Chickenpox is caused by varicella-zoster virus. The disease is contagious and can be serious in babies and adults as well. The disease initiates with blister like rashes that appear first on your back, face or stomach. The rashes spread all over the body and cause itching & burning sensations. All this is often accompanied by fever, dizziness, headache and fatigue.

How does one get chickenpox?

As mentioned above, chickenpox is a highly contagious disease which can easily spread from one person to another. Some instances are:

•    Inhaling the air exhaled by someone who already has chickenpox
•    Coming in contact with the fluid of their blisters
•    Touching their blisters
•    Touching things that have been contaminated by fluid or breath of the person with chickenpox

A person is infectious 2 days even before he/she develops the rashes and stays infectious till the blisters go away completely.

How to be sure if what you have is a Chickenpox?

If you haven’t got chickenpox ever, then the chances are high that you will get it if you come in contact with an infected person. The chickenpox rashes are easily recognized by the doctors, though the problem has become less common since we have a vaccine for it.

Can one get chickenpox twice?

No, one cannot get chickenpox twice however the virus can make you sick twice. If you have had it once, the virus remains in your body but inactive. Certain conditions like weakened immune system or old age can reactivate the virus later in life, which will not cause chickenpox but a condition called shingles.

Shingles is a condition similar to chickenpox in which you get painful rash of blisters. The rash in this usually develops on the side of the face or body and lasts for about three weeks. It can also lead to fever, pain and uneasiness.

Getting vaccinated for chickenpox after you have had it doesn’t prevent you from getting shingles. Though, the chances of getting the same are really low.

Does one definitely get chickenpox once in their lifetime?

It is quite achievable that one may never suffer from chickenpox in their whole life. This is possible because vaccinations for chickenpox are easily available in the market for adults and kids. And even in a rare case where one in not vaccinated, it is not compulsory that he/she has to get it once.

There is a possibility, that person may already have developed antibodies against the problem or never encounters an infectious environment.

Chickenpox & Pregnancy

At the time of pregnancy, there is a slightly higher risk of developing pneumonia with chickenpox. There is also a risk of passing the infection further on to the fetus.

If infection happens during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, there is a higher risk of fetal varicella syndrome, which can lead to scarring, eye problems, brain drainage and shortened arms or legs.

If the infection occurs later in pregnancy, the varicella can be transmitted directly to the fetus and the baby can be born with varicella.