time, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. In young children, the first symptoms appear unexpectedly and are associated with the following physical signs:

• the child becomes lethargic and inactive;
• a small pink rash forms en masse on the skin;
• a feverish state occurs with a temperature of up to 39-40 C;
• severe headaches and gastrointestinal upset.

The body actively fights throughout the entire period, as a result of which the lymph nodes enlarge. The rash multiplies quickly, the process is accompanied by severe itching. After a week, the spots are replaced by bubbles with liquid containing many live viruses. The blisters dry out after a while, forming crusts.

Chickenpox was initially considered a childhood disease, which is more easily tolerated in infancy, but complications develop in adults. It seems that this fully answers the question: at what age is it best to get chickenpox? It is not uncommon when, in order to develop immunity, parents themselves seek to infect their baby. It is important to take into account the age of the child, since preschoolers and primary schoolchildren tolerate the disease more easily than infants and adolescents.

Newborns are protected from infection by “transferred immunity” for up to six months. If a nursing mother had chickenpox in childhood, then her antibodies are naturally transferred to the baby through breast milk. But the effect subsides after six months, and the body becomes susceptible to the pathogen.

If natural nutrition continues until the age of 2, the child is much more susceptible to viral infections. To determine at what age it is better for a person to get chickenpox, in order to avoid most of the negative consequences, we will study the manifestations of herpes zoster among various categories of the population:

• newborns (0-6 months) – especially severe forms of chickenpox, if the mother has an infection during childbirth, as well as in the absence of breastfeeding;
• infants (1-2 years) – mild or hidden symptoms;
• young children (2-10 years old) – mild, moderate form of chickenpox;
• adolescents (11-17 years old) – most often a complicated infection;
• adults (20-60 years) – more than half of the cases are severe with painful consequences;
• elderly (65-80 years) – a manifestation of herpes zoster caused by the “awakened” Varicella Zoster virus.

Chickenpox that occurs in childhood, as a rule, does not require specialized treatment. In fact, methods of helping an infected person are aimed at relieving itching and limiting the spread of the rash. A daily change of bed linen and clothing is sufficient. The course of the disease will be greatly facilitated by bed rest and a balanced diet. A small child should be distracted from scratching blisters.

Having chickenpox as an adult is not shameful, but it is unpleasant. The course of the disease is much more dangerous than in children. In adults, intoxication of the body during illness occurs much more intensely and severely.

The rashes remain on the skin for a month, and are constantly renewed. Waves of acute attacks provoke the appearance of new pimples that appear next to the dried crusts. People who are sick are characterized by high temperatures – this is how the body reacts to the virus. An elderly patient, at the prodromal stage 1-2 days before the rash, will feel severe chills, weakness, burning and sore throat. In rare cases, the condition may be complicated by nausea.

People who had chickenpox in Soviet times are sure that brilliant green will help relieve itching. But world practice does not recognize aniline dye solution as an effective medical product. Its optimal benefit (to better control the rash and get chickenpox in a green dot) is to indicate new pimples. Then the doctor will be able to tell exactly when a patient of any age will begin a period of recovery. No matter what age a person is, chickenpox becomes non-contagious five days after the last new element of the rash is detected on the skin.

Another drug, which is a precursor prohibited for free sale in many countries, is still widely popular in Russia. After all, a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) dries out irritated skin tissue. In addition, it disinfects emerging wounds.

Chickenpox greatly weakens the immune system; scratched blisters can cause complications in the form of abscesses, boils and other purulent inflammations. People prone to allergies need to take antihistamines.

Chickenpox in adults can cause much more dangerous bacterial infections. A weakened immune system may not be able to cope with the threat, allowing serious diseases to affect the body:

• meningitis, encephalitis;
• pneumonia;
• all types of hepatitis;
• myocarditis and many others.

Chickenpox is dangerous at any age, but it is most dangerous for a woman while pregnant. Young girls can be advised to be more attentive to their own health and think about the future generation. Just ask your parents about the age at which you had chickenpox. Or do tests for the presence of antibodies to this pathogen in the blood. If it is found that there is no protection, then an effective vaccine can be purchased.

A pregnant girl who contracts primary chickenpox risks not only her life, but also the life of her baby. The herpes virus negatively affects the development of the fetus. Quite rare, but the question may arise about the further preservation of the child, this is especially true if the body of the expectant mother is infected during the period from the 14th to the 20th week of pregnancy. In the second and third trimester, the fetus is already protected by the placenta.

The influence of the chickenpox pathogen on an adult girl at the very end of pregnancy is also dangerous. Before birth, 3-4 days later, infection with type 3 herpes can lead to a congenital infection in the baby. The reason for this is very simple. His own immunity has not yet formed, and maternal antibodies have not yet developed. Therefore, during the birth process, viruses are transmitted, which are immediately introduced into the child’s circulatory system.

We can conclude that it is much easier and simpler to get chickenpox in preschool age. The immunity developed during this period will protect the body from re-infection. There is a common misconception that subsequent illness from chickenpox is impossible. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true. In any case, the manifestation of reinfection does not depend on the age at which a person had chickenpox. Everything is based on general health and strong immunity.

Many people, and especially responsible parents, are interested in the question of at what age is it better to get chickenpox. And this is not surprising, because an “inappropriate” period is fraught with serious complications and, in especially serious cases, death.

Let's consider whether this is actually true, whether it is worth deliberately trying to infect your child, what consequences this may have, and at what age chickenpox is more easily tolerated.

General symptoms

Everyone experiences chickenpox differently - the course of the disease is highly individual and depends on many factors:

• Age category;
• Immunity status;
• Genetic predisposition;
• Tendency to allergic reactions;
• Chronic diseases.

The first symptoms of the Varicella Zoster virus entering the body are usually the following:

• Increase in body temperature to low-grade fever or higher;
• Lethargy, headache, irritability;
• Chills, fever;
• In rare cases, nausea.

They appear 1-3 weeks after infection and occur at the end of the incubation period. The following symptoms are the well-known rashes that begin to appear as small pink spots on the head. During this period, it is very important to start observing bed rest in order to reduce the risk of negative consequences. Over time, up to 7 days after the first manifestations, the spots turn into vesicles filled with exudate - liquid with a huge concentration of the virus. The wave-like manifestation of the infection will cause your overall health to fluctuate, periods of improvement are replaced by new rashes. The entire course of the disease lasts up to 2-3 weeks, after which the person remains infectious for about 5 more days, but no longer experiences the above symptoms.

How do children get chickenpox?

Many parents think about what age is best to get chickenpox. Some rely on their own experience or friends, which, of course, is not entirely correct based on the different course of the disease, even for parents and children. To find out for sure, you should consult an infectious disease doctor.

• 0-6 months – it is extremely difficult, especially if the virus is received from the mother during pregnancy.
• 1-2 years – the disease passes very easily or is completely unnoticed by the carrier.
• 3-10 years – the course of the infection is mild, the percentage of complications is extremely low.
• 11-18 years old – as a rule, it occurs in a fairly severe form.

As you can see, the older the child becomes, the more difficult the disease is, if you do not take into account newborns. The best period for the disease is considered to be from 3 to 10 years, when the likelihood of complications is minimized, and the virus itself manifests itself without severe intoxication. But there is no definite answer about at what age it is better for a girl or boy to get chickenpox. Since the likelihood of complications is always there, although it is not so great for children of preschool age or primary school.

How do adults cope with chickenpox?

If you are wondering at what age is it better to get chickenpox, then first you need to understand how this disease occurs in adults.

• 20-60 years – the frequency of complications is around 6-7% of the number of cases. Nevertheless, it is 6 times higher than for children. The course of the disease is usually severe and often requires contacting an infectious disease specialist.
• 60-80 years – the probability of complications is up to 20%. That is, every 5 people who fall ill in this category develop negative consequences and severe complications in the form of herpes zoster or other pathologies. This group accounts for 25-50% of all deaths from chickenpox.

When is the best time to get chickenpox?

The above statistics clearly explain why it is better to get chickenpox in childhood. Moreover, the most suitable period is 3-10 years. Of course, this disease cannot be postponed. Especially when planning a pregnancy, it is unreasonable not to acquire immunity that will be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta. Chickenpox in adults is no less dangerous than other infectious diseases for which vaccinations are given in childhood. Moreover, it is dangerous not only for the mother, but also for the fetus.

But whether it is necessary to deliberately infect yourself and your children to help them avoid complications in the future is a controversial issue. Since, no matter what age children suffer from chickenpox, the likelihood of a severe infection and even death is present, it is not advisable to deliberately expose the child to danger.

The best solution is to keep the child safe. For example, getting a vaccination is when a weakened virus is introduced into the body and antibodies are produced with its help. This is much safer than “going to visit” the sick in order to deliberately get sick, because there the virus will not be weakened at all.

The answer to the question of at what age is it better for a boy or girl to get chickenpox - this is preschool or primary school years, but this does not mean that the procedure is mandatory. Nor does it mean that the consequences of the virus in adulthood will be more severe. Chickenpox is a rather unpredictable disease and the safest way to develop antibodies to it is still vaccination.

In conclusion, let’s say that it is better not to get chickenpox at all, like any other disease. But the issue of intentional infection and possible complications for each age group was nevertheless considered, and we hope this helped you draw some conclusions about at what age it is better to get chickenpox.