Chickenpox Essay

This article addresses Shingles also known as herpes zoster which originates from the virus that also causes chicken pox. The burden of this disease is that it causes severe pain and rash with a blistering. According to this article there is an increased risk of a stroke or heart attack within the first week of your diagnosis.

Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, or VZV—the same virus that causes chickenpox. After recovery from chickenpox, some VZV particles can settle in nerve cells where they remain inactive or hidden for many years. They can be reactivated during adulthood, and spread down the long the nerve fibers, called axons, that extend from the sensory cell bodies to the skin. The mechanism of how the virus is reactivated is unknown, however, it is related to old age and weak immune system. As the matter of fact, shingles is more common in older

Shingles is a very painful and often a very harmful condition. This virus is generated by the same virus (herpes zoster) none as chickenpox’s. After one gets chickenpox, the virus can lie inactive in the sensory nerves for at least 20 years. It reappears when the disease fighting system is weakened by age, disease or unmanaged stress. When events happen that decrease the disease fighting system, such as getting older, extreme emotional stress, extreme illness, or long-term usage of drugs, the disease fighting system cannot hold down and stop the inactive organisms any longer and they become active again, causing infection along the pathway of the nerve. Shingles is a very painful disease that affects the immune system; however,

Herpes zoster goes back a long time but scientists were unable to tell the difference between the blistering caused by small pox, and shingles until now. Where shingles started was first talked about in 1831, when Richard Bright, a scientist, believed the dorsal root ganglion, or the spinal ganglion was what carried the disease. In the late 18th century William Heberden found a way to differentiate between shingles and small pox, and then in the late 19th century shingles was differentiated from another disease called erysipelas. In the beginning of the 20th century it was the first time scientists realized that the same virus was causing chickenpox and shingles. Shingles was thought to be not dangerous in the 1940s and harmful side effects were thought to be scarce. When 1942 hit scientists started to recognize that when adults got shingles it was more dangerous than when a child had it, and the harmful effects of shingles increased as you got older. More studies in the 1950s on people with the shingles virus showed that scientists were wrong about the virus being harmless, and so they started looking for ways to prevent the virus. In 1965 Dr. Hope-Simpson was first to suggest that contact with children who had chicken pox would boost the cells immunity to help postpone or suppress shingles. An experimental drug called Zostavax was created to fight against shingles in 2005. The drug was later FDA approved in 2006, it is too early to tell if the drug works,

Shingles, otherwise known as herpes zoster, is a painful skin rash that occurs on one side of the face or body. The risk of getting shingles increases with age. Shingles vaccines, which are recommended for those 50 and older, can prevent the painful disease.

Starting from the beginning; Varicella or chicken pox is an infectious disease that can be characterized by an itchy skin rash. The rash usually appears a few days after exposure and can spread throughout the entire body accompanied with fever, fatigue, and flu like symptoms. Each rash blister will dry out and form a scab which then falls off in the course of healing. Getting chicken pox more than

Shingles is a skin disease that causes large rashes and blisters. The shingles virus normally comes after you have had the chicken pox. Once you have gotten the chicken pox the shingles virus is already inside of you. This doesn’t exactly mean that you will get shingles if you have had the chicken pox it just means you are more likely to get it. The correct name of the virus that gives shingles is varicella zoster virus this virus is the same for chicken pox. The shingle virus can stay dormant inside of someone for years but when it comes awake it will travel up nerves and whatever those nerves control is what will be affected. According to (The british skin foundation) “About 20% of people who have had chickenpox will have an attack of shingles

If you have had chickenpox during your childhood, it is sure that the virus has stayed in your system for numerous of years. But the virus has then been reactivated in later life, and that’s what causes the skin disease called “Shingles,” to develop. As well as chickenpox, there are other diseases which weakens our immune system. For example, HIV and/or AIDS can also cause Shingles to develop. Shingles is not considered a life threatening virus, but can become quite painful. Shingles is an extraordinarily painful condition that involves inflammation of sensory nerves.

Shingles are more likely to show up in adults who have had the chickenpox in their childhood. The shingles are caused by a viral infection known as the varicella-zoster virus. This virus is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses (herpes zoster). Although shingles is part of this group, it is not the same in that it is not a virus that is responsible for sexually transmitted diseases. Shingles can be very painful and cause many types of infections, but it is not life-threatening and it is treatable.

Shingles is a viral infection, caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus. This is the same virus that affects you when you have chicken pox. Varicella-Zoster is not the same virus that causes cold sores or genital herpes, this would be the HSV1, or HSV2 (herpes simplex virus.) HSV1 is associated with cold sores, HSV2 is associated with genital herpes. However, once you have had chicken pox, the virus lays dormant, so later in life the virus can become active. Activated later in life the virus becomes shingles. This virus lays dormant in the nerve tissue close to the brain and spinal cord. Once the virus is activated, it is a very painful virus, that takes weeks or months for the virus to run it’s course.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is an exclusively human virus that belongs to the α-herpes virus family. The VZV present worldwide and is highly infectious. Primary infection leads to acute varicella or “chickenpox”, usually from exposure either through direct contact with a skin lesion or through airborne spread from respiratory droplets [2, 3]. After initial infection, VZV establishes lifelong latency in cranial nerve and dorsal root ganglia, and can reactivate years to decades later as herpes zoster (HZ) or “shingles” [4]. In addition, more than 90% of adults in the United States acquired the disease in childhood, while the majority of children and young adults have been vaccinated with the live virus vaccine [3, 5]. The increasing incidence

Shingles, herpes zoster, is a very contagious and painful rash, or blister that appears on the skin. These rashes most commonly appear on the sides of the body in stripes. The stripes are made up of many very painful blisters caused by a certain type of virus. The varicella zoster, most commonly known as the chicken pox virus attacks the nerve roots in that area. The herpes zoster virus is in the herpes family, including HSV, herpes simple virus, which causes cold sores, fever blisters, and genital herpes. (WebMD, 2011) Most people are required to get the chicken pox shot when they are children although some do not. The chicken pox shot helps to keep out the virus by keeping it dormant in the nerves. The varicella zoster virus stays in a

Chickenpox is a viral infection caused by the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) transmitted via the respiratory route that causes itchy, blisters-like rashes usually lasting about 5-10 days. It is highly contagious transmitted by person to person contact (direct) from respiratory secretions or indirectly through contact with airborne respiratory droplets, via soiled inanimate objects infected by discharge from skin lesions, vesicle discharges or nasopharyngeal secretions. The incubation period lasts about 10-21 days and the disease is communicable 1-2 days

Before vaccines were introduced, varicella was endemic in the United States, and virtually all persons acquired varicella at some point before adulthood (cdc.gov, 2006). It is reported that 4 million cases of chickenpox were recorded in the U.S. each year before the vaccine was introduced. Although some states reported cases of varicella to the CDC, it was eliminated from the list of nationally notifiable conditions in 1981. Children under 10 years of age make up between 75 – 90 % of chickenpox cases. In 1995, due to the availability of the vaccine in the U.S., hospitalizations due to chickenpox has declined by nearly 90% (Hambleton, & Gershon, 2005).

The person should avoid scratching or rubbing the itchy areas and keep their fingernails short to avoid damaging the skin. The infected person should avoid prolonged exposure to excessive heat and humidity. The use of over- the counter antihistamines or hydrocortisone creams may be recommended for itch relief. Some doctors may prescribe antivirals if the rash began within 24 hours. Antiviral medication is not usually prescribed to otherwise healthy children who do not have severe symptoms. Antivirals are usually prescribed to high-risk groups whom are prone to severe symptoms such as eczema, lung conditions, or who immunocompromised individuals. The infected person should also be advised to avoid aspirin due to association with a serious condition called Reyes syndrome or Ibuprofen due to the association of more severe secondary infections. Tylenol is recommended for fever relief. Some complications that can occur are bacterial infections secondary to scratching, encephalitis, pneumonia and death. The preventions of chickenpox are acquired by vaccination with the varicella vaccine in children, adolescents, and adults, and the herpes zoster vaccine for persons of 60 and older (Maurer&Smith). The Centers for Disease and controls estimates that 95% of Americans will have chickenpox by the time they reach adulthood. The CDC also estimates that there are 4 million cases with a100 deaths and 9300 hospitalizations a