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Q
: My 88 yr old grandmothe has contracted shingles. Also, she was told by an Infectious Disease Doctor that in conjunction w/the shingles, she has chicken pox. How is this possible when she already had the chicken pox as a child. People don't believe her when she tells them she now has both viruses at the same time. Please elaborate on this. Thanks – Denise
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Answer
: Hello Denise. Shingles is a second eruption of the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. Varicella-zoster is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses, which includes the viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes. Many of these viruses can lie hidden in your nervous system after an initial infection and remain dormant for years before causing another infection. Anyone who's had chickenpox may develop shingles. If your immune system doesn't destroy the entire virus during the initial infection, the remaining virus can enter your nervous system and lie hidden for years. Eventually, it may reactivate and travel along nerve pathways to your skin — producing shingles. The reason for the encore is unclear. Shingles is more common in older adults and those who have weak immune systems.
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