An Oxford University study found that shingles infection sets off a chain reaction. The normally harmless herpes virus lying dormant in the body leads to a dramatic accumulation of bacteria and inflammation in the brain. It is often expressed in blisters on the skin and severe pain
Catching shingles may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, scientists have warned. A study at the University of Oxford found that the infection can cause a chain reaction in the brain associated with dementia. Shingles is a viral disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. It is often manifested by blisters on the skin and severe pain.
This happens by awakening a normally harmless herpes virus that has remained dormant in our bodies since childhood. This leads to a dramatic buildup of bacterial plaque and inflammation in the brain, two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. Chickenpox comes when the body is first exposed to the virus, which is usually at a young age, but ‘shingles’ is the result of infections.
Researchers have used lab-grown brain cells to create a 3D brain to see what effect this has on the brain. They found that it did not directly cause the changes associated with Alzheimer’s. But it did reactivate the simplex virus better known for causing frostbite, triggering a rapid build-up of harmful proteins.
Study author Dana Cairns, of Tufts University in Massachusetts, said: “It comes from two viruses that are very common and usually harmless. “But the lab studies suggest that if a new exposure to the shingles virus comes along, it will wake up the dormant herpes, and they Can cause problems.” Herpes is usually found dormant in the body and there is strong evidence that it can be linked to dementia.
Air pollution is causing an increase in dementia, the British government has admitted for the first time, toxic particles airborne from cars and fossil fuels are linked to the rapidly increasing rates of the disease in the UK and worldwide.
Now, a large independent review has confirmed the link after analyzing dozens of human studies. The researchers concluded that “it is likely that air pollution can contribute to a decline in mental capacity and dementia in older people.”
They believe the main way this happens is by tiny toxic particles entering the bloodstream after being breathed into the lungs. The pollutants then irritate the blood vessels and disrupt blood flow to the brain. Over time, this can lead to dementia.
About one in five people who get chickenpox develop shingles, and most of them are in their seventies. The researchers also warn that obesity, smoking, alcohol and head trauma may also increase the risk of Alzheimer’s by weakening the immune system and activating dormant herpes in the brain.