These are contagious when you have sexual relations…

Many people believe that after having chickenpox in childhood, the virus disappears forever. However, the reality is far more surprising: the virus can remain inside the body for decades without causing symptoms.

At certain moments, even when a person feels healthy, the virus can reactivate and cause a condition known as shingles.

What few people know is that this condition can appear unexpectedly, even many years after having chickenpox. Shingles is directly linked to the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox.

When a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus does not completely disappear. Instead, it remains dormant in the nervous system, where it can stay inactive for decades without causing any problems.

Under certain circumstances, the virus may reactivate and appear again, this time in the form of shingles. Specialists point out that this reactivation often occurs when the immune system becomes weakened.

Factors that may contribute include natural aging, prolonged periods of stress, illnesses that affect the immune system, medical treatments that weaken immunity, and intense physical or emotional exhaustion.

One of the most unusual aspects of shingles is that the first symptoms are not always obvious.

Before the characteristic rash appears, some people may experience burning or pain in a specific area of the body, tingling sensations, skin sensitivity, and localized discomfort.

When the condition fully develops, a rash with clustered blisters usually appears on only one side of the body. This happens because the virus reactivates along a specific nerve. As a result, the lesions follow a localized pattern instead of spreading across the entire body.

 ONE COMPLICATION MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT

In most cases, shingles improves with proper medical treatment. However, if it is not detected early, a complication called postherpetic neuralgia may develop.

This is a persistent pain that can continue for months or even years after the rash disappears, affecting the quality of life of those who suffer from it.

IS SHINGLES CONTAGIOUS?

A person with shingles does not directly spread shingles itself, but they can transmit the varicella-zoster virus to someone who has never had chickenpox or has not been vaccinated.

In that case, the exposed person could develop chickenpox, not shingles. For this reason, it is recommended to avoid direct contact with pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems.

Shingles shows that some illnesses can remain hidden for years before appearing again. That is why paying attention to the body’s signals, taking care of the immune system, and consulting healthcare professionals when unusual symptoms appear can make a big difference.