Can You Catch Shingles
Information About the Question “Can You Catch Shingles From Someone?”
If you have ever wondered about the question “can you catch shingles from someone” you will be relieved to know that shingles is not a contagious disease. Although you cannot actually catch shingles, the varicella zoster virus causes this disease, which is the same virus that causes chicken pox. If someone has shingles they could shed this virus and give someone else the chicken pox.
Another question that is frequently asked is can you catch shingles after you have already had it once. In most cases someone that has had shingles will develop immunity to the virus so you probably won’t catch it again, though a small percentage of people do.
How Can You Catch Shingles
As previously stated, shingles is a disease that is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Chicken pox is also caused by this virus. When you develop chicken pox you will get skin eruptions all over the body, but with shingles this will occur in a band located only on one side of the body.
If you have had chicken pox at some point in your life then the varicella zoster virus exists in the body’s nerve cells in a dormant state. The virus can remain in a dormant state for a very long time before you develop shingles, plus it is possible that the virus will never enter an active state.
In a case where the body’s immune system is compromised this can cause the virus to become active again in the form of shingles. Due to where the virus is living in the body, when it does become active it will move from the nerve cells to the skin where a rash will appear.
Most people over the age of 15 have had chicken pox and anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk for getting shingles. The risk of shingles increases if the immune system becomes compromised, such as if a person has HIV, or even a cold or infection; anything that suppressed the immune system can cause you to develop singles. As you age your risk for getting shingles increases due to the fact that your immune system becomes weaker.
Children can also develop shingles if the mother had shingles within weeks of giving birth; in some cases the infant is born with chicken pox. It is estimated that about one third of the children whose mothers had chicken pox during pregnancy develop shingles before they reach 5 years of age.
Can You Catch Shingles if You Are in Good Health?
The only known way to decrease your risk for getting shingles is if you maintain good health and keep your immune system strong, and even this is no guarantee. The stronger your immune system is, the better you will be able to fight off infections, such as colds and flu when they occur. If you have a poor immune system this can lead to an even weaker immune system if you do develop an illness, and this could cause the virus to become active so that you develop shingles.
Shingles are miserable and painful, but there are some treatment options available if you do happen to develop this disease. Although you cannot cure shingles, these treatments can help prevent complications and might shorten the length of the illness. These treatments include antiviral medications, which can help reduce pain and the severity of the illness. There are also topical medications that will provide short-term relief of pain.
If you have had chicken pox and you notice a rash band developing on one side of your body, you will want to seek treatment as soon as possible. The sooner you begin treating shingles the more success the treatment will be, plus you will reduce the risk of developing serious complications.