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Is Shingles A Chronic Disease?

If you’ve ever had shingles, the last thing you want to experience is an encore performance. Known in medical terms as herpes zoster, it is an infection caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. And while you may not easily remember those technical terms, it’s a sure bet you won’t forget how shingles made you look and feel.

Who Is Susceptible to Herpes Zoster?

Anyone who has had the chickenpox as a child is a candidate for acquiring herpes zoster. Even after the infection has run its course, VZV remains in the body in a latent or dormant state. Doctors are not entirely sure what triggers VZV to become reactivated, but it most often rears its ugly head decades later when our immune systems are naturally a little weaker.
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Do Shingles Affect Periods?

What is Shingles?

If you have had chickenpox, the virus responsible is called the varicella-zoster virus. To contract shingles, this virus must already be in your system because it is responsible for both diseases. One-third of all people living in the U.S will contract this disease. The estimate is one million people contract this virus every year. If you have had chickenpox, you can get disease regardless of age, but the condition is the most common among people aged 50 and over.

periods affecting shingles

Although the most prominent symptom is a rash, one-third of all people with shingles do not develop a rash. When you initially had chickenpox, your symptoms most likely included body aches, runny nose, and fever. Once you recovered, the virus remained hidden in your body among your neurons or nerve cells. According to studies, the virus is most likely to hide in a specific type of neuron located in your upper body called ganglions. This neuron controls pain in your face, chest, and upper body. The varicella-zoster virus can remain hidden for numerous years. Once reactivated, the virus starts to reproduce, then travels to your skin using your sensory nerve fibers.
Read More »Do Shingles Affect Periods?

How Long Does An Outbreak Of Shingles Last?

shingles outbreak

Officially known as Herpes Zoster in medical circles, shingles starts as a skin rash and then develops into blisters. The condition is painful, and pain is usually the first symptom, followed by tingling, itching, and even burning on one side of the body. The pain and burning sensations make their presence felt even before any rash shows up. The condition will last from fourteen days to one and a half months.

Where do they come from

The Varicella-Zoster virus causes chickenpox. There are some early warning signs of chickenpox, like fever and fatigue. As for the visible signs, first, a rash will appear and become itchy. The rash will develop into blisters filled with fluid and then scab-over.
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What Is The Difference Between Cold Sores And Shingles?

Remember when you were a child and came down with chickenpox? Remember how it itched, and you had a fever and felt miserable? Maybe you don’t remember, but if you have shingles now, you had chickenpox as a child, and the virus has come back to haunt you.

cold sores

Chickenpox, or Varicella, never leaves your body after you have the illness. Instead, it retreats into the spinal nerves, moving up close to the spinal cord, where it stays. Then, many years later, long after you’ve forgotten about the chickenpox, the virus can move out along one of the spinal nerves to cause distress to you again.
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Can Shingles Go Down The Legs?

If you’re reading this, then there are chances you have either heard about shingles, been through the drastic experience of bearing with them, or are either suffering with them. But fret not. Today we’ll try to cover everything you need to know about shingles, what they are, how they form, and what to do if you suffer from them.

What are shingles?

shingles legs Shingle is a viral infection that is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes painful rashes on your body. This can usually occur in patients who have suffered from chickenpox and can occur in them when this virus lies inactively near your nerve tissues of the spinal cord. This is because this is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Usually, this is spread across the upper torso, but it can also spread down your body and legs if severe. Its alternative name is herpes zoster. (Just in case you are wondering). This is not a life-threatening illness, but it can be quite painful for the person suffering from it.
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