What are the symptoms of chicken pox?
Once the chicken pox virus enters into the body, it will multiply for 10-21 days without causing any problems. Then symptoms in form of fever, malaise, loss of appetite, headache start followed by appearance of the rash. The lesions usually appear first on the scalp, face or trunk. They spread to the rest of the body and start crusting in 24-48 hours. By 14th day of infection, blistering stops and most of the scabs fall off. A few weeks after this, the scars too disappear. Rarely does chickenpox leave lasting scars.

What are the complications of chicken pox?
The vesicles may get infected by bacteria and lead to pus formation. Rarely chicken pox virus can affect the brain and cause giddiness and inability to maintain balance. These symptoms may occur 2-6 days after the onset of rash. Recovery is rapid, usually within 24-72 hours, and usually complete. Sometimes the rash of chicken pox can be very extensive and can lead to bleeding. The internal organs of the body such as liver, lungs may also get affected. In such progressive chickenpox, it is better to hospitalize the patient. This progressive chicken pox occurs commonly in patients who have a poor immunity or are on drugs that suppress immunity such as patients on chemotherapy or patients on steroids.