Week 3: How does this happen inside of my body?

As I have stated before, the virus first enters you body as chickenpox, or as a component of the varicella vaccine.  Even though the naturally occurring infection clears on the outside, the virus remains hidden on the inside.  The virus is able to remain dormant.  Dormant means that the virus is still alive within you, however it is not causing harm to the body.  This is how shingles is able to appear tens of years later after initial infection.  When the immune system is weakened, the virus is able to rapidly multiply once again (CDC, 2014).  The virus reemerges as the Herpes Zoster virus (CDC, 2014).  The virus will thrive in your spinal nerves, or more specifically the dorsal root ganglia where it has been hiding all this time (CDC, 2012).  The virus can also sit in your cranial nerves, which surround your head. Once in large numbers, the virus can make its way to the skin (NIH, 2014). 

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/varicella.html

When the virus reaches the skin, it continues to multiply; Soon, a rash with form (NIH, 2014).  When you look at your rash, it may appear to be in one specific segment along your body.  This is because the affected area is the space that is innervated by the nerve internally.  This is more commonly known as a dermatome (CDC, 2014).  (Picture) Most often, the rash forms in the dermatomes around the abdomen and rib cage.  However, as I stated before, the virus can attack nerves on the face, which can lead to debilitating injury if the disease progresses (NIH, 2014). 

http://doctorspiller.com/herpes_zoster.htm

The body inherently understands that foreign invaders are attacking it, so the inflammation process begins (NIH, 2014).  Different mediators are sent to the location of the virus in attempt to attack the offenders.  Inflammation leads to pain, heat, redness, and swelling.  This defense mechanism is what causes the individual the most irritation.  This pain can remain even after the rash is healed, like you have been experiencing (NIH, 2014). 

So as you can see, there is a simple mechanism as to how this disease causes so much trouble in an individual’s life.  Below are some videos that break down this information again.

 

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May, 2014. Clinical Overview: Shingles (Herpes Zoster).  Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 2012. Varicella.  Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/varicella.html

National Institutes of Health. (November, 2014). Shingles: Overview. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072808/

Photos:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 2012. Varicella.  Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/varicella.html

Spiller, M. 2000. Herpes Zoster. Retrieved from http://doctorspiller.com/herpes_zoster.htm