At first glance, chicken pox and shingles sound like strange words to link together: chicken disease and roof covering? Not exactly. Both chicken pox and shingles are diseases. So, let’s take a look at some initial questions first before we examine how the two diseases are linked. What is chicken pox? What are shingles? How are these two infections connected?
To start, chicken pox (varicella) is caused by the varicella zoster virus. The virus is highly contagious and can spread through a sneeze, cough, or shared food or drinks. The disease causes an itchy rash and red spots or blisters (pox) to develop all over the body.
Chicken pox is a more serious disease in adulthood. As you age, your risk of hospitalization and death from chicken pox is increased due to a less responsive immune system. However, once you get chicken pox, it is highly unlikely you will get it again in your lifetime. That’s why your parents probably encouraged you to get chicken pox by bringing you to those infamous chicken pox parties.
The virus that gave you chicken pox as a child may still have effects on your health as an adult.
Image Source: Moment/Jill Tindall
Unfortunately, once you have gotten chicken pox, you are at risk of getting shingles when you get older. Even after you’ve recovered from chicken pox, the virus can lie dormant in your dorsal root ganglion neurons (sensory cell bodies). For some unknown reason later in life, your neurons will have very low thresholds for response, becoming very sensitive. This means that nearly any stimulus will cause your sensory neurons to fire, reactivating the virus and leading to shingles. Shingles is characterized as a section of the skin that has a burning or stabbing pain, hypersensitivity, inflamed and blistered skin, and a scaly appearance. If you have shingles, your skin will be affected commonly on one side, and the symptoms will appear in “bands” on your skin, such as across the torso or down the side of one limb.
Luckily, the days of the chicken pox parties are behind us. Recently, a vaccine that is very effective in preventing the disease has been produced; just two doses of the vaccine is 98% effective at preventing chicken pox. Furthermore, the shingles vaccine, Zostavax, is recommended for anyone 60 years of age and older to keep the varicella zoster virus from reactivating and causing shingles. The shingles vaccine also helps to boost your immune system to help battle the recurrence of the chicken pox virus.
As an advocate for chicken pox vaccinations, Dr. Reddy, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, has a website that helps parents receive information about common virus’ and diseases children face. Dr. Reddy sums up the importance of vaccination, stating, “It may be possible to eliminate chicken pox as we have eliminated smallpox… with a universal vaccination.” Thus, make an informed decision with the consultation of your doctor to protect you or a loved one from chicken pox and shingles!
