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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes. A doctor can confirm chickenpox on camera, and some adults can take an antiviral medicine, which has to be started within 24 hours of the spots appearing.
- Usual course: spots appear 1 to 3 weeks after you catch it, turn into blisters and then scabs; it usually gets better within 1 to 2 weeks.
- Contagious: from 2 days before the spots appear until all of them have scabbed over, usually about 5 days after they first appeared.
- See a doctor: if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a weakened immune system, or the skin around the blisters becomes red, hot or painful.
- Emergency: call 112 for difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, a seizure or a severe headache with a stiff neck.
Do not book a video appointment if you are struggling to breathe, have chest pain, are confused or very drowsy, or have a seizure: call 112. If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, and you have chickenpox or have been near someone who has it, get urgent medical advice straight away rather than waiting.
Can an online doctor treat chickenpox?
Yes. Chickenpox is recognised by its rash, itchy spots that blister and then scab, and the rash shows well on camera. The doctor checks how unwell you are and whether you are in a group at higher risk of complications, and decides with you whether an antiviral medicine is worth starting. If you need a chest examination or hospital care, the doctor tells you where to go.
How an online consultation helps with chickenpox
- A clear diagnosis: On camera, the doctor looks at the spots, blisters and scabs, and tells you whether they fit chickenpox or something else, such as hand, foot and mouth disease or shingles.
- The 24-hour window: An antiviral medicine only helps when it is started within 24 hours of the spots appearing, so speed matters more than for most rashes.
- Complications checked: Breathing, fever and infected spots are checked, because chickenpox is usually more severe in adults.
- Advice on protecting others: Who to keep away from while you are infectious, including anyone who is pregnant, newborn babies and people with a weakened immune system.
What the doctor checks in an online chickenpox consultation
The consultation follows a fixed order, and the warning signs come first. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: breathlessness, a cough, chest pain, confusion, a severe headache or a stiff neck.
- Timing: when the first spots appeared, which decides whether an antiviral medicine can still help.
- The spots: where they are, how many there are, and whether the skin around any of them is red, hot or painful.
- Your health: pregnancy, breastfeeding, a weakened immune system, asthma and other long-term conditions, and the medicines you take.
- Contacts: who you live and work with, especially anyone pregnant, a newborn baby or someone having treatment that weakens the immune system.
Before the call, find a spot with good light so you can show the spots on camera, and note the time the first ones appeared.
Chickenpox symptoms in adults
The main sign is an itchy, spotty rash that can appear anywhere on the body. Adults often feel ill first: for up to 48 hours before the rash, many have a fever, aches, a headache, poor appetite or tummy pain, and feel generally unwell.
The first spots usually appear on the face, chest, back and tummy, often behind the ears and on the scalp, then spread to the arms and legs. They can stay in a small area or cover the whole body, with up to 500 blisters. The rash usually lasts 5 to 10 days, and all the blisters have usually crusted over within about a week.
The three stages of the spots
- Spots: small spots appear, anywhere on the body, including inside the mouth and around the genitals, where they can be painful.
- Blisters: the spots fill with fluid and become very itchy blisters, which may burst.
- Scabs: the blisters crust over into scabs. Some are flaky, and some leak fluid.
New spots keep appearing while the older ones blister and scab, so all three stages can be on the skin at once. On white skin the spots look red or pink; on brown or black skin they may be darker, or close to your skin colour, and harder to see.
How long does chickenpox last, and when are you contagious?
Chickenpox usually gets better on its own within 1 to 2 weeks. This is the usual course:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Stage | When | Contagious? |
|---|---|---|
| Catching the virus | Day 0 | Not yet |
| Feeling unwell, with a fever and aches | Up to 48 hours before the spots | Yes, from 2 days before the spots |
| The first spots | 1 to 3 weeks after catching it | Yes |
| Blisters and new spots | The first days of the rash | Yes |
| Every spot has scabbed | Usually about 5 days after the first spots | No longer contagious |
Stay off work and away from other people until every spot has scabbed over. The scabs can take one to three weeks to clear, and scratching can leave scars.
What causes chickenpox, and how it spreads
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It spreads through the air, when you are in the same room as someone who has it, and by touching fluid from the blisters. It is very catching: up to 90% of people who have never had it catch it after close contact. About 90% of cases in Europe are in children under 15.
Can you get chickenpox twice?
Rarely. One bout of chickenpox usually gives lifelong immunity, so most people only get it once; a second bout is possible but uncommon. People who have had the vaccine can still get chickenpox, but it is usually milder, with fewer spots and little or no fever. Their spots may not crust over, so they count as contagious until no new spots have appeared for 24 hours.
Shingles after chickenpox
After chickenpox, the virus stays inactive in the nerves, and it can wake up years later as shingles, a painful cluster of blisters. Shingles is more likely in older adults and people with a weakened immune system, and it only happens to people who have had chickenpox. You cannot catch shingles from someone with chickenpox, but someone with shingles can give chickenpox to a person who has never had it.
Why chickenpox can be more serious in adults
In healthy children, chickenpox is usually mild. In adults it is usually more severe, and complications are more common. The main ones are:
- Infected spots: bacteria get into scratched spots, and the skin around them turns red, hot, swollen or painful.
- Pneumonia: the virus can affect the lungs, causing a cough, breathlessness or chest pain.
- Dehydration: a fever and a sore mouth make it hard to drink enough.
- Asthma flare-ups: chickenpox can make asthma worse.
- Rare complications: inflammation of the brain, and problems with blood clotting that show as bruising or bleeding.
The risk is higher for people with a weakened immune system and in pregnancy. That is why the doctor asks about your health first, and why breathlessness is a reason to be seen promptly.
How to treat chickenpox at home
Most adults with chickenpox recover at home. Self-care eases the itch and protects the skin:
Do
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Take paracetamol for pain or discomfort, as the leaflet describes.
- Keep your nails short, and try not to scratch.
- Use a cooling cream or gel from a pharmacy.
- Bathe in cool water, and pat the skin dry.
- Wear loose clothing.
- Ask a pharmacist about an antihistamine for the itch.
Don’t
- take ibuprofen unless a doctor advises it, because it may lead to serious skin infections
- scratch the spots, which can cause scarring and infection
- go near anyone who is pregnant, newborn babies, or people with a weakened immune system
Antiviral tablets for chickenpox: who and when
Antiviral medicines do not cure chickenpox, but in adults they can shorten the fever and lower the risk of complications. They only help when they are started early: within 24 hours of the spots appearing.
That is why timing is the first thing the doctor asks about. If you are within the window and well enough to be treated at home, the doctor discusses whether an antiviral is right for you, taking your other medicines, kidneys, pregnancy and breastfeeding into account.
People with a severely weakened immune system usually need antiviral treatment through a drip in hospital, so for them the doctor arranges in-person care rather than tablets.
Which chickenpox treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on timing, how unwell you are and your health. This is the framework the doctors use, in line with NHS and dermatology guidance.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spots for less than 24 hours, otherwise well | Self-care, and a decision on an antiviral | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Spots for more than 24 hours, otherwise well | Self-care for the itch, fever and pain | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Red, hot or painful skin around blisters | Treatment for a skin infection | Yes | If the redness spreads fast or you feel very unwell |
| Pregnant or a weakened immune system | Urgent advice and a plan | Yes, to assess | Often, for assessment or hospital treatment |
| Breathlessness, chest pain or confusion | Emergency assessment | No | Call 112 now |
Spots that started in the last day? A doctor can tell you whether an antiviral is worth starting.
See available times →Treatment options for chickenpox
What you can do yourself
- Take paracetamol for a fever and aches.
- Use a cooling gel or cream, and ask a pharmacist about an antihistamine for the itch.
- Drink plenty, especially if your mouth is sore.
- Rest, and stay away from others until every spot has scabbed.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. If you are seen within 24 hours of the spots appearing, the doctor can prescribe an antiviral medicine when it is right for you. If spots become infected, the doctor can prescribe an antibiotic. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Ibuprofen is best avoided unless a doctor advises it, because it may lead to serious skin infections. Antibiotics do nothing for chickenpox itself, only for a bacterial infection on top. Scratching makes scarring and infection more likely.
Special situations
Pregnancy
Chickenpox affects about 3 in every 1,000 pregnancies. It can cause pneumonia, in about 1 in 10 pregnant women who get it, and premature labour, and it can affect the baby, especially in the first 20 weeks and around the birth. If you are pregnant and have chickenpox, or have been near someone with it and are not sure you have had it, get urgent medical advice straight away: a blood test can check your immunity. If you have had chickenpox before, you are immune and do not need to do anything.
Breastfeeding
If you are breastfeeding and have chickenpox, see a doctor, who can advise on feeding and on any medicine.
A weakened immune system
If your immune system is weakened by illness or treatment, chickenpox can be much more serious. Get urgent medical advice if you have it, or have been near someone who does.
Vaccination
A chickenpox vaccine exists, and it is part of the childhood schedule in some European countries. In the UK, children are offered it at 12 and 18 months as part of the MMRV vaccine, and in Ireland it is free for children born after 1 October 2024. If you have never had chickenpox and live with someone whose immune system is weakened, ask a doctor whether it is worth having. The vaccine is not given in pregnancy, and you should wait a month after the last dose before trying to get pregnant.
Travelling with chickenpox
Many airlines do not let you fly with chickenpox, so wait until every spot has crusted over, or check with your airline. Until then, keep away from other travellers, especially anyone pregnant, babies and people with a weakened immune system.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When chickenpox is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: confirming the diagnosis, deciding on an antiviral within the 24-hour window, itch and fever relief, infected spots in someone who is otherwise well, and advice on when you stop being contagious.
In-person care: breathlessness or chest pain, chickenpox in someone with a weakened immune system who needs hospital treatment, a pregnancy that needs assessment, spreading skin infection with fever, and any sign of a rare complication.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- difficulty breathing, or chest pain
- coughing up blood
- confusion, unusual drowsiness or a seizure
- a severe headache with a stiff neck
- spots that bleed, or bruising you cannot explain
Get medical advice the same day for:
- chickenpox, or contact with it, when you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system
- red, hot, swollen or painful skin around the blisters
- being more short of breath than usual
- symptoms that are getting worse rather than better
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about chickenpox: show the spots on camera in good light, and say when the first ones appeared.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s chickenpox? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Shingles can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about chickenpox in adults
Is chickenpox worse in adults?
Usually, yes. Chickenpox is often mild in children, but adults tend to feel more unwell and have more complications, such as infected spots and pneumonia. That is why adults should see a doctor early, ideally within 24 hours of the spots appearing.
What does chickenpox look like?
Chickenpox starts as small red or pink spots that fill with fluid and become itchy blisters, then crust into scabs, with all three stages on the skin at once. On brown or black skin the spots may be darker, or close to your skin colour, and harder to see.
Is it chickenpox or something else?
Chickenpox is the only common rash that shows spots, fluid-filled blisters and scabs together, spreading from the face and trunk outwards with a fever. Shingles is the same virus but stays in one band of skin on one side of the body; hand, foot and mouth disease puts blisters on the palms, soles and in the mouth; insect bites cluster on exposed skin without fever; and impetigo forms honey-coloured crusts, usually around the nose and mouth.
How does chickenpox start?
Chickenpox often starts with a fever, aches, a headache, loss of appetite and feeling unwell for a day or two. Then itchy spots appear, usually first on the face, chest, back and tummy, and spread to the arms and legs.
What causes chickenpox, and how do you catch it?
Chickenpox spreads through the air in droplets when someone with it coughs or sneezes, and by touching the fluid from the blisters or something it has been on; it is one of the most infectious illnesses there is, and most people who live with someone who has it will catch it unless they are immune. Symptoms start 1 to 3 weeks after contact, and the virus is passed on from 2 days before the spots appear.
How long is chickenpox contagious?
You can pass chickenpox on from 2 days before the spots appear until all of them have scabbed over, which is usually about 5 days after they first appeared. Stay off work and away from others until then, especially anyone pregnant, newborn babies and people with a weakened immune system.
Can adults take antiviral tablets for chickenpox?
Some can. An antiviral medicine for chickenpox can shorten the fever and lower the risk of complications, but it only helps when it is started within 24 hours of the spots appearing. A doctor decides whether it is right for you.
Can I take ibuprofen with chickenpox?
Not unless a doctor advises it, because ibuprofen may lead to serious skin infections in chickenpox. Paracetamol is the usual choice for pain and fever.
How long does chickenpox last in adults?
Chickenpox in adults usually gets better within 1 to 2 weeks. The spots stop being contagious once they have all scabbed, and the scabs can take one to three weeks to clear completely.
Can you get chickenpox twice?
Rarely. One bout usually gives lifelong immunity, and a second bout is possible but uncommon. People who have been vaccinated can still get chickenpox, but it is usually milder, with fewer spots.
Can you get shingles if you have had chickenpox?
Yes. After chickenpox the virus stays inactive in the nerves and can come back years later as shingles. You cannot catch shingles from someone with chickenpox, but someone with shingles can give chickenpox to a person who has never had it.
Can chickenpox be prevented?
Yes. A chickenpox vaccine, given as two doses, prevents most infections and makes the rest mild; it is part of the routine childhood schedule in several European countries and is worth asking about if you are an adult who has never had chickenpox, especially before pregnancy or if you work with children or vulnerable people. Keeping away from anyone with chickenpox until their spots have scabbed is the other protection.
What should I do if I am pregnant and have been near chickenpox?
Get urgent medical advice straight away, even if you feel well. Chickenpox in pregnancy can cause complications for you and the baby, and some treatments only work if they are given soon after contact.
Is chickenpox dangerous in pregnancy if you have already had it?
No. If you have had chickenpox before, you are immune and do not need to do anything. If you are not sure whether you have had it, get urgent medical advice after any contact with chickenpox: a blood test can check your immunity.
Can an online doctor treat chickenpox?
Yes. A doctor can confirm chickenpox on camera, advise on itch and fever relief, and prescribe an antiviral medicine within the 24-hour window when it is right for you. Breathlessness, chest pain or confusion need 112.
- Chickenpox, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 31 January 2025.
- Chickenpox, DermNet, New Zealand, updated July 2022.
- Chickenpox, HSE, Health Service Executive (Ireland), reviewed 29 August 2024.
- Chickenpox, NHS inform (Scotland), updated 25 June 2024.
- About chickenpox, CDC, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated 24 April 2024.
- Chickenpox: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic, updated 4 August 2026.
- Varicella: factsheet for health professionals, ECDC, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, updated 4 December 2023.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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