Chicken Pox and Shingles

Children catch nearly every disease that comes along. We treat them and move on with life. But be aware. Few people realize some childhood diseases may cause us major problems as we age. A perfect example of that is the relationship between chicken pox and shingles. Did you know the same virus that causes chicken pox also causes shingles ?

Both chicken pox and shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus. They both cause painful itching and blistering. The blisters become crusty and form a scab. Chicken pox blisters cover the trunk of the body, the arms and legs, and the face. The individual is often in a lot of pain and the desire to scratch is very strong. Children are normally the victims of chicken pox. Occasionally, adults and young adults catch chicken pox.

Shingles makes its appearance in the form of a band around the the body that covers the middle of the back, the chest and the breastbone. It looks exactly like chicken pox. It is more dangerous for an adult to get shingles than it is for a child to get chicken pox. Shingles occurs in people that experienced chicken pox. The reason, once the chicken pox virus enters the body, the virus will lay dormant in the body for many years after evidence of the chicken pox has left the body. Doctors found the virus resides in the nerve tissues near the individual's spinal cord and brain. If conditions permit, the virus will awaken after age 60 in the form of shingles.

Below are amazon.com books on chicken pox. Check them out. Give them to a friend whose experiencing chicken pox.

Although shingles is not a life threatening illness, it is a serious condition that could last from a few weeks to several years. It will disappear when it is ready. Once a person gets shingles, they experience classic symptoms similar to the following:

• the person will experience burning, pain, numbness and tingling
• there will be pain followed by a red rash.
• the blisters will breakout. They will erupt the same as chicken pox blisters; crust and scab over
• there will be itching
• serious cases of shingles experience fever and chills, overall aches,and fatigue
• if shingles spreads to the eyes, see a doctor, there could be serious damage done to the eyes as well as blindness.
• Shingles tends to localize itself, but if it spreads over the entire body, see a doctor immediately.

Individuals with shingles should take special care not to expose people to the disease when the blisters are are erupting and runny. That is when others may catch the illness also. The irony of the situation is, the virus from shingles will cause another person to catch chicken pox and not shingles. Even if the person never had chicken pox, they can get it if the liquid from the shingles touches their skin. And there are people who get shingles but they do not experience the blisters. People with cancer or weakened immune systems should stay clear of individuals with shingles for the same reason as mentioned before.

The pain from shingles can be mistaken for heart problems, liver problems or kidney problems. Seeing a doctor is the best solution to determining the cause of body pain.

The strain of the varicella-zoster virus is connected to diseases most people know about. For example, the cold sores and genital herpes virus are called the herpes-zoster virus. But, the shingles viaricella-zoster virus is not the same virus. They are from the same virus family.

Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a complication of shingles. A person with shingles who experiences facial muscle weakness, and painful rash most likely has Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. A patient can lose their hearing with this complication. Seeking immediate medical attention may lessen the damage from the illness.

Postherpitic neuratgia is another complication of shingles. Shingles normally last for a short while and the blisters dry up. When the pain and blisters last beyond a few weeks, the person could have Posterpitic neuratgia. That means the shingles could last for a month to several years. This disease is especially dangerous for people over 60 years of age.

Amazon.com has books on shingles. Maybe you know a person that could use one of the following books and learn how to manage shingles.

Shingles is a virus. Science has not found a cure for shingles. People get shots for shingles but they can still get it if exposed to the liquid from the erupting blisters. Try some of the following home remedies for shingles:

• follow the doctors instructions
• apply compress to the blisters
• apply aloe vera on the skin and blisters
• oatmeal bath will help manage the itching, so will calamine lotion
• find a quiet and restful place in the house to spend time away from stress
• read material that will take your mind off the situation
  
• try medication sessions for relaxation
• enjoy a movie or work on something that brings you pleasure