CHICKENPOX can affect anyone, but it's mostly seen in young children. 

For most people – especially when young – it's relatively harmless and usually gets better within one to two weeks at home.

What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a viral disease that causes sufferers to break out in a red, itchy rash and spots all over the body.

It is usually a mild illness and children often suffer from it in early childhood.

Once a person has overcome chickenpox, they will have immunity from it for the rest of their life.

This is why it is generally better to catch it as a child, as it is mostly milder and leads to life-long immunity.

Chickenpox is caused by the a herpes virus and is spread by sneezes, coughs, and coming into close contact with infected people.

Even if there are not a lot of spots, the NHS says the illness can still make children feel miserable due to how uncomfortable it is.

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What are the symptoms of chickenpox and when do you get a rash?

Someone with the chickenpox virus can be infected for up to three weeks before showing symptoms.

The main one is a rash and spots that develop all over the body in three stages.

In the first stage, small raised spots start to appear, usually around the chest and the face.

Over the next few days, these turn into blisters that can often fill with fluid and can become incredibly itchy.

In the final stage, the blisters dry out and start to scab over before the crust of the scab falls off.

Chickenpox is usually contagious until all of the spots on the body have scabbed over.

Most people who have already had it have developed an immunity for life, although the virus can develop later into shingles.

It is extremely rare, but possible, to catch it twice.

What happens if you get chicken pox as an adult?

Chickenpox is usually a mild illness in children but catching the disease as a teenager or adult can leave them with serious problems.

One of the risks associated with contracting chicken pox as an adult is that the rash could become infected, which can delay the healing process and leave scars.

Another frequent complication is patients developing an inflammation of the lung tissue, known as pneumonitis, which smokers are especially susceptible to.

Other complications that can arise in adults also include encephalitis ( inflammation of the brain) and pneumonia.

Is there a vaccine or treatment for chickenpox?

There is a vaccine for chickenpox but it is not part of the NHS childhood vaccination scheme.

The vaccine is only offered on the NHS to people who have a weakened immune system or could be put at risk by chickenpox and its complications.

It is given in the form of an injection that is delivered into the arm in two separate doses a few weeks apart.

For children who already have chickenpox, it is advised that they stay at home as they are highly contagious.

Parents can give them paracetamol to relieve fever and itching, but not ibuprofen, as it could make the infected child very ill.

Other treatments include calamine lotions and cooling gels to ease the itchiness of the skin and drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Can chickenpox lead to shingles?

Chickenpox and shingles are caused by the same virus, and in some people who have had chickenpox, the virus can reactivate later in life, causing shingles.

As well as a fever and headache, it causes a rash that develops into itchy blisters, much like chickenpox, and usually lasts around two to four weeks.

Shingles is not contagious, but you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles (if you haven't had chickenpox before).

NHS GP Jay Verma at the Shakespeare Health Centre in Hayes, West London, explained while there is an NHS vaccine scheme for shingles "it is only available for those aged 70 to 79".

He added: "A live vaccine, Zostavax (one dose) or Shingrix, a non-live vaccine but requires two doses two months apart, can be given.

"Immunology is vital for understanding how viral-related conditions cause an increase in morbidity and mortality rates.

"For example, the varicella-zoster virus, in the initial phases of the disease, is highly virulent.

"Later on, it would embed itself in the neural pathway only to emerge as shingles if re-activated – both potentially debilitating.

"Developing an immature immune response or waning antibodies throughout the life cycle could give rise to the individual catching chickenpox again, albeit this is a rare phenomenon.

"More work on studying the reasons for the re-infection by the virus is greatly needed."

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