Think Chickenpox Is Gone for Good …The Hidden Risk of Shingles
Many people assume that once they’ve had chickenpox as a child, the virus is gone for good.
But there’s an important detail that often comes as a surprise: the virus remains in the body after chickenpox has cleared.
The virus responsible for chickenpox, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), can remain dormant in nerve tissue for many years. In some people, it can later reactivate and cause a painful condition known as shingles, or herpes zoster.
So how does this happen, and what should you look out for?
What Happens After Chickenpox?
After a person recovers from chickenpox, the visible illness disappears, but the virus isn’t completely eliminated from the body.
Instead, VZV becomes inactive and remains in certain nerve cells.
It can stay there quietly for decades without causing any symptoms.
For most people, there is no way to know that
