Stress Does Not Cause Shingles

Health.

Facts about what cause shingles - anyone from both genders can get shingles. Understanding the facts about what cause shingles can get you on the right track to medication and treatment. In fact, it is estimated that about a million Americans get shingles each year.

Fact# 1: You don' t get the shingles virus from a person who has it - the virus just gets reactivated. - when a person gets chicken pox, the virus can hide itself in the body and can be reactivated once the immune system becomes weak. The virus that causes shingles is the same one that causes chicken pox: the varicella zoster. It is a fallacy to say that you have caught the shingles from someone suffering from it. Shingles therefore is like another belated but more severe bout of chicken pox. You can only get chicken pox from someone who has the shingles virus and who has fresh blisters.

Facts# 2: You may or may not have shingles. - it is estimated though that one in every ten individuals will develop shingles at a later age. Those who have had chicken pox do not automatically get shingles. It is still not clear whether what cause shingles can cause repeated episodes of shingles. Fact# 3: The shingles virus is not the same as other herpes viruses. It is believed though that shingles usually happens only once and that a repeat of it is possible but is not always the case.

Understanding what cause shingles can help people understand that the virus responsible for shingles is a herpes virus. - this does not mean though that what cause shingles can also cause genital herpes or mouth sores. This is why shingles is also known as herpes zoster. The only reason why they all belong to the herpes group of viruses is because herpes viruses have the ability to infect an individual once and then become dormant for a span of time. Fact# 4: A weak immune system triggers shingles. They can reactivate only when a there is a trigger.

It is not true that you can get chicken pox and shingles and worsen your condition by eating chicken or other allergy inducing food. - this is the reason why understanding what cause shingles is important for the elderly. The real trigger for what cause shingles is a weak immune system. Because their immune system are no longer in top shape, those who are in their 50s, stand the higher, 60s and above chances of getting shingles. Anyone with a weak immune system and has had chicken pox before can also have shingles. It is also possible though that people with immune deficiencies and those sick with cancer and other serious ailments are also at high risk of developing shingles. Fact# 5: Stress is a factor in shingles disease.

Stress however can increase the chances of an individual who is prone to shingles to develop it. - stress does not cause shingles. This is because stress can affect the immune system which can lead to a reactivation of the virus. Too much stress however can increase the level of work of the immune system that it may stop responding to ailments like shingles. Normal stress actually serves to activate the immune system.