Can shingles develop without chickenpox?

Sneha Singhal, Jaypee Institute of information technology, Noida

What is Chickenpox?

The Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox, which is a highly contagious disease. It can result in a rash that is itchy and blistery. The rash begins on the chest, back, and face, then spreads across the body, leaving 250 to 500 itching blisters. It can be dangerous, especially in infants, teenagers, adults, pregnant women, and those with weaker immune systems (weakened immune system). The chickenpox vaccine is the most effective strategy to avoid the disease.

What are Shingles?

Shingles, a virus that causes a painful rash, are more frequent than one might think.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) reports 1 million cases of shingles every year. According to the foundation, one out of every three people will acquire shingles at some point in their lives, and the likelihood of developing shingles increases with age.

You may be aware that the same virus that causes chickenpox, Varicella zoster, also causes shingles. If you’ve ever had the disease, you’re at risk of getting shingles at some point.

Can someone develop shingles if they have never had chickenpox?

Yes, it is correct.

You can get chickenpox even if you’ve never had it before. A chickenpox infection can result in shingles. Furthermore, because the chickenpox vaccine is a live vaccine, it is possible to acquire shingles after receiving it.

If you’ve ever had chickenpox, you’re more likely to acquire shingles. It’s because the virus never leaves the body. The virus hibernates after you recover from chickenpox and remains latent inside your body’s neurons. Because of its placement in your nerves, your body is unable to eliminate it.

The virus can reactivate at any time. However, it does cause painful blister patches on your skin caused by the nerve where the virus reactivated, rather than another itchy bout of chickenpox. This reactivation, called shingles, can cause additional symptoms, for example:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Weakness of muscle

If you’ve never had chickenpox, you might think you’re safe if you come into contact with someone who has shingles. That, however, is not the case. You could contract the disease if you come into contact with someone who has shingles.

Vaccination against chickenpox would protect you. However, if you are not vaccinated, you could very well contract the disease.  (Technically, if you’ve had chickenpox, you can still get shingles later, but it’s far less likely.) According to studies, the chickenpox vaccination is 70 to 90 percent effective.)

According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), it usually takes between 10 and 21 days after being exposed to chickenpox or shingles to develop chickenpox.

In light of chickenpox’s contagious nature, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you may even be transmitting the disease before you are aware of it.

Shingles can develop more frequently in some people

Chickenpox sufferers are at a greater risk of developing shingles. According to studies, one in every five persons who had chickenpox as a child would acquire shingles as an adult. According to the CDC, one out of every three people will get shingles at some point in their lives.

However, some people are at a higher risk of having shingles than others. With age, a person’s chances of developing this condition increase. In addition, older persons are more likely to suffer complications as a result of shingles. Nerve pain, commonly known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), is the most prevalent consequence.

According to the CDC, one out of every ten persons will experience long-term nerve discomfort. Other issues include eye involvement, which can result in vision loss, as well as less prevalent ones like:

• Hearing issues 
• due to pneumonia
• brain inflammation

Shingles are also more likely to develop in people with suppressed immune systems. It can also include people taking immunosuppressive medications or those with:

• Infected with HIV/AIDS
• suffering from cancer (especially blood cancers)
• Organ or bone marrow transplant recipients

What to do if you suspect you have chickenpox or shingles?

Treating Chickenpox

Early indicators of an upcoming case of chickenpox might be difficult to see since they can mimic other infections. Among the signs and symptoms are:

• muscular aches
• appetite loss
• fatigue
• nausea
• fever

However, the appearance of sores or lesions should be a red flag. You can spread the infection to others if you have active lesions. As a result, you should avoid contact with others until the sores have dried and crusted over.

Getting rid of itchy skin is as simple as soaking in a cool bath with a few handfuls of oatmeal (or baking soda) added. You can also apply calamine lotion topically to relieve itching. In case your fever persists or if complications are likely, speak to your physician.

Treating Shingles

Shingles cause a painful rash on one side of your body, usually on one side of your chest, but it can also affect your face, scalp, or neck. There’s a chance you’ll get some fluid-filled blisters, as well as tingling and numbness. Other typical symptoms include itchiness and burning.

To prevent passing the virus onto people who haven’t had chickenpox, you should also avoid contact with vulnerable people. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug to help you deal with your pain and other symptoms. Among the possibilities are:

• acyclovir
• valacyclovir
• famciclovir

Some points to remember:

• Getting vaccinated against shingles is required to avoid developing it. 
• If you’ve never had chickenpox, don’t think you’re immune.
• You can still get chickenpox if you’re around someone who has shingles. 
• Furthermore, if you get chickenpox, you’re more likely to get shingles later.

Also read: How does the rice blast fungus invade its host cells?

References:

• Can you get shingles without having chickenpox? (2021, July 28). Healthline.https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-get-shingles-without-having-chicken-pox
• About shingles (Herpes zoster) | cdc. (2021, April 12). https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html
• About chickenpox | cdc. (2021, April 28).

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About the author:

I am Sneha Singhal, currently pursuing B.Tech in  Biotechnology from Jaypee institute of information technology, Noida. I have a keen interest in Research, bioinformatics, and Genetics as of now. I aspire to be a research scientist in the upcoming time. You can read more about me on LinkedIn

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sneha-singhal