Can Chicken Pox Cause Shingles?
The Varicella-Zoster Virus Chicken pox, or varicella, is an extremely contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It may cause body aches, fever, fatigue, irritability and, what it is most noted for, itchy blisters that can cover the entire body. Considering that shingles, or herpes zoster, is also a form of the varicella-zoster virus, anyone who has contracted chicken pox is also susceptible to shingles. However, younger adults are more likely to contract the chicken pox virus, whereas half of the million people diagnosed with shingles each year in the U.S. are over 60 years old. How can the chicken pox virus cause shingles? Simply put, once a person has been infected with chicken pox, the varicella-zoster virus can remain dormant inside the body’s nerve cells for years, and even decades, and can reactivate into shingles. Once reactivated, the virus flares up the body’s nerve fibers, causing pain and eventually blisters on the surface of the skin. People become more susce
