Can you get chicken poxs multiple times, like more than 4, at any age?

Question

MY boyfriend told me that his mom gets chicken poxs all the time, and his son (who is 4) is on his second round. And that it is not dangerous to get chicken poxs.

Answer 1

Yes you can get chicken pox more than once but usually once is the normal and two times being the most..
How can you get it twice..If the first time that you have chicken pox it would not have been a severe case then you could get it again but that is usually the last time..
As for his Mom when you get "chicken pox" when you are older it is usually "Shingles" which can occur from an outbreak of chicken pox that then turn into shingles.. Your boyfriend says that his Mom gets it all the time it is not chicken pox or related to it.. It is probably Shingles and she should be checked by a Dr.
And yes depending on the age, Usually when an adult gets chicken pox, it can be dangerous, not fatal but can cause some, especially men, to become sterile.
But is not dangerous for children!!

Answer 2

UHM it is very dangerous to get chicken pox when you are an adult. Most people get it when they are children which is very contagious but safe. Unless the child is Immune compromised he/she should be just fine, after a week.

The most that one gets chicken pox in 1 lifetime is TWICE. It is very painful for a grown man to get chicken pox because it goes all the way to their balls and their balls can get swollen!

You can die from chicken pox either when you are immune compromised or if you are having it when you are an adult. As a child it is safe but not as an adult.
His mother and child SHOULD definitely go to the doctor and try and find out what exactly they have. It is very possible that the child has it again, but There is no record of anyone having it more than 2 times.
If by any chance, this is the first person in the world (his mom) to have it so many times then she should stay the hell away from the kid! IT is very contagious (aerial) and it is a very uncomfortable ailment!
GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!

Answer 3

Yes. You can get Chicken Pox Twice. I had it when I was 7 and again at 13. I had a very mild case the first time and had not built up a sufficing immunity, so I was still susceptable. That explanation came directly from my doctor.

Now to address what your boyfriend said about his mother. I believe that he must be mistaken about whatever his mom's condition is. She may have explained away something else as chicken pox, because she felt the issue at hand might not be something he can take or maybe understand. My understanding is that chicken pox is a one time disease, twice it your initial bout was insevere.

And, my grandmother had shingles at one time and it looks nothing like chicken pox, sorry guys.

Answer 4

I think this really depends on the person. I've met people who claimed they had sex when they were 5 years old, which I find ridiculous. Overall, it should be about your maturity. Is she a mature girl, or is she kind of childish? I would let that flavor your opinion of her decisions. Sex is something adults do because it can lead to some huge consequences and responsibilities (aka baby). So, do you see your friend as a young adult? Is she planning to practice safe sex? Does she love the boy she's going to do it with? There is definitely a right and wrong way to go about sex, and I'd say if she's kind of a childish girl who isn't going to use a condom/birth control nor does she care about the boy she's doing it with, she is probably making a mistake. On that note, I feel like she may be the mature type. I'm 25 and have yet to break the year-long relationship record. At 16, she's probably a sophomore/junior in High School, and has had time to develop her body and experience boys in other ways. Also, she's managed to stay with one boy for a year. If they've been faithful, and waited this long, it sounds like a fairly informed decision. Just do your best to make sure she is educated about safe sex and the consequences. If she seems too immature about it, maybe inform her parents or the boy's parents to put a stop to it. However, in the end, it's really her choice, and as long as she's not having sex with a legal adult (18+ years old) I would say the best option is to just educate her and let her make her own decisions. After all, they'll have sex if they really want to. Even parents can't stop it.

Answer 5

When adults get "Chicken Pox", it's called Small Pox at adult stage. However, it is a form of herpes, whether you're 6 or 60. There are many types of herpes, but chicken pox are a true rarity (and I mean rare) to occur even twice. Inform your boyfriend that his mother should be consulting a doctor ASAP. It sounds like there are more underlying conditions here.

Answer 6

For all the people that says you cant get chicken pox again are WRONG! You can get chicken pox again but its uncommon! Look it up at this web site>http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tphealth/0,,hfbc,00.html when you go to this web site make sure you scroll down (all the way down) beacuse when it first appears on the screen its blank but when you scroll down you can start reading!

Your boyfriend's mon may have herpes zoster!

HERES SOME FACTS!
Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is caused by the same virus responsible for CHICKEN POX! After the initial exposure, herpes zoster lies dormant in certain nerve fibers. It may become active as a result of many factors such as: aging, stress, suppression of the immune system, and certain medications.
Because of the layout of the nerves that herpes zoster resides in, it only affects one side of the body or face during an outbreak. It begins as a rash that lead to blisters and sores on the skin. When the nerve branch that supplies the eye is involved, the forehead, nose, and eyelids may also be affected. Sores on the nose are a key signal of possible eye involvement.

Many who experience this infection find it extremely painful. This acutely painful phase usually lasts several weeks; however, some continue to experience pain or neuralgia long after the outbreak has cleared. This is known as post-herpetic neuralgia.


There are some who after having a very mild case of chicken pox later have problems with a type of reactivation called herpes zoster or "shingles". Getting more than one episode of chicken pox has certainly been reported, but it is very uncommon in those people with normal immune systems. Those with immune deficiencies including HIV have a much increased risk of having more severe problems with viruses including the chicken pox virus.
Many viruses can give a rash on the skin which may be confused as being chicken pox. I suspect that many cases of "another" infection of chicken pox are really the first case with the previous infection having been misdiagnosed.

Answer 7

Alright.. that seems a little outrageous..

When I was 4, my 2 year old sister got chicken pox.. and I got a few little blisters and a fever.. nothing at all like what she got.. However.. when I was 12, and another of my sisters (4) got chicken Pox.. I got them BAD... spent hours in the tub.. you couldn't play connect the dots with them because they were already connected.. so.. I 'technically' got them twice.. but that's not normal..

Answer 8

Chicken Pox is a virus called Varicella Zoster. You can only get it once. Some elderly people contract the Zoster portion late in life when thier immune system wekens. This is commonly known as shingle. I would see the doctor.

Answer 9

Prevention of Chicken Pox (Varicella)

Chicken pox can be prevented through vaccination (now recommended by almost all major national health and public health groups). Recommendations are:


Children and Adolescents: Healthy children can be vaccinated, optimally at age 12 to 18 months or anytime through age 12, if they have no history of chicken pox. Adolescents 13 years and older who have no history of chicken pox, should receive two doses of vaccine four to eight weeks apart. Duration of immunity after vaccination is not completely known. Re-vaccination with a booster dose to sustain immunity through adulthood is currently being considered.


Adults: Two doses of varicella vaccine four to eight weeks apart are recommended for healthy adults with no history of chicken pox or previous vaccination. Health care workers, daycare workers, employees of colleges or residential facilities, family members of immunocompromised individuals, and others who live or work in environments in which transmission may be easy are particularly encouraged to receive vaccination.

Most adults who do not know their immune status are, in fact, immune. However, whenever there is a need to know, blood tests are available to check a person's immune status.

Answer 10

yes you can get chicken pox multiple times. I had them three times as a kid. My dad had MS and got them from the kids at school (he was a teacher) four times .. that made 5 for him. If your immune system is commprimised, (like with MS) yes you can. It may also be a kindred "Chicken pox" virus like shingles ( varicella zoster)