Coping With Chicken Pox As An Adult

It first started with a little bit of cough and stuffy nose. The following day slight headache followed but nothing serious that would warrant me to visit the doctor. After all, it is not surprising to catch the flu because there were many people, particularly pedestrians in close contact that sneeze and cough daily.

I took some pain killers (panadol) and it seems to help. It's almost day 2 since since I experience signs of a flu but I reckon I am not going to succumb to it. I felt some itchiness and on my face and make it a appoint to apply itch relieving antiseptic cream every evening before I go to bed.

I got a rude shock and day 4 when I got up from bed and discovered rashes and sores all over my face. Even my scalp is covered with these tiny red spots sores that burst when I apply just minute pressure on it. I lifted my shirt and discovered rashes on my body and inner parts of my thighs.

I have no doubt that I have contracted chicken pox even I did not experience any pain or fever typical associated with this so called well known childhood disease. Perhaps the pain killer that I took days before the disease gets into full blown stage helps.

I went to work as usual in the morning and then decided to leave at noon to see the doctor. No doubt, the lady doctor wasted no time to confirm that I had chicken pox. I wasn't surprise at all as I anticipated that, thanks to the Internet which provides wealth of information on chicken pox symptoms.

Chicken pox is a common air borne spread disease and it is usually not fatal. Nevertheless there are situation whereby adults gets into complications due to their weak body immune system and dies as a result of it.

However it seems that adults experience more discomfort and takes longer time to recover from it. Well, I am in my mid 40s and luckily my body immune system is not too weak.

Apart from the standard skin lotion (I think it is called Calamine or something like that) the doctor also prescribed the antibiotic acyclovir. Acyclovir is an antiviral drug that helps to accelerate and shorten the time to recover from it. The brand name for it is Zovirax.

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The mechanism underlying 'Zovirax' in dealing with zoster is quite complex. In layman terms you can think of this wonder antiviral drug as some sort of compound that can trick the chickenpox virus into thinking it is human cell and diverting it from attacking and replicating through human cells.

I am glad that I have recovered fully from chickenpox and by the way, don't take it for granted that you once you have got it you will be immune from it for the rest of the life. It all depends on your body immune system.