Symptoms of Chickenpox

List of symptoms of Chickenpox:

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Chickenpox includes the 19 symptoms listed below:

• Early symptoms - often preceding the rash symptoms
  • Aching
  • Tiredness
  • Headache
  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Malaise
• Rash symptoms
  • Itchy skin rash
  • Blister-like rash
  • Itchy blisters
  • Scalp blisters
  • Mouth blisters
  • Throat blisters
  • Genital blisters
  • Scabbing of blisters
• Additional symptoms in adults:
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Aches and pains

Note that Chickenpox symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Chickenpox signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.

More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.

Research More About Chickenpox

Do I have Chickenpox?

• Chickenpox: Introduction
• Chickenpox: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
• Home Diagnostic Testing
• Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Chickenpox
• How serious is it?
• Treatments for Chickenpox
• More about Chickenpox

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical tests related to Chickenpox:

• Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
  • Home Fever Tests
  • Home Ear Infection Tests
  • Home Flu Tests

Wrongly Diagnosed with Chickenpox?

The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Chickenpox includes:

• Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS)
• Herpes simplex
• Herpes zoster
• Contact dermatitis
• Scabies

See the full list of 17 alternative diagnoses for Chickenpox

More about symptoms of Chickenpox:

More information about symptoms of Chickenpox and related conditions:

• Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
• Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of Chickenpox
• Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Chickenpox
• Underlying causes of Chickenpox
• Associated conditions for Chickenpox
• Risk factors for Chickenpox

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

• Aches and pains - see all causes of Aches
• Aching - see all causes of Aches
• Blister-like rash - see all causes of Blisters
• Early symptoms
• Fever - see all causes of Fever
• Flu-like symptoms - see all causes of Flu-like symptoms
• Genital blisters - see all causes of Genital sores
• Headache - see all causes of Headache
• Itchy blisters - see all causes of Blisters
• Itchy skin rash - see all causes of Itchy rash
• Malaise - see all causes of Malaise
• Mouth blisters - see all causes of Mouth ulcers
• Rash symptoms - see all causes of Rash
• Scabbing of blisters - see all causes of Scabs
• Scalp blisters - see all causes of Scalp symptoms
• Sore throat - see all causes of Sore throat
• Throat blisters - see all causes of Throat ulcers
• Tiredness - see all causes of Tiredness

Medical Books Online about Chickenpox

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Chickenpox are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Chickenpox.

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

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Symptoms of Chickenpox: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Chickenpox.

Herpes zoster: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Herpes zoster begins with fever and malaise. Within 2 to 4 days, severe deep pain, pruritus, and paresthesia or hyperesthesia develop, usually on the trunk and occasionally on the arms and legs in a dermatomal distribution. Pain may be continuous or intermittent and usually lasts from 1 to 4 weeks. Up to 2 weeks after the first symptoms, small red nodular skin lesions erupt on the painful areas. (These lesions typically spread unilaterally around the thorax or vertically over the arms or legs.) Sometimes nodules don't appear at all, but when they do, they quickly become vesicles filled with clear fluid or pus. About 10 days after they appear, the vesicles dry and form scabs. (See Recognizing shingles.) When ruptured, such lesions usually become infected and, in severe cases, may lead to the enlargement of regional lymph nodes; they may even become gangrenous. Intense pain may occur before the rash appears and after the scabs form.

Occasionally, herpes zoster involves the cranial nerves, especially the trigeminal and geniculate ganglia or the oculomotor nerve. Geniculate zoster may cause vesicle formation in the external auditory canal, ipsilateral facial palsy, hearing loss, dizziness, and loss of taste. Trigeminal ganglion involvement causes eye pain and, possibly, corneal and scleral damage and impaired vision. Rarely, oculomotor involvement causes conjunctivitis, extraocular weakness, ptosis, and paralytic mydriasis.

In rare cases, herpes zoster leads to generalized central nervous system infection, muscle atrophy, motor paralysis (usually transient), acute transverse myelitis, and ascending myelitis. More commonly, generalized infection causes acute urine retention and unilateral diaphragm paralysis. In postherpetic neuralgia, most common in elderly persons, intractable neurologic pain may persist for years. Scars may be permanent.

Patients with immunodeficiency disorders may develop disseminated zoster. Lesions are bilateral and not limited to dermatomal distribution.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Varicella: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Chickenpox produces distinctive signs and symptoms, notably a pruritic rash. During the prodromal phase, the patient has slight fever, malaise, and anorexia. Within 24 hours, the rash typically begins as crops of small, erythematous macules on the trunk or scalp. It progress to papules and then clear vesicles on an erythematous base (the so-called dewdrop on a rose petal). These become cloudy and break easily; then scabs form.

The rash spreads to the face and over the trunk of the body, then to the limbs, buccal mucosa, axillae, upper respiratory tract, conjunctivae and, occasionally, the genitalia. New vesicles continue to appear for 3 or 4 days, so the rash contains a combination of red papules, vesicles, and scabs in various stages.

Congenital varicella causes hypoplastic deformity and limb scarring; retarded growth; and central nervous system and eye manifestations. In progressive varicella, an immunocompromised patient may have lesions and a high fever for over 7 days.

Severe pruritus with this rash may provoke persistent scratching, which can lead to infection, scarring, impetigo, furuncles, and cellulitis. Rare complications include pneumonia, myocarditis, fulminating encephalitis (Reye's syndrome), bleeding disorders, arthritis, nephritis, hepatitis, and acute myositis.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Herpes zoster: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

Herpes zoster usually runs a typical course with classic signs and symptoms. Serious complications sometimes occur.

Onset of disease

Herpes zoster begins with fever and malaise. Within 2 to 4 days, severe deep pain, pruritus, and paresthesia or hyperesthesia develop, usually on the trunk and occasionally on the arms and legs in a dermatomal distribution. Pain may be continuous or intermittent and usually lasts from 1 to 4 weeks.

Skin lesions

Up to 2 weeks after the first symptoms, small, red, nodular skin lesions erupt on the painful areas. These lesions commonly spread unilaterally around the thorax or vertically over the arms or legs. Sometimes nodules don’t appear, but when they do, they quickly become vesicles filled with clear fluid or pus.

About 10 days after they appear, the vesicles dry and form scabs. (See Skin lesions in herpes zoster.) When they rupture, such lesions commonly become infected and, in severe cases, may lead to the enlargement of regional lymph nodes; they may even become gangrenous. Intense pain may occur before the rash appears and after the scabs form.

Cranial nerve involvement

Occasionally, herpes zoster involves the cranial nerves, especially the trigeminal and geniculate ganglia or the oculomotor nerve. Geniculate zoster may cause vesicle formation in the external auditory canal, ipsilateral facial palsy, hearing loss, dizziness, and loss of taste.

Trigeminal ganglion involvement causes eye pain and, possibly, corneal and scleral damage and impaired vision. Rarely, oculomotor involvement causes conjunctivitis, extraocular weakness, ptosis, and paralytic mydriasis.

Rare complications

In rare cases, herpes zoster leads to generalized central nervous system infection, muscle atrophy, motor paralysis (usually transient), acute transverse myelitis, and ascending myelitis. More commonly, generalized infection causes acute retention of urine and unilateral paralysis of the diaphragm. In postherpetic neuralgia, a complication most common in elderly patients, intractable neuralgic pain may persist for years. Scars may be permanent.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Varicella: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

Varicella produces distinctive signs and symptoms, notably a pruritic rash. During the prodromal phase, the patient has slight fever, malaise, and anorexia. Within 24 hours, the rash typically begins as crops of small, erythematous macules on the trunk or scalp that progress to papules and then clear vesicles on an erythematous base (the so-called “dewdrop on a rose petal”).

The vesicles become cloudy and break easily; then scabs form. The rash spreads to the face and, rarely, to the extremities. New vesicles continue to appear for 3 to 4 days, so the rash contains a combination of red papules, vesicles, and scabs in various stages. Occasionally, varicella also produces shallow ulcers on mucous membranes of the mouth, conjunctivae, and genitalia.

Congenital varicella causes hypoplastic deformity and scarring of a limb, retarded growth, and central nervous system and eye manifestations. In progressive varicella, an immunocompromised patient will have lesions and a high fever for more than 7 days.

CLINICAL TIP: Severe pruritus with varicella may provoke persistent scratching, which can lead to infection, scarring, impetigo, furuncles, and cellulitis. Rare complications include pneumonia, myocarditis, fulminating encephalitis (Reye’s syndrome), bleeding disorders, arthritis, nephritis, hepatitis, and acute myositis.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Chickenpox:

Facts About Chickenpox (Varicella): CDC-OC (Excerpt)

Chickenpox has a characteristic itchy rash, which then forms blisters that dry and become scabs in 4-5 days. The rash may be the first sign of illness, sometimes coupled with fever and general malaise which is usually more severe in adults. An infected person may have anywhere from only a few lesions to more than 500 lesions on their body during an attack (average 300-400). (Source: excerpt from Facts About Chickenpox (Varicella): CDC-OC)

Shots for Safety - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Early symptoms include aching, tiredness, fever, and sore throat. Then, an itchy, blister-like rash appears. (Source: excerpt from Shots for Safety - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Chickenpox as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Chickenpox, it is also important to consider Chickenpox as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Chickenpox may cause:

• Abdominal pain
• Atypical pneumonia
• Basophilia
• Bronchitis
• Chest pain
• Chickenpox
• Corneal anaesthesia
• Facial pain
• Kaposi varicelliform eruption
• Keratitis
• Lymphocytoma cutis
• Oral ulceration
• Pancreatitis, acute
• Ramsay Hunt syndrome
• Scleritis
• Shingles
• VDRL positive
• Vesiculo-bullous rash

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

• Diagnostic Testing for a Diagnosis of Chickenpox
• Research Alternative Diagnoses for Chickenpox
• How serious is Chickenpox?
• More about Chickenpox
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Lesser known silent killer diseases
• Books on signs and symptoms

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Chickenpox:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Chickenpox. This signs and symptoms information for Chickenpox has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Chickenpox signs or Chickenpox symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Chickenpox may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Chickenpox symptoms.