Why Is Acyclovir Used for Shingles?
Shingles (also known as herpes zoster) is caused by a virus (the varicella zoster virus). It is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Most people infected with this virus experienced chickenpox when they were children. The body never completely gets rid of the virus, however, and it remains inactive in certain nerve cells in the body. Later in life, often triggered by stress or illness, the virus can become active again, causing shingles.
