You may not realize that if you have ever suffered
from chickenpox (and most people have) you are at
risk of developing Herpes
Zoster. Herpes Zoster(which is more commonly known
as shingles) is a viral infection cause by the reactivation
of the dormant virus in the nerves of people who have
previously had chickenpox. This can be years and years
after first catching chickenpox.
Chickenpox Virus
After you have had chickenpox (usually as a child) the virus that causes the chickenpox stays in your body in certain nerve cells. Most of the time your immune system confines the chickenpox virus to these cells. Therefore herpes zoster only occurs in those who have already had chickenpox but it can unfortunately occur more than once. You may have further attacks of herpes zoster, especially at times when you are run down such as after a serious illness. These attacks may affect different parts of the body on different occasions.
Approximately 500,000 cases of herpes zoster occur in the United States alone each year and some twenty five percent of people will develop herpes zoster in their lifetime and usually when they are elderly. Occasionally, it can occur in younger men and women and especially those suffering from some form of immune deficiency. So you cannot catch herpes zoster from another person even if they have chickenpox and you can only develop it if you have already had chickenpox. It is not known what causes the reactivation of the chickenpox virus. However, ensuring that your immune system remains strong and healthy can help to prevent this virus occurring.
What to do
If you are suffering from herpes zoster, you should stay away from other people until the blisters have dried (usually about seven days). The reason for this is that there are virus particles in the blister fluid and those people who have not had chickenpox might catch chickenpox from you. Particularly at risk for catching chickenpox or (if they have previously had chickenpox) developing herpes zoster are people whose immune system is not functioning normally as for example in people on steroids, those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, those who have had transplant operations or those living with AIDS.
You can see therefore that there is a very strong link between herpes zoster (shingles) and the mainly childhood disease of chickenpox.
Resources
• www.medinfo.co.uk
• www.familydoctor.org
• www.bbc.co.uk
