If you have chicken pox as a kid can you get them again when you're and adult?

Question

I had them when I was 4 and now im 20 and have spots

Answer 1

Once you have chickenpox, you are considered immune; you will not have a serious infection again, but you may have a mild infection (called a breakthrough infection). Generally, if the virus becomes active again, it will not result in chickenpox but can cause shingles, or herpes zoster.

Answer 2

I personally had chicken pox 3 times as a child, at the ages of 1 1/2, 7 and 13, and shingles as an adult in my late 20's. So although most medical experts agree your body builds an immunity after your first case. Anything is possible. Just a sidenote, shingles are confined to one side of your body and usually in tight patches, not spread all over the body as chicken pox do. But I'd recommend you see a dr because it could be so many other things.

Answer 3

Yes you sure can have Chicken Pox more than once in your life. Chicken Pox is actually a form of herpes called HHV-3 (Human Herpes Virus - 3) and like the other forms of herpes, it will always be in your body. The difference between chicken pox and other forms of herpes such as genital herpes(HHV-2) is that once the body has encountered chicken pox, it can create the antibodies to prevent another infection. But like any other form of herpes, it has the ability to have a relapse. What makes different people more susceptible than others can be many different factors. If you do have it again, it isn't something to be overly worried about because according to wikipedia, secondary infections are rarely severe.

Answer 4

Yes, you can, except if you are an adult and have already had them once, then it's called Shingles, not Chicken Pox.

Answer 5

No you can't get the Chicken Pox a second time but you can get the Shingles from the virus that gave you Chicken Pox. It lies dormant for years but can flare up at any time.

Answer 6

In some people, the chicken pox thingamagig can resurface...it's not that you catch it again but rather that it never left...and you get shingles.

But check webmd to make sure because if it is shingles then you are contagious to people and children that have never had chicken pox.

Answer 7

Chicken Pox a second time but you can get the Shingles from the virus that gave you Chicken Pox. It lies dormant for years but can flare up at any time.

Answer 8

Your immunity must have worn down because it was a mild case before. Or it is a slightly different strain...I think maybe youg get what I get as far as welts are concerned. My stress will cause recurring spots. I get a form of shingles and large nasty welts break out on my body. It was diagnosed as shingles. But all I know is I will go through stress in my life, divorce, tests, long financial problems and suddenly I feel one of these stress welts breaking. They don't last long but I get them every so often especially around my waist. I know then it is time to slow down, relax and heal and they go away.

Answer 9

i always thought no, but a friend of mine had them when he was 2 or 3 (yes, i talked with his mom... he wasn't lying) and he got them again last year at 21. he wasn't afflicted so badly the last time, but badly enough. very odd.

Answer 10

I know when you are an elderly person chickenpox comes back as shingles which is bad, contagious and hurts like a dickens.