How can I avoid getting shingles after recovering from Chicken Pox?

Question

I am 32 and just had Chicken Pox...and heard that after recovery, the virus lies dormant and may develop later into the shingles

Answer 1

Hello:
This is in reference to your question posted on yahoo about shingles and chicken pox. Chicken pox is a virus call varicella. After recovering from chicken pox, the varicella virus lies dormant in your body, it is there to stay forever. Most people will get chicken pox and never have a recurrence or reactivation of the virus (reactivation of the varicella virus is called "shingles" or varicella zoster).
At your age of 32, and if you have a very healthy immune system, it is unlikely you will get an outbreak of shingles. However, if your immune system breaks down or is weakened in any way, ie. HIV infection, cancer, having major surgery, hepatitis, kidney disease, autoimmune diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis for example, the varicella zoster virus can reactivate causing a case of the shingles. Since the virus lies dormant in nerves, shingles usually follows the path of that particular nerve, especially the nerves at varying levels of your spinal column. That is why when a outbreak occurs the little spots, sores, blisters form in a line. Most of the cases that I have seen wrap around the mid section of the body, ie in a straight line under the armpit for example. The reactivation is excruciatingly painful but there are medications that can be given to reduce the pain and even try to help push the virus back into hiding.
There is valtrex, famvir, etc. that can be given to patients with outbreaks of shingles and if the person has recurrent outbreaks, they can go on what is called maintenance therapy by taking valtrex every day at a smaller dose which seems to prevent futures recurrences of shingles.
To answer your question about how you can prevent getting shingles, there really is not any thing special that you can do except for trying to keep your immune system healthy. Vitamin C and zinc have been shown to keep the immune system healthy.
A well balanced diet, exercise can also keep the immune system healthy.
As we get older, our immune systems tend to weaken. That is why most cases of shingles are in older individuals or like I said earlier, people with HIV, cancer, autoimmune diseases.
By the way, varicella is in the same category of viruses that cause fever blisters, cold sores, and genital herpes.
I hope I answered your question and alleviated some of your concerns about shingles.
Best regards,
Warren Shaffer, M.D.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

I got chicken pox when I was 32 and have had continuing pain. There is some research that getting the chicken pox vaccination may prevent shingles or at least diminish the severity of the disease should you get shingles in the future.

Answer 5

There is no way to avoid it.