Are Shingles Contagious – Human body is the marvel of nature. We are vulnerable to get a huge number of diseases, but we are also the most developed species. There are different fungi, bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause a huge number of diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest a huge number of Vaccines for different age groups to prevent the infection of these diseases in the first place. These webzines help us develop immunity so that we can get better even if we get infected.
Chickenpox is a common disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. A similar virus can also cause a disease called Shingles. There is a unique relationship between both diseases, and everyone needs to learn about their relationship.
Chickenpox usually impacts kids, and Shingles is known to impact old age people. Now, the big question is, are shingles contagious? If anyone in your home is struggling with shingles. Are they going to infect others?
Is Shingles a Contagious Disease?
Yes and No. Shingles is not a contagious disease, but it can spread the virus to others if the disease has reached the blister phase.
Healthcare experts worldwide suggest everyone cover their blisters and other body parts to contain the spread of the virus.
As you are already aware, the virus of shingles is also known to cause chicken pox. If anyone in your family is struggling with Shingles and you have a kid who has not developed chicken pox, then you should make sure both of them are Staying apart and maintaining their distance.
You can keep your body parts covered to contain the spread, but it is not going to provide complete protection. For more information on the protection, we highly recommend you consult with your healthcare provider.
How do Shingles Spread?
As we have already established commerce, Shingles is not a contagious disease period now, and you might be asking how these Shingles spreads.
If shingles are not contagious, how does the disease start in the first place? That is a very interesting question.
Chicken pox and shingles are both caused by the same virus. When a person first gets infected with chickenpox, which is a very common disease, the virus never leaves the body.
Yes, the virus is never going to leave your body if you have been infected with chickenpox. The virus is going to become a doormat in your body for the rest of your life.
Usually, our body has the capabilities to express the virus, but with age, we start to lose our immune system, and it gives a golden chance to the virus.
The second infection of varicella-zoster virus is known as shingles. You cannot get chickenpox more than once, so Healthcare experts have renamed it Shingles. Even if you are a healthy adult, you should try to maintain your distance from shingles or chickenpox.
What are the Treatment Options for Shingles?
Shingles is not a rare disease, and there are different treatment options available for the condition. There is no cure available for shingles, but there are some medicines available that can lower the risk of different complications.
These drugs are also known to speed up the treatment process. When you first visit your healthcare provider for the treatment of shingles, your healthcare provider is going to consider your symptoms and their severity to suggest treatment options.
If you are experiencing mild symptoms, then your healthcare provider might suggest you go for some drugs like:
- Famciclovir
- Zovirax
- Valtrex
Usually, healthcare experts suggest the above-given drugs to people who are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms. But Shingles can also be a painful situation, so your healthcare provider might suggest you go for medicine like:
- Qutenza
- Gratis
- Horizant
- Amitriptyline
- Lidocaine
Kindly do not use any medicine or ointment without consulting with your healthcare provider. The symptoms of shingles usually last between 2 to 6 weeks, but you can always lower the timeline with the help of different medicines.
All about the Shingles Vaccine
Before we completely Wrap up our session, let’s take a quick look at the basics of the shingles vaccine. The vaccine for Shingles is one of the best methods to prevent the infection in the first place.
Back in 2017, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States approved a vaccine for shingles which is known to provide good protection. Everyone above the age of 50 is eligible to receive the vaccine.
Even if you have already developed shingles, it doesn’t mean that you are not going to get them once again. There is always a probability of a second infection, and we highly recommend everyone above the age of 50 get their self vaccinated with the shingles vaccine.
People with weak immune systems and above the age of 19 are also eligible to receive the only approved shingles vaccine. There can be some side effects of the shingles vaccine, and you should never ignore the vaccine just because of these common symptoms.
- Pain on the site of the injection
- redness only site of the injection
- swelling on the Site of the injection
- Headache
- Light fever
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend the shingles vaccine to people who are already allergic to any ingredients used in the vaccine. At the same time, if you already have another medical condition, then we highly recommend you consult with your healthcare provider.
People with existing medical conditions can develop severe side effects from the vaccine.
How to Prevent Shingles?
There are multiple things you can use to prevent shingles in the first place. As we have already discussed, the shingles vaccine is among the most popular and effective methods to prevent infection in the first place.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States suggest everyone above the age of 50 get their self vaccinated with the shingles vaccine. Whether you remember you had chicken pox or you received the chickenpox vaccine, you should get yourself vaccinated with the shingles vaccine.
You might be surprised to know that the vaccine for chickenpox also contains the virus, which is known to cause the disease. The virus is going to be in an inactive form, but it can activate itself once the immunity of the recipient is no longer able to suppress the virus.
Secondly, everyone should try to stay away from people who are already struggling with chicken pox or shingles. Despite getting the vaccine for shingles, everyone should prevent the virus in the first place using all the precautions, including a face mask, hand sanitizer, and not sharing any utensils.
If you are struggling with shingles or chickenpox, then you should make sure you are covering the rashes and avoid touching that rash. Both of these things are known to spread the virus and infect others.
Lastly, you should also try to avoid getting in touch with any pregnant women who never had chickenpox or received the chickenpox vaccine. At the same time, it is also a wise decision not to get in touch with any premature or low birthweight infants.
What are the Complications of Shingles Infection?
Shingles is not a dreadful disease, but sometimes general diseases can also cause severe complications. The center for Disease Control and Prevention believes that people who have been infected with shingle scan develop below given complications:
- Muscle weakness
- Pneumonia
- stroke
- Facial paralysis
- Hearing problems
- Balance problems
- Loss of vision
These are among the most common complications caused by shingles. If you are struggling with shingles, it doesn’t mean that you will develop the above-given conditions. Some severe complications are probable due to infection, but these are also rare.
For example, loss of vision is only possible when the rash starts to appear in or near an Eye. Similarly, stroke is only possible when the symptoms of the condition start to get out of hand.
The United States recorded millions of Cases of shingles this year, and not every person gets diagnosed with severe complications. For more information on these complications, we highly recommend you consult with your healthcare provider right away.
How long are shingles contagious?
Shingles are somewhat contagious under certain conditions. Usually, shingles are not considered a contagious disease, but it can spread the virus once the disease reaches the blister Phase. Until blisters form the hard crust, you should try to avoid getting in touch with anyone who has never developed chicken pox or received the vaccine.