Shingles

The short answer to this question is "No". However, to understand why there are no cures for shingles, we must first look at what can cause shingles and what the risk factors are.

Causes of Shingles

Although no one really knows what causes certain people to get shingles and others to not, there is at least one key ingredient that determines if it is even possible for a person to get shingles. If a person has ever had the chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, it is possible for that person to get shingles later in life. This is because the chickenpox virus and the shingles virus are one in the same. When a person has the had chickenpox or is vaccinated against the virus, the virus lies dormant in clusters of nerve cells near the brain and spinal cord. When the virus becomes active again, usually after age 50, the virus is now shingles.

If a person has never had the chickenpox or the vaccine, they cannot get shingles. This is because shingles is not contagious. However, that being said, if a person who has never had the chickenpox or vaccine comes in contact with someone who has shingles, that person is now at risk for contracting chickenpox, and therefore, shingles could develop later in life.

Risk Factors of Shingles

As stated earlier, it is not known why certain people have the shingles virus become active in their bodies, while in others it lies dormant throughout life. There are, however, certain risk factors that increase a person's chances of activating the virus.

1. Older Age 2. Suppressed Immune System 3. Pregnant Mother had Chickenpox

Of course everyone who has already had the chickenpox is at risk for developing shingles, but the chances of the virus becoming active again increases greatly in people who are older than 60, have a weak immune system, or had a mother who had the chickenpox near the end of pregnancy while they were in utero. People with the third risk factor are more at risk of developing pediatric shingles.

Now that we understand the causes and risk factors, it is easier to see why there is no cure. The virus will always lie dormant in the bodies of people who have had the chickenpox virus or vaccine. It is also very difficult to impossible to reduce the risk factors for shingles. However, there is a new shingles vaccine that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006 which helps prevent an outbreak. The vaccine is for people 60 and over and it helps prevent shingles in more than 50% of the cases.

Shingles |