Chicken Pox And Shingles
The varicella zoster virus is a member of the human herpes virus family and it is responsible for the rash that affects people which is commonly known as chicken pox.
The onset of the virus is characterized by the occurrence of red spots that cover the entire body of the individual right from the scalp to the chest to the feet. These red spots turn into blisters after a day or two, are very painful, and cause the person to itch. Though overall chickenpox is not a disease that saps your entire strength it is one that will test your limits of patience, as the rash, which causes you to itch, will last for a period of a week or two.
It has been said that it is better to be infected with the virus when you are smaller as the infection is less severe and the recuperation period much shorter. Adults who are afflicted by this disease are subject to severe infectious strains of the virus, which may even result in death of the individual for the simple reason that the immune system of the individual is compromised leading to the occurrence of pneumonia, which is the most common complication that is encountered in such cases.
During a bout of chicken pox, the body is totally covered in blisters and it will be good option for one to rub on calamine lotion to ease the itching sensation that is caused by these boils. You can also consider giving the individual a paracetamol based drug in case of fever and relieve head aches as well as body aches. Consult your doctor if you have a fever that is above 103 degrees Fahrenheit, broken blisters that ooze out a green and yellow liquid, if you are an adult and if you are pregnant. Treatment should include cold water baths to bring down the body temperature, application of calamine lotion to relieve itching as well as the proper disinfecting of utensils and clothes used by the person infected by the virus.
Shingles:
Chicken pox is a disease that affects an individual once in is/her lifetime as the individual develops immunity to the rash after being infected the first time. Though, you may have developed immunity to the virus the virus still lies dormant in your body in the nervous system causing you to break out into shingles later in your life. Shingles affects only those individuals who have previously been affected by chicken pox. The virus is attached to the nervous system and when one breaks out in shingles it is due to inflammation that is associated with an inflamed nerve ending. Shingles is characterized by a rash that affects one side of the human body and may cause you to get headaches and feel lethargic. Though shingles is not as contagious as chicken pox, those who are affected by the disease should take care. People who have not been affected by chicken pox earlier in the life should avoid getting close to those who are suffering from shingles.