Is it bad if I never got chicken pox?

Certainly, adults who never had it can still catch it, explained John L. Brodhead Jr., associate professor of clinical medicine. And when it hits adults, it can be a more formidable foe. Among other complications, chickenpox can bring on interstitial pneumonia, Brodhead said.

Can you get chickenpox at the age of 18?

Chickenpox is common and mostly affects children, although you can get it at any age. It usually gets better by itself after 1 to 2 weeks without needing to see a GP.

What is the oldest age you can get chicken pox?

Although most cases of chicken pox occur before age 10, adults who have never contracted the infection are still at risk. Can chicken pox be more severe in adults? Most people get chicken pox when they are young, but the symptoms can be more severe among people who catch the infection in an older age.

Can you get chicken pox after 50?

“Getting chicken pox as an adult is so rare that we consider anyone who is 50 years old to be immune from it. But Barbara Walters’ case shows this isn’t always true,” Marc Leavey, M.D., an internist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, told Newsmax Health.

Can you be a carrier of chicken pox and not have it?

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The virus spreads easily from people with chickenpox to others who have never had the disease or never been vaccinated.

How do you know if you are immune to chickenpox?

If you’ve never had chickenpox, or you’re unsure whether you’ve had it, you may need an immunity test. This is a blood test that checks whether you are producing the antibodies to the chickenpox virus. If your blood test result shows that you have the antibodies, you’ll be naturally protected from the virus.

What happens if you get chicken pox in your 20s?

Chickenpox symptoms in adults typically resemble those in children, but they can become more severe. The disease progresses through symptoms that start one to three weeks after exposure to the virus, including: Flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, body aches, and headache.

Can I get chicken pox at 65?

Although many people think of chickenpox as a childhood disease, adults are still susceptible. Also known as varicella, chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).