Shingles Treatment Facts

Most people have had chicken pox at some stages of their lives. And if they had, it is likely that they would also be affected with shingles, which is also known as herpes zoster. This is because the virus (varicella zoster virus) that is behind it all remains within the body even after chicken pox has been treated and the symptoms have vanished. So if someone has not been affected with chicken pox, it is highly unlikely that he or she will be down with the shingles virus. But the good news is that, unlike chicken pox, the shingles disease is not contagious, and so cannot be spread from one person to another. Though the disease is not contagious, but the virus that causes it can still spread when another person comes into direct contact with the rashes.

There is a deep relationship between the three. What makes the chicken pox come back as singles after the virus had stayed dormant for years? Experts believe that this is because of immunity. When we are young our immunity is also strong and so we can take in much more. But as we age our immunity weakens and so we become prone to more attacks and threats. And so the virus that had stayed dormant within the body for years become active again and a weaker immune system is not able to fight it. The result is the shingles disease. There are also a few triggers (some other disease) that prompt the varicella zoster virus to become active again.

Since chicken pox affects a large section of the population, the number of people who is at risk of getting the shingles disease is also huge. On the other hand, the varicella zoster virus can come back only when the immune system has become considerably weaker and since this happens primarily with age, mostly the shingles disease affects people who are on the wrong side of 50. But with life expectancy going up every year, we today have more seniors than ever before. And so, we will come across many who are affected with the shingles disease.

The shingles disease is associated with a slight fever, headache, pain and burning sensation, itching sensation, weakness, loss of appetite and a feeling of numbness. And then, slowly but surely the rashes will start to appear all over the body. These rashes are much like the one’s in chicken pox. The pain, frequency of rashes and the other symptoms can differ from one person to another in degree.

If someone has the shingles disease it is advisable to seek medical attention as soon as possible because this is a condition that needs quick treatment. It may take a while to defeat the virus and even longer for the rashes to disappear. However please note that the shingles disease may return again anytime in the future.