Shingles Virus
Shingles, although it appears as a rash, is actually a virus. The physical signs of shingles surface as a result of the herpes zoster virus. The herpes zoster virus, also known as varicella-zoster virus or VZV for short, is the same virus that causes chickenpox in all children. For eighty percent of adults that had chickenpox as a child, the herpes zoster virus never resurfaces. For a less fortunate twenty percent of the adult population, the herpes zoster virus will resurface sometime during their adulthood. When it does resurface in adults, the virus takes the form of shingles.
Although the exact causes of the resurfacing of VZV as shingles are unknown, doctors and scientists have discovered quite a few factors that most likely contribute to shingles. The most common factors include fatigue, stress and a weakened immune system. A weakened immune system can be the result of things such as disease, age or other medications. This weakening of the immune system seems to inhibit its ability to keep VZV in a weakened state. In addition to the three factors mentioned above, the shingles virus may also become reactivated as a result of cancer, radiation treatments or a previous injury where the rash appears.
Because shingles is caused by a virus, researchers are looking for new ways to prevent the reoccurrence of of the herpes zoster virus. Although they have been unable to find a consistent method yet, the most promising lead is the VZV vaccine. This vaccine is used to prevent chickenpox, however, it is not yet effective in preventing shingles. |
