Understanding What Cause Shingles

Just like its sister disease, chicken pox, shingles was sometimes misunderstood in the past. Modern medicine however has now allowed us to achieve a better understanding of what cause shingles.

The Real Cause of Shingles

Food is not part of what cause shingles. In fact, you also technically cannot get shingles even when you are casually around someone who has it. The real answer to what cause shingles is already inside an individual’s body. The virus varicella zoster is what cause shingles and it is the very same virus that is also responsible for chicken pox. When a person gets chicken pox, the same virus that caused it stays in a nerve near the spinal cord. It will lie dormant until it reactivates in the future and manifests itself as shingles. Although you cannot catch shingles from someone, it is possible to get chicken pox from direct contact with a person with shingles if you have never had chicken pox before.

Triggers

The reactivation of the varicella virus is the true answer to what cause shingles. There are however certain triggers that are linked to what cause shingles. The number one trigger is actually a weakened or suppressed immune system. Some factors contribute to bring about such a condition in the immune system. Age for example is among these factors. Older people may naturally weaken through age or their immune systems may simply forget what it was like to fight the virus because it has been asleep for a long time.

Aside from age, AIDS and HIV are conditions that also naturally result in an immune system that is more pone to viral attacks. Severe illnesses like cancer and radical medical procedures like chemotherapy and organ transplant may also have an impact on the nervous system. Steroids which have a suppressive effect on the immune system are also what cause shingles as triggers.

Stress as a Trigger

There is now some evidence that severe emotional triggers such as emotional trauma and extreme stress may also be part of what cause shingles. There are several theories surrounding this aspect of what cause shingles. It is possible that an overworked immune system due to stress can lead to its inability to do its job properly. Common sense would tell us that pushing the body to the limit of work exertion can negatively affect the immune system.

Prevention

Vaccination seems to be the best solution to try and prevent the incidence of shingles in the future. Children and teens should therefore receive the proper shots for chicken pox. Adults aged 60 and above can now also receive shingles vaccination. Getting yourself immunized however does not always guarantee that you will always be immune from the virus.

There is no clear evidence that clean living, regular exercise and a proper diet can stop shingles from erupting. It does still make sense though to simply just attempt to strengthen your immune system. You can do this by cutting your smoking habits, eating right and maintaining the right balance of physical activity and relaxation.