Is the disease "Shingles" related to having had Chicken Pox as a child ?
Can one get "Shingles" without first having had Chicken Pox ?
YES to your first question, and
NO to your second question.
GOOD NEWS if you had chickenpox and worry about getting shingles
.
The first vaccine to prevent shingles, Merck's Zostavax, has been approved in the USA for adults aged 60 or more. Shingles develops when the virus that causes chickenpox, varicella-zoster, is reactivated. After a childhood bout of chicken pox, the virus lays dormant for many years, ready to come into action when the carrier's immune system weakens, either through age or illness.
Anyone who has ever had chickenpox is susceptible to developing shingles later on in life. 90% of humans get chickenpox. Of the approximately one million people in the USA who get shingles each year, nearly half are over 60.
There are 50 million Americans over the age of 60.
According to data so far, the vaccine offers protection for at least four years. Some wonder whether it may just postpone shingles, rather than prevent it completely. Merck has to conduct a long-term follow-up study.
Merck had applied for the vaccine to be approved for 50 year olds. However, the company had no data on the vaccine's performance for people under 60. So, the FDA set the minimum age at 60.
Dr. J Goodman, FDA, said Zostavax is a booster vaccine. It boosts an older person's immune system against the virus from re-emerging and causing shingles.
The single dose vaccine is on the market and cost about $ 160 - expensive but highly recommended for those at risk.
What Causes Shingles?
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.
If you've had chickenpox (over 90% of US adults have), the virus remains in your body and can cause Shingles.
The chickenpox virus stays inactive in certain nerves.
If the virus becomes active again, usually later in life, it causes the painful disease called Shingles.
How Do You Get Shingles?
You are at risk for getting Shingles if you have had chickenpox. In addition:
Conditions that weaken the body's immune (defense) system, such as aging, cancer, or certain drugs, increase the chance that the virus will become active again, resulting in Shingles.
You should know that there is no way to predict who will get Shingles, or when.
About half of the nearly 1 million Shingles cases in the United States each year occur in people aged 60 years and older.
1 out of 2 people living to age 85 will have Shingles.
The older you get, the longer the Shingles rash may last.
Key Facts About Shingles
Shingles, also called herpes zoster (HZ), can be a painful disease that can affect anyone who has had chickenpox.
It can start at any time, without warning.
The first signs of Shingles are often felt and may not be seen. These can include: itching, tingling and burning. A few days later a rash of fluid-filled blisters appears, usually on one side of the body or face.
Sometimes the pain before the rash appears can be confused with other conditions and this can make Shingles difficult to diagnose early on.
Keep in mind that it is very rear to get Shingles if you have not yet had the chicken pox virus
OHH Hon, if you have the Shingles then my heart goes out to you 100%. I went through this a few months ago and I thought I was going to go out of my mind. But in answer to your question, they say you can't get shingles unless you have had the chicken pox because it stems from the same virus per say,,, but I got them and I am 49 and I never had the chicken pox, and I know this because I asked my mom. But if you have the shingles, the chicken pox virus was dorment in your body, hence the Shingles now. And stress can be a very leading factor on shingles too. Do they have you on Valtrex or something to help? Also be sure and get some hydrocortisone creme from your Dr. as it is stronger and works better than what you buy over the counter. Good luck Hon and I truly do hope you get better soon. I feel for you deeply….
Yes and no you cannot get shingles without first having chicken pox. It is stress related and lack of proper nutrition. I heard that a product called cellular defense works ..its a small bottle that costs 50$ but you only need one bottle. You might also check with a health food store for something to help you.
I believe the answer to both is yes. If you had chicken pox as a child- and your immune system fails to halt it- in adulthood you get shingles. also if you ONLY get them as an adult they can be shingles. I have had them in the past year and I am 37.