Contents:
- Medical Video: Chickenpox Treatment | Treatment For Chickenpox | Chickenpox Symptoms | Signs Of Chickenpox | 2018
- What are the consequences if chickenpox is not treated?
- 1. Shingles
- 2. Bacterial infections
- 3. Respiratory complications
- 4. Liver complications
- 5. Complications of the nervous system
Medical Video: Chickenpox Treatment | Treatment For Chickenpox | Chickenpox Symptoms | Signs Of Chickenpox | 2018
Chickenpox is an infectious disease that can spread easily and quickly. Chickenpox can have serious consequences for babies, children and adults who have never been vaccinated and people whose immune systems are weak.Therefore, chickenpox cannot be underestimated and must get proper medical treatment to avoid the risk of complications.
What are the consequences if chickenpox is not treated?
The following are five complications of chickenpox that need to be watched out.
1. Shingles
Chickenpox and herpes zoster are caused by the same virus, namely varicella zoster. After a person is infected with chickenpox, the virus is not completely eliminated from the body. Conversely, varicella will "fall asleep" in the body for years.
If later your body's immunity declines again, the chickenpox virus that was previously dead can come back to life and cause herpes zoster. Shingles is characterized by typical chickenpox red spots that extend in certain parts of the body. Generally, herpes zoster infects people over 50 years of age.
2. Bacterial infections
Untreated chickenpox can fully cause a subsequent bacterial infection. This secondary infection is usually caused bybacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.Both of these bacteria can cause impetigo or cellulitis.
Impetigo is a highly contagious skin infection. Spots due to impetigo are painful and reddened. These bacteria usually infect the face (crowding around the nose and mouth), and in the hands and feet. After breaking, the area of infected skin can expel fluid and yellowish brown color. Generally this infection occurs in children aged 2-5 years.
Meanwhile, cellulitis is a skin infection that attacks the soft tissue beneath it. Cellulitis causes the skin to swell red and feel hot which can spread quickly. Cellulitis can also spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream.
Both of these bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. But there is still a risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream, causing a condition called bacteremia. Bacteremia can cause pneumonia, inflammation of the lining of the brain (meningitis), arthritis (arthritis), to death.
3. Respiratory complications
Chickenpox that is left inflamed without adequate treatment can cause viral pneumonia. the reason is, the smallpox virus can enter the bloodstream and then infect the lungs. Viral pneumoniais the main cause deaths in adults associated with complications from chickenpox.
The risk factors include:
- Affected by chickenpox in old age
- Rash with more number of spots.
- Weakened immune system
- Exposed to smallpox during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester
- Smoke
4. Liver complications
Another complication of chickenpox that fails to be fully treated is inflammation of the liver or hepatitis. This condition usually causes no symptoms and will improve on its own. However, in some cases complications can lead to Reye's syndrome. This condition is potentially life-threatening, especially because of giving aspirin during infection with the virus. For that, avoid giving aspirin to people with chickenpox.
5. Complications of the nervous system
Ataxia can be a complication of serious chickenpox. Ataxia attacks the nervous system of the brain causing fever, difficulty walking, and speech disorders. Symptoms can last for weeks, but usually heal by itself.
Other complications are varicella meningoencephallitis. This condition can cause a decrease in sudden alertness, headaches, seizures, sensitivity to light, and neck pain. This condition tends to affect people whose immune systems are disrupted, including people infected with HIV.
