If you or your child has recently gone through a bout of chickenpox, you will likely be slightly concerned about what can happen with shingles. Shingles can often be similar to chickenpox, and there is a common misconception that if you’ve had one, then you can’t have the other.
This article will go over what you need to know about chickenpox, how it could potentially affect future bouts of singles, and how to treat everything. The knowledge in this article should help you and your family.
What Do You Need To Know About Chickenpox?
Before talking more about shingles, you must have more of an understanding of chickenpox itself. Chickenpox is a skin condition that causes itchiness and can form blister-like rashes. It is highly contagious and more common in children. The first sign of chickenpox may appear on the chest, back, and face, but it can be anywhere after this. Sometimes, it can cause between 250 and 500 itchy blisters.
Most of the time, chickenpox will pass after a couple of weeks. You may have to isolate your child or yourself to prevent it from spreading. Chickenpox is a disease that is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, also known as VSV. This is the same virus that causes shingles, which is important for the next section.
How Can It Affect Shingles?
Simply put, anyone who has had chickenpox in the past and recovered could be susceptible to shingles in the future. This is not a guarantee, but because you’ve had the varicella-zoster virus in your nervous system once, it can stay there for a few years or even for your entire lifespan.
Of course, it is not a guarantee; it just means that there is a chance. If the virus does appear again in the future, then it will show in your skin, showing in the form of a shingles skin rash. There may also be pain associated with the rash, with a few nerves affected at once. Shingles can last anywhere from 2-4 weeks, and booking a pharmacy appointment can help you get diagnosed and seek treatment options going forward, which will be covered a bit later on.
While you can catch chickenpox from others, shingles aren’t contagious. Shingles only come from the emergence of your previous chickenpox infection. So while they can’t catch shingles from you, they may actually catch chickenpox if they have never had it before. It’s strange, and best to isolate and get some rest during this time.
What Treatment Options Are There?
While there isn’t exactly a cure for shingles, there are specific treatment options that can help you deal with shingles. The main point of these treatment options is to help ease any pain or discomfort and prevent complications from developing.
Something that may help is to wear more loose-fitted clothing. This will prevent irritation on the inflicted area. You may also ease the pain by placing ice bags onto the area to cool it down. Of course, there will also be painkillers you can take, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, and more strong painkillers or creams. Of course, you should see a doctor if you’re ever in doubt and want reassurance.
