Are there any new strains for Shingles?
970034
Shingles is the lay term for reactivation of the Varicella zooster virus which is the same virus that causes chicken pox.\nVaricella zooster virus, after infecting a host, remain dormant in the nerves (dorsal root ganglion)\ngiven opportunity, the virus reactivtes and causes pain and vesicular rash that occupy a patch of skin supplied by that specific nerve (a dermatome) and does not cross the midline.\ntreatment should at least include:\n1. symptomatic relief.\n2. antivirals if severe, or if at anatomical important sites (e.g. face, eye)\n3. mx of secondary bacterial infection, if present.\n4. discussion relating to possible cause of reactivation\n5. check for if the virus is affecting other organs, and manage accordingly
888478
we have been getting them for the last 6 or 7 years even though you have the shot sometime a new strain that was not in the shot starts up and you could get that one. Its worth the gamble believe me,
66372
Shingles go on the roof, not the ceiling.
74738
My grandfather had shingles numerous times.  Shingles is a herpes virus.  Not sure he used L-Lysine.  I have used it when I bit the inside of my cheek and I ended up with a sore in my mouth.  It does heal.\n\nHere ya go:\n\nLysine and cold sores\n\nThe herpes virus, an ancient and unwelcome human companion, comes in more than one form. Herpes simplex 1 is almost always the culprit in cold sores or fever blisters that erupt around the mouth; herpes simplex 2 is generally responsible for genital herpes. But, in fact, both forms of the virus can cause eruptions on the genitals and around the mouth. Herpes outbreaks, wherever they occur, are usually painful and unsightly, as well as contagious. Anywhere from 60 to 90% of us carry herpes simplex 1, probably as a result of childhood infection, and genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases these days. (Perhaps 20 million people have genital herpes, and one million become infected each year.) Once you have the virus, you have it. It may lie dormant, but it doesn't go away.\n\nFortunately, there's now an effective prescription drug for herpes called acyclovir. Sold in capsule, liquid, or ointment form, it does not cure herpes in the sense that antibiotics cure bacterial infections, but it does reduce the severity of outbreaks and seems to have few if any serious side effects. And there's some evidence that long-term daily oral doses can cut down on recurrences. It's also effective against herpes zoster, the chickenpox/shingles virus. (Two similar drugs, one already approved for use against shingles, are soon to be marketed for herpes.) However, acyclovir is quite expensive and there's no generic yet, and many people wonder if there aren't other measures they can take.\n\nAbout a decade ago, before acyclovir, the amino acid lysine was regarded as a potential herpes treatment. Lysine, one of the building blocks of protein, is supplied by many foods (notably red meats, fish, and dairy products). You can certainly satisfy your needs for lysine from dietary sources. But to fight herpes, you probably need more, the theory ran.\n\nThe idea that lysine might work against herpes has some plausibility. In order to replicate, the herpes virus requires arginine, another amino acid that's common in foods and necessary to human life; but lysine is thought to interfere with the absorption of arginine in the intestine. It's a long way from this observation to a herpes cure, and most studies have been inconclusive. A small study conducted at the Baylor College of Dentistry in 1984 did show that lysine supplements-1,000 milligrams a day-helped reduce recurrences of cold sores. (Genital herpes was not part of this study.)
177532
Shingles is not infectious in the same way as chickenpox, where the virus can be passed on in coughs and sneezes. However, shingles is contagious. This means it can be passed on by direct contact. Fluid from shingles blisters can cause chickenpox in people who are not already immune. People with shingles should avoid those with a lowered immunity. \n\nthere are some herbs that can help with the problem. contact me fo more information about them.
1148512
Today's treatments provide a variety of ways to shorten the duration of a shingles outbreak and to control the associated pain. Sometimes, however, shingles leads to a chronic painful condition called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) that can be difficult to treat. \n\nAlthough viral diseases can't be cured, doctors can prescribe oral antiviral medications, such as Zovirax (acyclovir), Famvir (famciclovir) and Valtrex (valacyclovir), that help control the infection by hindering reproduction of the virus in the nerve cells. "Antiviral therapy may shorten the course of an episode of shingles," says Cvetkovich. "However, therapy must be started as early as possible after symptoms develop--within 48 hours--in order to have an effect." \n\nTo relieve pain, the doctor may recommend over-the-counter analgesics (pain-relieving drugs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, or prescription drugs, such as indomethacin, all members of a class of medications known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Acetaminophen is also commonly used to relieve the pain. If pain is severe, doctors may add stronger analgesics, such as codeine or oxycodone. \n\nDoctors use other methods to alleviate pain with varying degrees of success. "One of the relatively new medications that I'm enthusiastic about is the Lidoderm patch," says Veronica Mitchell, M.D., director of the pain management center and inpatient pain service at Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C. "It's the transdermal form of lidocaine and it's been studied in the PHN population with very good results," adds Mitchell. "We prescribed the Lidoderm patch for a patient who had intolerable side effects with oral medications--and no relief--and she's had about a 50 percent-plus improvement in pain relief. It's one of my first-line therapies." The medication contained in this soft, pliable patch penetrates the skin, reaching the damaged nerves just under the skin without being absorbed significantly into the bloodstream. This means that the patch can be used for long periods of time without serious side effects. \n\nYet another method used to treat PHN is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS. A device that generates low-level pulses of electrical current is applied to the skin's surface, causing tingling sensations and offering some people pain relief. One theory as to how TENS works is that the electrical current stimulates production of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. \n\nTENS is not for everyone. "TENS didn't help at all," says Einar Raysor of Rockville, Md. "I found there was a problem in fine-tuning the administration of the electrical current. Low doses of the electrical current didn't do anything for me. When the technician increased the current, it gave me a painful response. After this happened a couple of times, we dropped the treatment."\n\nAs a last resort, invasive procedures called nerve blocks may be used to provide temporary relief. These procedures usually entail the injection of a local anesthetic into the area of the affected nerves. "We have controversial results in the terms of the efficacy of nerve blocks," says Mitchell. "I do consider nerve blocks in treating PHN and I would perform them because there's some evidence that they work, but the real efficacy is to catch and treat the patient in the acute shingles phase. As PHN presents mostly in the elderly, and the older patient often is unable to tolerate some of the medications we use, I find nerve blocks useful in these cases." \n\nInjection directly into the spine is another option for relief of pain that is not easily treated. A Japanese clinical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that an injection of the steroid methylprednisone combined with the anesthetic lidocaine reduced pain by more than 70 percent in one patient group comp
618973
Babies can get shingles, but only if they have previously had chicken pox, or the varicela vaccine (varicela-zoster is the virus that causes chicken pox and shingles, it is in the herpes family, but it is not herpes).  When someone has chicken pox or the vaccine, the virus does not die completely, but hides out inside of nerves in the spinal cord (the varicela vaccine is a live attenuated virus, meaning it is a virus that can infect but has some abnormality that makes it so you don't get sick).  When the person becomes immune suppressed, the virus can reemerge and cause infection along the dermatome (strip of skin) where the virus was originally contracted.  Was the vaccine given in the shoulder?  Or did your child get chicken pox in the past?  There is not a good treatment for shingles, but don't give aspirin as this can cause Reye's syndrome (fatty liver).
382955
Just because you have one strain of the herpes virus doesn't mean you can't get another strain of the virus. You're best bet is to be safe and use protection.
607773
Here's a bit about the origins of VZV:\n\n"Molecular phylogenetic analyses suggest that the progenitor varicella-zoster virus (VZV) arose some 70 million years ago, probably in small mammals during the Paleocene Epoch1,2 (Fig 1). VZV has subsequently co-evolved with early humankind, developing its biphasic mode of survival as chickenpox (primary infection) and shingles (reactivation). In prehistoric times, shingles was the most likely means by which the virus was maintained within small populations of humans. In other words, an elder would develop shingles and thereby transmit virus to the children who had not previously contracted chickenpox. Thus, the properties of VZV latency and reactivation have served the virus well as it co-evolved with humankind during the great migrations out of Africa into Asia and later into Europe"\nRead more in this article:\nhttp://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/103/5/1027\n\nHope that helps!
796209
The answer is definitely yes, you can get them more than once, but those occasions are the exception.\n\nShingles is a viral infection of the nerve roots and is triggered by significant fatigue, stress, injuries and other reasons, and is actually just a reactivation of the chickenpox virus that lies dormant in people once they have recovered from chickenpox during their youth. \n\nFor adults that have not had chickenpox or had a very mild case (like i did), coming in contact with the chickenpox virus will most likely not trigger chickenpox, but rather shingles (like i got).\n\nWhether you had chickenpox as a child or chickenpox of shingles as an adult, the virus will always be in your system, but for the majority of people will just lie dormant after your recovery.
316582
Yes, shingles may never come out onto the skin surface.  I went to the hospital with severe pain in my side and was shocked by a diagnosis of shingles.
674887
You can find out all you want here:\n\n\n\nhttp://www.orlandoskindoc.com/varicella%20zoster.htm
235319
Do they itch and/or hurt? Do they run in a straight line on just one side of the body? Have you ever had chicken pox? If you answered yes to these three questions, odds are it's shingles. But you can always get a second opinion from another doctor.
1020324
Herpes zoster is caused by a varicella zoster, the same virus that causes chickenpox, and the reinfection in an adult is often known as shingles.  When you get chickenpox as a child, the virus often migrates to the root ganglion of certain nerve cells and remains dormant, sometimes throughout your life.  About 20% of all adults will get an outbreak of shingles later in life, usually with advancing age.  Some causes for the reoccurrance are immunosuppression (either as a result of age, stress, depression, or other disease) or chemotherapy.  It is usually not deadly if treated promptly and properly, and with the newer anti-viral medications available on the market, only lasts a little while.  It is exceedingly difficult to eliminate it for good, since it just goes dormant again rather than dying out completely.
939218
Beginning in January, they will be paying for the Zostavax (shingles) vaccine.  It will be treated as a prescription drug and beneficiaries need to check with their current prescription drug plan provider to see how much the vaccine will cost on their plan or if it will even be covered.
576585
Many diseases have differnet strands. For example HPV has 16 that I know of (cause of cancer cells)  The family you talk about is kown as HSV -oral is HSV 1, genital HSV 2.  There are more as well in the herpes zoster family, shingles and chicken pox.  It is possible for you to get both since they are different strands at the same time but cases are rare (like 1% they say.)  There are test to see if you have both the HSV strands as well as others.
1014820
Yes, I know that Washington University School of Medicine is presently working on a vaccine and drugs for derailing HSV-1 and HSV 2. Do I believe that Boigetica has the cure? No. That would be front page news everywhere. The scientists at that company would never have to work again.....It would be like Smallpox....BIG news, eradicated! (only to come sweeping back through)