What Is Varicella?
4. Complications
Between the itchy rash and the other symptoms, such as fever and malaise, chickenpox can make you miserable before it runs its course. However, most infections are relatively mild, especially when occurring in school-age children. Chickenpox infection can be more severe in adults, infants, and people with a compromised immune system.1https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chickenpox/symptoms-causes/syc-20351282
Serious complications of chickenpox include secondary infections such as pneumonia and encephalitis, which is swelling of the brain.2https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chickenpox Scratching the blisters can also expose you to skin infections that may spread to the bloodstream, joints, soft tissues, or bones. Finally, breaking the blisters open by scratching or disturbing the scabs can also cause scarring which, though not life-threatening, it may be an unwanted complication.
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