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How Do You Get Herpes Zoster?
As a child, you probably
had chickenpox. Chickenpox is a virus. After you first get it, the virus
it remains inactive but remains in certain nerves in the body. This
is why people generally only get Chickenpox once in their life.
Years later, the virus can
once again become active. This is when Shingles (Herpes Zoster) occurs.
Scientists do not currently know why exactly the virus decides to suddenly
become active again. An outbreak of Herpes Zoster usually only happens
once.
Their are some people who
are more susceptible to Herpes Zoster. People who are over the age of
60 and had chickenpox before they were one year old seem to have more
of a susceptibility to Herpes Zoster. Shingles can also occur if your
immune system is compromised or complicated by certain diseases. If
someone has direct contact with a Herpes Zoster rash and they never
had chickenpox as a child then they could develop chickenpox from this
contact. Yes, chickenpox, not Shingles. Just coming in contact does
not spread the Herpes Zoster virus.
There are different methods
for coping with Herpes Zoster. The first thing that you should do is
get an evaluation from your doctor. Then you can go on certain medications
that will help to alleviate some of your symptoms. For instance, you
can see the herpes virus treatments that are listed on this page. You
should not take any kind of medication or seek any type of treatment
without first talking to your doctor.