If i had chickenpox will i get shingles

Fact: Though rash is one of the defining characteristics of shingles, pain is actually a very common and troubling symptom of shingles.

The pain associated with shingles can be severe. It may begin two to four days before the rash appears and it can last long after–sometimes up to a year or more. The pain that lasts after the rash has healed is called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), that has been described as burning, stabbing, throbbing, and/or shooting pain. Other symptoms include long-term nerve pain, fever, headache, chills, upset stomach, muscle weakness, skin infection, scarring, and decrease or loss of vision or hearing.

Myth: Shingles is very rare.

Fact: In the US, about one million individuals get shingles every year and half of the population who lives to 85 years of age will experience shingles during their lifetime. You have a greater chance of getting shingles as you get older; so, as the population ages, it is likely that more people who do not get vaccinated will get shingles every year.

Myth: There is nothing I can do to avoid getting shingles.

Fact: There are safe, effective vaccines available to help prevent shingles. Vaccination is the best way to reduce your chance of developing shingles. If you do get shingles, the vaccine can reduce your chances of long-lasting pain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults age 50 years and older get two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) to protect against shingles and the complications caused by the disease. Adults age 60 years or older can receive either RZV or zoster vaccine live (ZVL), although RZV is preferred. The pain associated with shingles can be very severe and may last weeks, months, or even years after it begins, so don’t let a preventable disease like shingles interfere with your quality of life. Shingles vaccine is available in pharmacies and doctor’s offices. Talk with your healthcare professional if you have questions about shingles vaccination.

Myth: Shingles is the same disease as the chickenpox.

Fact: Although shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus, they are not the same illness. Chickenpox is usually a milder illness that affects children. Shingles results from a re-activation of the virus long after the chickenpox illness has disappeared. While it typically resolves in about a month for most people, it can also cause severe and long-lasting pain that is very difficult to treat.

Myth: Shingles only affects older people.

Fact: Shingles typically affects older people, but it can also occur in healthy younger persons and even in children. Those whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV infection, AIDS, cancer, or treatment with certain drugs are also at increased risk of getting shingles.

Shingles cannot spread from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles (varicella-zoster virus) can spread from a person with active shingles to someone who is not immune to chickenpox (most people have had a chickenpox infection or vaccinated against chickenpox).

A person with active shingles can spread the virus through direct contact with fluid from the rash blisters. Shingles are less contagious than chickenpox, and the risk of a person with shingles spreading the virus is low if the rash is covered. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer infectious. If you have shingles, you should:

• Cover the rash, avoid touching or scratching the rash and wash your hands often to prevent the spread of the virus.
• Avoid close contact with people until the rash blisters heal (develop crusts).
• It is essential to avoid contact with people at higher risk from chickenpox infection. Higher risk groups include pregnant women, infants, children, or anyone who has never had chickenpox; anyone who is currently ill; anyone with a weak immune system that cannot fight infection (such as someone with HIV infection or diabetes).

If you have other concerns about your health, speak with your primary care provider or call 811 to speak with a nurse. 

If you had chickenpox, you probably remember just how itchy those little red bumps were. Perhaps you recall staying home from school or soaking in an oatmeal bath to help soothe your skin. 

Once you’ve had chickenpox, you won’t get it again. But many people don’t know that after you’ve had chickenpox, another skin-related infection called shingles can appear later in life. In fact, about one million Americans get shingles every year.

Louis J. Raso, MD, PA and the rest of our team treat patients with shingles here at our office in Jupiter, Florida. We explain more about shingles including who is at risk of developing it.

Understanding shingles

Shingles is a virus that usually comes in the form of a painful rash, often along your torso. Most people experience pain as the first symptom, and then days later notice a band of blister-like lesions. Although it’s uncomfortable, shingles is usually not a life-threatening condition. 

Chickenpox and shingles come from the same virus -- the varicella zoster virus. Because of this, only people who’ve had chickenpox can get shingles. The virus stays dormant in your body, residing in your spinal cord and brain, and can reactivate years later.

Shingles is contagious, so you can only pass the virus to someone else if they aren’t immune to chickenpox. If it’s passed on to another person, the virus will appear as chickenpox rather than shingles.  

What to look for

Most of the time, shingles only affects a small area of your body. However, a rash isn’t the only symptom of shingles. Other symptoms include:

• Pain 
• Sensitivity to touch
• Itching
• Numbness
• Headache
• Fever
• Fatigue

Who’s at risk?

Anyone who's had chickenpox has the risk of developing shingles. If you’re over 50, you have a greater risk because the likelihood increases with age. Those living with diseases like HIV or cancer have a higher risk of getting shingles due to their weaker immune systems. 

Certain medications, like those that contain steroids, may also trigger shingles. 

Treatment and prevention

Shingles goes away on its own but generally affects people for 3-5 weeks. Although there is no cure for shingles, Dr. Raso can help you manage the condition with pain medications or a cortisone injection. 

You can also help prevent shingles by getting a vaccine. There are two options available, ZostavaxⓇ and ShingrixⓇ. The preferred vaccine, Shingrix, is a two-dose vaccination designed to prevent shingles for up to five years.

If you’re struggling with the pain of shingles, we can help you manage the condition. Call us today at 561-264-2929 or use our online scheduler to make an appointment. 

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