Shingles:TheReawakeningofChickenpox
Many of us think of chickenpox as a childhood illness — a harmless rite of passage that fades into memory once the itchy blisters heal. However, what most people don't realize is that the virus behind chickenpox,thevaricella-zostervirus(VZV),neverreallyleavesthebody.Instead,itliesdormantinthe nervoussystemforyears,onlytoreawakenlaterinlifeasapainfulandpotentiallydebilitatingcondition known as shingles.1 Shingles,or"kulebra"asit’slocallyknown,isaviralinfectionthatcancauseseverediscomfort.It’sthe same virus that caused your chickenpox but reawakens when your immune system is weakened.2 Inaradiointerview,FamilyMedicineandGeriatricsExpertDr.CheridineOro-Josef,likenedthepainof shingles to "a dormant volcano suddenly coming to life."3She emphasized that the most challenging symptom isn’t the rash itself, but rather the nerve pain known as postherpetic neuralgia4or long-term nervepain.Herpatients oftendescribedthispainas"barbedwires"piercingtheski...