Having Chickenpox In Childhood Leads To The Risk Of Shingles Later In Life.

[LoShiNi]

Most of us had chickenpox when we were children. But the varicella zoster virus that causes the disease doesn’t go away. It can manifest decades later in the form of shingles.

Shingles (also known as herpes zoster) is a viral infection which manifests in a painful rash. The rash can affect almost any part of your body, but the most commonly affected area is the waist. Rashes around the eye, on the forehead, and neck are also common. It appears in a form of stripe of blisters on one side of your body.


Shingles isn’t dangerous, but it can certainly make your life uncomfortable. There are vaccines available, but they only decrease the risk, not eliminate it completely. It’s important to start treatment as soon as possible to make shingles go away quicker and lower the risk of complications.

Symptoms of shingles include:

>> pain, burning, numbness or tingling in the affected area;
>> sensitivity to touch;
>> a red rash that appears several days after the pain;
>> fluid-filled blisters that break and crust over;
>> itching.


In some cases, people have the following symptoms:

>> fever;
>> headache;
>> photosensitivity;
>> extreme tiredness.


If you notice the symptoms of shingles, call your doctor right away, particularly if:

>> the rash is around your eye – the infection can cause irreversible damage to the eye and even lead to loss of vision;

>> your age is 60 and older – the older you are, the higher the risk of complications is;

>> you or someone around you has a weakened immune system;
the rash is large and hurts a lot.

The virus that causes shingles is contagious. If you have shingles blisters that haven’t scabbed over, you should refrain from physical contact with people who haven’t had chickenpox or chickenpox vaccine. You should stay away from people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and infants especially.


Factors that raise the risk of having shingles are the following:

>> age – most cases of shingles develop in people older than 50;

>> having a disease that impairs your immune system, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer;

>> receiving cancer treatment;

>> using certain medicines, such as steroids.

Complications resulting from shingles are the following:

>> postherpetic neuralgia – that’s when the pain doesn’t go away after shingles infection passes;

>> loss of eyesight;

>> neurological issues, such as encephalitis, facial paralysis, or hearing or balance problems;

>> bacterial skin infections can happen, if shingles blisters aren’t treated right.


To alleviate the pain and itching, you can try taking a cool bath or applying cool, wet compresses to the affected area. Lowering the levels of stress may also help.