What is the difference between herpes zoster and chickenpox

If you had the chickenpox as a child, the virus that causes it remains in your body, asleep, and it can wake up later when your immune system is compromised. Shingles can affect teenagers, young adults, and the elderly.

This is a common complication of shingles called postherpetic neuralgia. Shingles can take 3 to 5 weeks to clear up. But nerve pain could potentially continue long after the rash is gone. In fact, people may get chickenpox from someone with shingles, if they have never had chickenpox or received the chickenpox vaccine. Unfortunately, you may not become immune to shingles after you have it. Talk with your healthcare provider about getting the shingles vaccine. This can lessen your chances of infection, reduce the severity of symptoms if you do get it, and reduce your chances of developing complications such as long-term nerve pain.

Where your rash appears depends on which nerve the virus travels. See what our experts have to say about the Tempo Studio and how it compares with other home gym solutions. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Shingles vs. Behring on August 10, How to tell the difference Next steps Diagnosis Treatment Takeaway Discovering a rash on your skin can be alarming, especially when that rash is itchy or painful.

How do I tell the difference between shingles and herpes? What are the next steps I can take? How are shingles and herpes diagnosed? How are shingles and herpes treated? The takeaway. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. What's Causing Your Itchy Skin? Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Shingles on the Face: Symptoms, Treatments, and More. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. What Does Shingles Look Like? Medically reviewed by University of Illinois.

Is Shingles Contagious? Medically reviewed by Shilpa Amin, M. When Does Shingles Pain Peak? Medically reviewed by Angelica Balingit, MD.

Medically reviewed by Susan Bard, MD. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. Although chickenpox, shingles, mononucleosis, and CMV retinitis are all caused by herpes viruses, they are not considered to be herpes in the usual sense of the word. The term "herpes" also suggests sexual transmission. It is why people refer to herpes on the lip as a "cold sore" and herpes on the vagina, penis, or anus as "genital herpes" even if the same virus is involved.

Sexual transmission is one of the differentiating factors between chickenpox and herpes, as VZV is not sexually transmitted. Due to the mode of transmission, something like a cold sore might be considered "innocent," while genital herpes often carries the stigma of blame.

It is an attitude that reflects the general discomfort that many people have with sex and sexuality. The stigma associated with herpes is one of the main reasons why many don't get treated and end up passing the virus to others. The same thing is seen with HIV and pretty much every other sexually transmitted infection. And the problem is growing. Genital herpes affects one in eight Americans between the ages of 14 and 49, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Moreover, an estimated , new infections occur each and every year. The question as to whether chickenpox and herpes are "the same thing" is not as important as asking ourselves why one makes us feel ashamed and the other doesn't? Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genital herpes - CDC fact sheet detailed.

Updated January 31, Updated July 12, About cytomegalovirus CMV. These signs and symptoms may include:. Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. For some, it can be intense. Depending on the location of the pain, it can sometimes be mistaken for a symptom of problems affecting the heart, lungs or kidneys. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash. Most commonly, the shingles rash develops as a stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or right side of your torso.

Sometimes the shingles rash occurs around one eye or on one side of the neck or face. Contact your doctor promptly if you suspect shingles, but especially in the following situations:.

The shingles rash is associated with an inflammation of nerves beneath the skin. Anyone who's had chickenpox may develop shingles. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus enters your nervous system and lies dormant for years. Eventually, it may reactivate and travel along nerve pathways to your skin — producing shingles. But, not everyone who's had chickenpox will develop shingles. The reason for shingles is unclear. But it may be due to lowered immunity to infections as you grow older.

Shingles is more common in older adults and in people who have weakened immune systems. Varicella-zoster is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses, which includes the viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes. Because of this, shingles is also known as herpes zoster. But the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles is not the same virus responsible for cold sores or genital herpes, a sexually transmitted infection.

A person with shingles can pass the varicella-zoster virus to anyone who isn't immune to chickenpox. This usually occurs through direct contact with the open sores of the shingles rash. Once infected, the person will develop chickenpox, however, not shingles.