Search Results for: shingles
Treatment for Shingles in Children
The same virus that causes chickenpox — varicella zoster — can also cause the contagious disease shingles in some children. If your child displays the symptoms of shingles, speak to his pediatrician about possible treatments and what you can do to help speed your child’s recovery.
Shingles in Kids
Children can contract shingles, a red, blistery rash that appears along nerve pathways, if they have already had the chickenpox. Following a bout with chickenpox, the disease will lie dormant in the body. In some cases it reappears years later as a case of shingles. Shingles in a child is generally less painful than shingles in an adult. Knowing what to look for and when to call the doctor will help your child be more comfortable if he gets a case of shingles.
Shingles in Women
Shingles is a rash infection, which is the more severe and painful cousin of chickenpox. Once a person has shingles, the symptoms and treatments are the same for men and women. However, women who are pregnant or have a baby younger than 12 months need to take extra precautions to avoid becoming infected.
Chicken Pox or Shingles?
As a child, you may have come down with a case of chicken pox. The disease was once common among children before a vaccine against it was developed, according to the Mayo Clinic. While it is usually a mild illness, it is contagious and people have died from it. Although people usually develop immunity to the disease after contracting it once, in some cases, the virus can be dormant in their bodies and re-emerge years later as shingles.
Symptoms of Shingles & Pregnancy
While it is relatively rare for pregnant women to contract a case of the shingles, expectant moms who do get the shingles or the related infection chicken pox risk giving birth to a child with congenital defects, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The risks to an unborn child is usually the greatest during the first 30 weeks of pregnancy. Women with HIV or other autoimmune disorders are more susceptible to contracting shingles. Also, children born to moms who suffered from shingles while pregnant are much more likely to have chicken pox early in life.