Shingles Reoccurrence: Understanding the Process and Identifying Vulnerable Individuals
A weakened immune system can lead to recurrent shingles outbreaks, as the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, can reactivate from its dormant state in nerve cells.
Normally, a healthy immune system keeps this virus in check, preventing reactivation. However, when immunity is compromised—due to age, illness, stress, or immunosuppressive treatments—the virus "wakes up" and causes shingles.
The varicella-zoster virus remains dormant within nerve tissue after the initial chickenpox infection. Factors that weaken immunity, such as diabetes, cancer, HIV, stress, steroids, chemotherapy, immunosuppressants for organ transplants, increase the risk of shingles and its recurrence.
While shingles typically happens once, weakened immunity may allow multiple reactivations, leading to recurrent episodes. The severity of recurrent shingles can vary depending on individual immune system, medications, and overall health.
Antiviral medications like acyclovir or valacyclovir are typically used for shingles treatment. Over-the-counter pain medications and topical lotions like lidocaine cream or capsaicin cream can help relieve pain and reduce symptoms during treatment.
Keeping the affected area clean and bandaged can help prevent secondary bacterial infections and limit the spread of the varicella-zoster virus. Avoiding pools or raw water can help avoid further irritation or infection during treatment.
It's important to note that you are contagious with shingles until the rash itself is dried and crusted over. Postherpetic neuralgia is a result of nerves being irritated by the virus in recurrent shingles outbreaks.
Maintaining a healthy immune system can help reduce the risk of recurrence. This includes maintaining healthy nutrition, exercising daily, improving sleep schedule, and boosting natural defenses.
According to infectious disease expert Kruti Yagnik, DO, recurrent shingles is often due to a weakened immune system. She notes that shingles can reactivate again because the immune system can't keep it in check over time. However, all these measures help more in the long term than one may think.
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Shingles. https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html [2] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Shingles. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shingles/symptoms-causes/syc-20374956 [3] National Health Service. (2021). Shingles. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shingles/ [4] American Cancer Society. (2021). Shingles and Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/immune-system/shingles.html [5] World Health Organization. (2021). COVID-19. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
- Maintaining a healthy immune system, including regular exercise, sufficient nutrition, good sleep hygiene, and effective stress management, can potentially help reduce the risk of recurrent shingles outbreaks.
- Chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or HIV, as well as treatments like steroids, chemotherapy, and immunosuppressants, can weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of shingles and its recurrence.
- Shingles, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, can reactivate when the immune system is compromised, leading to recurrent episodes and possibly postherpetic neuralgia, a condition characterized by lingering pain in the affected area.
- Antiviral medications like acyclovir or valacyclovir, as well as over-the-counter pain relievers and topical creams such as lidocaine or capsaicin, are commonly used to treat shingles and help alleviate symptoms.
- Obtaining accurate and up-to-date information about shingles from reliable sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mayo Clinic, National Health Service (NHS), American Cancer Society, and World Health Organization (WHO) can aid in understanding more about the disease, its prevention, and appropriate treatment strategies.
