i need to know why we only get chicken pox once in our lives and we can get colds over and over again.
127939
Because chicken pox is only one virus. Colds are MILLIONS!
17672
No, it is not normal.  If you are actually catching cold once a month, then you may have a compromisd immune system.  You probably are not catching cold, but are experiencing allergy flare-ups, which can mimic the symptoms of a cold.\nAll 'colds' are caused by viral infections.  Bacterial infections can be secondary with a cold (pneumonia, for example).  Colds, being viral in origin, do not respond to anti-biotics, and for that reason, anti-biotics should never be taken for a cold.  Bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, do respond to anti-biotics.  Should your doctor prescribe an anti-biotic for you, be sure to take all of the pills.  Do not stop taking them just because you feel better.
172348
not long, chicken pox may last a week at most, for some 2-3.  but you shouldn't miss too many days.
23480
I'm a physician assistant and have an answer for you.\nShingles is a virus that is also a part of the chicken pox virus. When you are young you get chicken pox, when you are old you get shingles from the same virus. Unfortunately, your doctor is right, it can't be cured. It comes about in times of stress and is pretty painful. There is a medication called Acyclovir that can prevent the outbreaks before they get bad. Usually you begin taking the mediation when you feel an episode come on (tingling sensation or mild pain where the outbreak is going to occur) and it prevents the outbreak from progressing to a painful situation. If i were you, i would ask your doctor or Physician Assistant about Acyclovir. We prescribe it frequently for people with exactly the same problem. hope that helped!
498954
no idea, maybe because we spend more time inside with each other, the sick people in our family....sound good to you?\nall the sneezing and touching, yuk....!
96983
anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk for developing shingles as the virus can re-activate in times of stress or immunosupression.
630262
Chickenpox is a common disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which is part of the herpesvirus family. Although many people associate the word herpes with genital herpes, the herpesvirus family is made up of nearly 100 kinds of viruses, eight of which cause disease in humans. Examples of different herpesviruses are herpes simplex virus (which causes cold sores and genital herpes infections), Epstein-Barr virus (which causes infectious mononucleosis), and varicella-zoster virus (which causes chickenpox and shingles). Varicella-zoster virus spreads in the air through coughs or sneezes or through contact with fluid from inside the chickenpox blisters. \n\nChickenpox, which occurs most often in the late winter and early spring, is very contagious - if exposed to an infected family member, about 80% to 90% of those in a household who haven't had chickenpox will get it. However, immunization of children with the chickenpox vaccine that's now available is expected to decrease cases of the disease dramatically over the next few years. \n\nAlthough it's more common in kids under the age of 15, anyone can get chickenpox. A person usually has only one episode of chickenpox in his or her lifetime. But the virus that causes chickenpox can lie dormant within the body and can cause a different type of skin eruption later in life called shingles, also referred to as herpes-zoster. \n\n\n\nSigns and Symptoms\nChickenpox is a viral infection that causes a red, itchy rash on the skin. The chickenpox rash usually appears first on the abdomen or back and face, and then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body, including the scalp, mouth, nose, ears, and genitals. \n\nThe rash begins as multiple small, red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites. They develop into thin-walled blisters filled with clear fluid, which then becomes cloudy. The blister wall breaks, leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs. One of the most characteristic features of the chickenpox rash is that all stages of the lesions can be present at the same time. \n\nChickenpox blisters are about a quarter to half an inch wide, have a reddish base, and appear in bouts over 2 to 4 days. Some children have only a few blisters, whereas others have several hundred. The rash may be more extensive or severe in kids who have skin disorders such as eczema.\n\nSome children have a fever, abdominal pain, or a vague sick feeling a day or 2 before the rash appears. These symptoms may last for a few days, and fever stays in the range of 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 to 38.8 degrees Celsius), although it may occasionally be higher. Younger children often have milder symptoms and fewer blisters than older children or adults.\n\nNormally, chickenpox is a mild illness, but certain groups of people are more likely to have a more severe illness that could lead to complications. These include infants, adolescents, adults, and people with weak immune systems from either illnesses or from medications such as long-term steroid use. The most common complication of severe chickenpox illness in these groups of people is a bacterial infection that can involve many sites of the body including the skin around the blisters, bones, lungs, joints, and the blood. Other serious complications are due to the virus itself infecting the organs and include viral pneumonia, bleeding problems, and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).\n\nAnyone who has had chickenpox as a child is at risk for a complication later in life called shingles. After an infection, some of the varicella-zoster virus may remain inactive in nerve cells near the spinal cord. Many years later, the virus can reactivate and resurface as shingles. When it reactivates, it affects the nerve to the skin. Symptoms, such as a tingling feeling, itching, or pain followed by a rash with red bumps and blisters appear only in the area of the skin that the nerve goes to. \n\nContagiousness
272897
its very rare for children to get chicken pox after being vaccinated.. It is contagious and so, the child should not go to school. The pox will eventually disappear in few days or so. Should go for a medical check up before letting the child go back to school
379774
The adult version of the chicken pox virus is shingles.  You will usually feel an itchy, tingling sensation on your body, which would later turn into a rash, that either circles your torso or appears in clusters down one side.  Chicken pox is treated at home, with no need for doctor/medication unless complications set in, but meds may be required for shingles.  Contact your doc if a rash appears.\n\nhttp://www.angelic1healing.com
488545
Yeah, I think that once your immune system has one thing to deal with, sometimes it can't deal as well with other things that are happening.  That is probably the reason for the cold sore, the zits, and the eczema.  I hope you feel better soon.
161909
Sounds more like chicken pox. \nBelow is information on measles.\n\nThe first symptoms are normally similar to those of a bad cold: fever, runny nose, sore throat and a cough. A few days later a bright red, blotchy rash breaks out on the forehead, face and neck. Within a few days the rash spreads to the body, arms and legs, by which time the rash will begin to fade from the face. When the rash breaks out, you may also develop conjunctivitis\nMeasles is spread very easily from person to person, when droplets of the virus are circulated through the air from an infected person coughing or sneezing. Another person then breathes in the virus and may become infected. Measles is highly contagious and before immunization was available it would cause epidemics in schools. Once you have had measles you will develop an immunity to it and will not contract it again.
540747
Technically you cannot get sick from a dead virus so he either has this because he was convinced beforehand that he would be sure to get sick or he has picked up another bug. The flu shot only protects you from the particular type of flu that it was developed for. It does NOT protect you from all strains of the flu.
425642
I caught the FLU for the first time ever last Feb.  It was a nightmare.  I couldn't move much because my body ached so badly headaches ,  in and out of conciousness.  I hope I never have to go through that again.
262894
Shingles is a localized infection due to the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. It occurs only in people who have had chickenpox in the past and represents a reactivation of the dormant varicella virus. Why the virus reactivates in some individuals and not in others is unknown.\n\nThe disease is primarily seen in the elderly, but occasionally it occurs in younger individuals. It affects both sexes and all races with equal frequency and occurs sporadically throughout the year.\n\nShingles is not usually dangerous to healthy individuals although it can cause great misery during an attack. Anyone with shingles on the upper half of their face, no matter how mild, should seek medical care at once. There is some danger that the virus could cause damage to the eye resulting in blindness. Complications are rare but may include partial facial paralysis (usually temporary), ear damage or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
435078
Shingles are caused from the same virus that chickenpox are caused from.  No one can catch them from you.  They can be brought on my nerves, stress both physically and mentally and pure body exaustion.  You can only get them if you have previously had the chickenpox, perhaps when you were a child.  It is a type of nerve problem, and they say it is very miserable.  Follow your Dr.'s orders to the T, or you will not progress as you should.  If you are not satisfied with your questions and answers from your Dr., it is up to you to find a Dr. you trust.  Being a nurse, I have changed Drs. many times in my life.  If you don't like or trust them, then find one you do.  Good luck with your recovery.
617259
A recent study confirmed your theory.\n\nIt is particularly the case when the feet or hads are cold.\n\nOf course, like someone said, it is not the coldness alone which makes you ill, but, like you said, your "resistance" is somehow lowered (I think it is that the immune response is slower) and that makes you more vulnerable to any pathogen.
219720
I have never heard anyone around me having it twice. And according to wikipedia,\n\n"Chickenpox has a two-week incubation period and is highly contagious by air transmission two days before symptoms appear. Therefore, chickenpox spreads quickly through schools and other places of close contact. Once someone has been infected with the disease, they usually develop protective immunity for life. It is fairly rare to get the chickenpox multiple times, but it is possible for people with irregular immune systems. As the disease is more severe if contracted by an adult, parents have been known to ensure their children become infected before adulthood."