Shingles (Herpes Zoster)

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection that results in a painful rash on the face or body. In the early stages, shingles can feel like a burning, tingling, or painful sensation, eventually developing into a rash and can cause shooting pain. The rash can look like a band of red blisters that usually affects one side of the body and typically dry up and scab over within one to two weeks. Even though shingles are not life-threatening, if gone untreated, the virus that causes shingles can lead to other life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, stroke, or meningitis.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that leads to chickenpox. When someone has had chickenpox as a child, the virus remains in the body even after symptoms disappear. The virus can become active again in the form of shingles when the person who developed chickenpox reaches adulthood and more often affects older adults. While there is no cure, there are vaccines to lower the risk of shingles and treatments for its symptoms.

Are Shingles Contagious?

The virus that causes shingles is contagious and can spread from person to person by direct contact. It has also been known to spread, in rare cases, by airborne transmission. If the fluid from the blisters comes in contact with a person who has not had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, the person will contract the virus that causes chickenpox and will be able to develop shingles later in life. If a person has already had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, antibodies against the virus will already be present in the body.

Since the chickenpox virus can spread via direct contact, shingles in parents can cause chickenpox in their children. To reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others, people with shingles should keep their rash completely covered until the blisters scab over. The virus cannot spread before the blisters appear or after the blisters have scabbed over.