Both are the same virus,
If an adult who’s never had chicken pox comes into contact, would they develop shingles or CP?
Is having chicken pox hibernate in your system then reactivate what leads to shingles, which is why it’s worse in adults? If not and an adult can progras directly to shingles, what makes it effects adults worse?
In: 3
It’s the same virus but it’s doing different things in each situation.
When you get chicken pox, you’re dealing with a rash. It’s itchy and annoying and can leave scars but is ultimately harmless. When it runs its course, you aren’t typically in an emergency situation.
**Shingles is more complicated.** When you’ve had chicken pox and recovered from it, the virus doesn’t really leave your body. What happens is it retreats deeper into the nerve tissue in your body and can remain dormant for decades before finally waking up. Why it wakes up is debated but some doctors thing it can be related to a weakened immune system or an immune based disorder (like an autoimmune disease triggering it)
This is why shingles is a more serious disease.
* It attacks nerves rather than skin which results in higher amounts of pain and even nerve damage in extreme cases.
* It can cause brain inflammation since the virus can travel through nerve endings leading into the spinal cord.
* It can cause vision loss and blindness in extreme cases.
* You also have to account for the fact that people get shingles primarily when they’re much older. The added risk of being an elderly person makes almost all diseases and conditions worse as your recovery is harder. An elderly person is less likely to have a successful or full recovery compared to a younger person with the same condition.
That’s ultimately why it’s worse. It’s attacking a different organ system in the shingles version which is resulting in worse outcomes.
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