Adult Chicken Pox Symptoms Pictures - 39 Photos & Images

You will start to get symptoms around 10 to 21 days after you catch the virus.

The first symptoms of chickenpox include:
headache
fever
sore throat
backache
feeling generally unwell.

You may have these symptoms for a few days before you get any spots. Chickenpox spots are usually very itchy. They vary in size and appear in clusters on your skin, forming a rash. You will usually get small red spots on your face and scalp first, then they may spread to your chest, arms and legs. You may also get spots inside your mouth and nose.

The spots quickly become fluid-filled blisters surrounded by reddened skin. They may develop into pustules (blisters containing pus). After three to four days the blisters or pustules will then dry out and crust over to form scabs. The spots usually take around 16 days to heal completely.

Chickenpox is usually more severe in adults than children. Adults are more likely to have complications as a result of chickenpox and are more likely to be left with rounded, hollowed-out scars on the skin, known as 'pockmarks'.

In otherwise healthy people, chickenpox is usually a mild infection and serious problems are rare.

The most common problem linked with chickenpox in children is a bacterial infection in the spots. This causes the surrounding skin to become more red and sore. Your child's GP may prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.

Some children who have chickenpox are also at higher risk of developing otitis media (a middle ear infection). This is a common childhood infection where bacteria trapped in the Eustachian tube of the ear causes it to become red, swollen and inflamed. Hearing loss is a very rare result of this complication.

Chickenpox can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or pneumonia (an infection of the lungs), but this is rare. Varicella pneumonia is the most common complication in adults and causes wheezing and rapid breathing three to four days after the rash appears for the first time. Your GP will discuss appropriate treatment with you, which may include antiviral medication.

Up to eight days after the chickenpox rash develops, some people may become clumsy and unable to walk properly. This is called ataxia. It's caused by inflammation in a part of the brain called the cerebellum. This usually settles down on its own, but occasionally, other parts of the brain become affected and this can cause longer-term problems.