can a 16 yr old or anyone who already had chickenpox get shingles from someone w/ shingles or chickenpox?

Question

or from someone who just now "got over" chickenpox? or from someone who does not have blisters from shingles, but still has lingering pain from just "getting over" the rash stage of shingles?

Answer 1

yes you can. The virus that causes chicken pox can become shingles in a person who has had chicken pox when they were a child.

Answer 2

Chickenpox is caused by a DNA virus from the Herpes family called the Varicella Zoster Virus. Like family members who overstay their welcome, VZV stays in the sensory nerve ganglia long after the Chickenpox rash has cleared.

Following a stressed state or if your immune system is weak, the virus that is hiding in the nerve endings reactivates and moves to the peripheral nerves. Burning painful skin lesions develop in the area supplied by the nerves that allow you sensation.

Shingles tends to be less contagious than the original chickenpox. One has to be careful though that if you have never had chickenpox, there is a likelihood that you will get it from contact with someone with shingles.

If you are immune to Chickenpox because you have had it before, or because you were vaccinated, you will probably not be sick with it again unless you have lowered resistance to disease due to a medication or due to illness. People with shingles are normally asked to keep the lesions dry and covered to prevent spreading chickenpox.

There are vaccines for both Chickenpox and Shingles. Last May the FDA approved a vaccine to help boost the immunity of adults 60 years and older against the virus.

Answer 3

You can NEVER get shingles from anyone.... Shingles is a secondary manifestation of the varicella virus. That means you will always get chicken pox first and shingles is reactivation of the same virus. A person suffering from chickenpox or shingles can give chicken pox to the other person.... But you can NEVER get shingles from anybody.
The chicken pox virus stays dormant in your nerves all throughout the life after the attack of chickenpox or after vaccination thereby giving you life long immunity against chickenpox ( means you will never ever get chicken pox twice in your life) Shingles occurs when your immunity goes down and the virus activates and travels along a certain nerve forming lesions on the skin supplied by that nerve. So its just a reactivation of the dormant virus.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

One must have chicken pox prior to having shingles. The chicken pox virus stays dormant in the body and may reappear in one's lifetime as shingles.

Some important notes:

1) Shingles typically reappears with people whose immune system is compromised or those who are elderly

2) It is very rare for shingles to be contagious, and one with shingles can not pass shingles to another in the form of shingles. Because: shingles only appears in someone who has had chicken pox in their history and encounters a time when resistance is low.

3) IMPORTANT: Shingles used to be a miserable illness lasting up to months. However, if you can spot the signs early on and get treatment quickly, there is an anti-viral medication prescribed by your doctor that usually requires only one to four doses. If taken in sufficient time, this medicine can totally abort shingles and you can virtually avoid all symptoms.

When in doubt, take seriously any signs of shingles so that you can get treated if possible. Immediate symptoms include: neuralgia (nerve pain) or intense itching & blisters that follows a path. (which is a nerve). *******Don't hesitate to go to urgent care after doctor's hours if you think you have a symptom. Although it is not a life threatening illness, it can cause terrible discomfort for months and does cause damage to the eye if the nerve involve happens to be on the scalp.

This medicine was not available a few years ago, and it is a miracle drug. I am not mentioning the drug because any doctor should know it; it is standard. I prefer not to speak out of bounds by recommending medication.

One more thing, it is possible to have shingles more than one time, especially if you have an autoimmune illness. I hope this helps.

Answer 6

I had Shingles for the first time a few weeks ago. I am normally in good health and haven't had any other health challenges before, so it came as a surprise.

Shingles is probably the most painful thing I have ever encountered. I went to the doctor, and he gave me some prescription drugs to take that was suposed to help, but didn't.

My wife found the Fast Shingles Cure ebook online and bought it for me, I am very lucky to have such a wonderful woman in my life. We followed the book, did what it said, and it delivered what it promised. Finally my Shingles rash is over... I feel truly blessed and thankful.

The #1 Shingles Treatment Method Available

Answer 7

Shingles is the re-emergence of the Varicella (chickenpox) virus in the body. You can only get Shingles if you've had chickenpox because the virus lies dormant in your body forever - unless you get shingles.

The only way shingles is spread is by touching the sores themselves. If the sores are healed or covered, you're good to go. I believe spreading it only applies to those who've never had chickenpox but I could be wrong on that one.

Answer 8

my godson came out in shingles a few days before i had my baby son christened and i was concerened about my baby catching it so i went to see the doc. heres what she said. you cant catch shingles form chicken pox. in order to have shingles you must already have had chicken pox. the virus then lies dormant in your system and in times of stress or ill health it can be re-activated and cause shingles. when a person has shingles they can pass on the chicken pox virus and cause chicken pox in those who have not had it previously. if you have had chicken pox there is no reason to stay away from someone with shingles as you wont catch anything. the virus is passed on by contact with the fluid from out of the blister and so the only way you could catch it is if you touch the blisters when they pop or use a towel etc that your dad has been using when he has the blisters. When the blisters are dry and crusty the risk of catching chicken pox decreases dramatically. usually after about 5-7 days. the thing with infectious diseases is that guidelines change on a regular basis. i work with children and get the guidelines annually and they usually change! this info was right in may this year as like i said i asked my gp., but you may find other ppl with tell you differently. if i was you i would call nhs direct on 0845 47 48 or look on their website and they will give you more details. chicken pox can be nasty the older you get as it can cause infertility in men and can be more painful. there is a vaccine but it isnt given routinely in uk, most babies will have the immunity from their mother and although it can be serious it isnt in the same league as measles and mumps and rubella.(again this is what my go told me, my son was only 7 weeks old and my godson had had chicken pox for 7 days, she said the risk was minimumal but suggested he stayed away from the christening just incase as my son was still so little) some people have a really strong immunity to it, my mum has never caught it and she worked with toddlers and had encountered it numerous times.hope this helps x

Answer 9

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Answer 10

My best friend got shingles while we were in jamaica on vacation.
She was only 14 at the time and had already gotten chickenpox, so it must mean that you can still be infected by them.

Answer 11

shingles is from the same virus as chickenpox. Usually if you had a rather minor case of chickenpox, such as myself, you have a chance of getting shingles, such as I did.