Can someone please tell me ANYTHING you know about shingles?

Question

My husbands Grandfather just found out today that he has shingles,my husband has been going to his house & taking care of him & his aunt(which lives with his g/father, she has down syndorme sp?) she came to our house the last 2 nights for dinner. Is shingles cautgious (sp?) if so how bad? We have 2 children ages 2 & 6, we also run a daycare with 6 other children who attend!! Ages from 1 to 11yrs. Do you think my children or any of the children will get shingles? My children were over to visit their grandfather last Wed. He didnt start feeling sick until sunday nite. Do you think theres a higher chance of them getting it since we had their aunt here, who lives with the g/father that has shingles? My children have had their shots for chicken pox, someone told me if they have had chicken pox they shouldnt get shingles, but having the shot for it & actually having chicken poxs, is that the samething? I need as much information on this as possible!

Only ppl that know what they are talking about please answer this question! Thank you!!

Answer 1

well shingles is the reactivation of the virus infection that causes chickenpox.
You can't catch shingles from another person who has shingles (or someone with chickenpox) but you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have never had the infection before and are not immune.
However, if your children have weekend immune system they can catch chicken pox for the second time!

Answer 2

Shingles is a disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It IS contagious to anyone who has NOT had chickenpox.

After you have had chickenpox, the chickenpox virus remains inactive in your body in certain nerves. If the virus does become active again, usually later in life, it causes Shingles.
You are at risk for getting Shingles if you have had chickenpox.

In addition, other factors can cause shingles which include: Conditions that weaken the body's immune (defense) system, such as aging, cancer, or certain drugs, increase the chance that the virus will become active again, resulting in Shingles.

You should know that there is no way to predict who will get Shingles, or when. Shingles, also called herpes zoster (HZ), virus can be a painful disease that can affect anyone who has had chickenpox. It can start at any time, without warning.

I would call the pediatrician, I believe there are FDA approved vaccines for this on the market. I had the chiken pox as a child but got shingles when I was 18 and under a lot of stress at school and home.

Answer 3

Shingles stem from the same virus that causes chicken pox. The virus never actually leaves the body, instead, it lives in the nervous system and when the a person is re-introduced wile immunities are low, shingles may result. While young children do get them, they are much more prominent and painful in the elderly.
Are they contagious? Absolutely - but not as shingles. And only while in the 'pustule' stage - that is, the stage where they look like little zits rather than scabs. Once they get to the 'scab' stage, like chicken pox, they are no longer contagious. Don't be surprised if your children come down with the chicken pox in a week or two. Not to mention your entire day care. The good news is, that while shingles are contagious, they are not as contagious as the pox. Why? Because they are relatively contained in a smaller area and also, like pox, require direct contact to be contagious.
Wash all hands constantly and keep the infected person separate from the kids - unless, of course you want them to get chicken pox and just get it over with!
I hope this helps.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

If the kids have been exposed to chicken pox they will probably be fine. Shingles is the chicken pox virus. They are treated with steroids, which really don't help a whole lot, and they go away on there own. I had them about four years ago and have not had them since. The youngest kids in the day care may be at a higher risk if they have never been exposed before and they had direct contact with the carrier(s) of the virus. By the way, your kids may have given the virus to your grandfather.

Answer 6

Shingles is like a form of chicken pox that old people get. If you have chicken pox as a child, you can get shingles as an adult. I would think that if your kids have the shot, that they should be safe, but it's hard to tell since the shot is fairly new and everybody has a different reaction to it.
It is VERY contagious! So if I were you, I would take extreme precaution with yourself and your kids, even if they were vaccinated.



Edit: Don't you just hate retards that come on Yahoo answers and tell you to Google something? That defeats the purpose of this site. Mind boggling.

Answer 7

source: my daycare book



after a person has chickenpox, the virus that causes it can remain inactive in the body for many years. shingles occurs when the virus becomes active again. usually in older adults. shingles is a milder illness in children than in adults, but it can be a serious illness in those who have a weakened immunity.

Cause: Varicella-zoster virus, a member of the herpesvirus family.

Symptoms: Severe pain and numbness along certain nerve pathways, commonly around the midline (trunk) or on the face. Ten to 14 days later, clusters of blisters appear, usually on one side of the body and closer together than in chickenpox.

Spread: When people who have not had chickenpox come in contact with fluid from the shingles blisters, they can develop chickenpox. shingles does not spread from one person to another


In other words: Has your aunt had children pox, has your husband had chicken pox. they could get chicken pox, but they will not get shingles. highly unlikely your kids are going to get anything. as with the chicken pox shot- I have seen kids get chicken pox- even though they have had the shot- but, its just not as bad as somebody that didn't get the shot.

Answer 8

You have to have chicken pox before you can get shingles. I don't think the shot is the same.




Shinglesinfo.com for Consumers
This site about Shingles is intended for consumers seeking information about this potentially serious, painful disease. Anyone who has previously had chickenpox can develop Shingles.





Shingles
Shingles is a disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you have had chickenpox, the chickenpox virus remains inactive in your body in certain nerves. If the virus does become active again, usually later in life, it causes Shingles.




Or you can read it yourself here:

Answer 9

Put your search engine to work. I just typed in "shingles skin" (no quotes) and a bunch of sites popped up. There's a world of information out there.

Good luck!

Answer 10

This site should answer your questions.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles/DS00098

Anyone who has not had chickenpox or who has a comprised immune system should avoid exposure.
Best wishes.