Can adults get shingles if they had chicken pox?
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Can adults get shingles if they had chicken pox?
Anyone who’s had chickenpox may develop shingles. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus enters your nervous system and lies dormant for years. Eventually, it may reactivate and travel along nerve pathways to your skin — producing shingles.
How contagious is shingles to adults?
Generally shingles is not contagious, but a person with active shingles can spread the virus when the rash is in the blister phase. It’s important to keep the rash covered. Most cases of shingles last 3-5 weeks. Most people get shingles only one time, but, it is possible to have it more than once.
Why do you get shingles if you’ve had chickenpox?
Shingles is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in their body. The virus can reactivate later, causing shingles. Most people who develop shingles have only one episode during their lifetime.
Can emotional stress cause shingles?
Since stress affects the immune system, many researchers believe that stress could be a trigger for shingles. Researchers in multiple studies have linked chronic, daily stress, and highly stressful life events as risk factors for shingles.
How many times can a person get shingles?
The virus can reactivate later, causing shingles. Most people who develop shingles have only one episode during their lifetime. However, you can have shingles more than once.
Should I stay in bed with shingles?
If someone is taking shingles sick leave, they shouldn’t need a lot of time off. They can come back once they feel better, in the event of a fever—but if they have a rash on exposed skin, they should really stay off work until this has crusted over. This can take around seven days.
Why do shingles make you so tired?
You may experience fatigue while you have shingles. However, it’s also possible to feel fatigued even after the shingles rash has disappeared. Fatigue may happen indirectly due to PHN, a complication of shingles that involves lingering pain. Many people with PHN experience insomnia.
