Chickenpox can also lead to severe problems in pregnant women, causing stillbirths, birth defects, or infection of the newborn during childbirth.Ĭhickenpox, also known as varicella, is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Other complications are encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and hepatitis. The most common complications of chickenpox are skin infections and pneumonia. The risk of complications is highest in people with compromised immune systems, newborns, and adults. About 14,000 people are hospitalized because of chicken pox and approximately 100 people die of chickenpox every year. Males (both boys and men) have a higher risk for a severe case of chickenpox than females.Ĭhickenpox is typically a benign, self-limited disease, but serious complications can arise. According to the Mayo Clinic, the following physical signs indicate that you should go to the doctor: Fever lasting longer than four days or exceeding 102 degrees Fahrenheit rash spreads to your eyeballs rash appears infected dizziness tremors stiff neck and increased vomiting or coughing.Īdults have the greatest risk for dying from chickenpox, with infants having the next highest risk. In most cases, people can treat chicken pox at home, as it works its way through the body in about a week. Fortunately, since the introduction of the vaccine in 1995, hospitalizations have declined by nearly 90 percent, and there have been few fatal cases of chickenpox. It can cause hospitalization and, in rare cases, death. Although adults make up fewer than 5 percent of chickenpox cases in the United States, they account for half of the deaths from the disease.Ĭhickenpox (varicella) rarely causes complications, but it is not always harmless. Those at highest risk for complications are newborns, persons with weakened immune systems, and adults. Although most people recover from chickenpox uneventfully or with a few minor scars, a small percentage suffers more serious complications. In temperate climates, most cases occur in the late winter and spring.Īlthough most people think that chickenpox is always a mild disease, deaths from chickenpox continue to occur in the United States. In the United States, chickenpox affects about 4 million persons per year, mostly children. Almost everyone gets chickenpox by adulthood.
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