When is shingles contagious

While shingles can appear anywhere on your body, it typically affects the chest, torso, shoulder or back. So, to get shingles, you have to have first had chickenpox. But, not everyone who's had chickenpox will get shingles. Confused yet? Here's Dr. Brown again:. Shingles can develop at any age, but it becomes more common with increasing age or as a result of other health-related factors.

Rashes are always concerning, and a lot of different things can cause them. There are heat rashes, rashes caused by reactions to medications or allergens, and the list goes on. So how can you tell if your rash is in fact shingles or not?

You may also have a fever, headache or just feel generally unwell. A few days later, the rash appears — typically as a band of blisters isolated to a particular area of your body," explains Dr. Shingles symptoms are typically limited to the area of the rash itself, and the symptoms of shingles include:. Similar to chickenpox, shingles is a contagious illness. But, before we address how long you may be contagious, we need to talk about how shingles spreads — which might actually surprise you.

In these cases, the shingles virus typically spreads via direct contact with the opened blisters of your rash. After being infected, a person doesn't develop shingles, though — he or she develops chickenpox," explains Dr.

Since you can't really know who is and who isn't susceptible to chickenpox, it's important to take safety measures if you have shingles. Shingles, or herpes zoster, occurs when the dormant chickenpox virus is reactivated in nerve tissues. Early symptoms include tingling and pain. Shingles without a rash is uncommon, but it can occur. This condition…. Shingles, sometimes called herpes zoster, is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus.

Learn more here. Shingles causes a painful rash that can be accompanied by fever, fatigue, and sensitivity to light. While antiviral medication is an effective….

A doctor and a holistic expert weigh in on whether essential oils can ease symptoms of shingles. Learn more about traditional and alternative…. Shingles in the eye is a serious form of shingles. It could lead to vision loss or other long-term complications. Shingles is caused by the same virus, known as varicella-zoster virus, as chickenpox. Shingles can be painful and cause severe complications, so early….

Also known as varicella, chickenpox is a virus that often affects children. It is characterized by itchy red blisters that appear all over the body. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Is Shingles Contagious? Medically reviewed by Shilpa Amin, M. How it spreads How do you get shingles? Symptoms Outlook How long is shingles contagious?

Limiting its spread Vaccine Takeaway Shingles — also known as herpes zoster — is a condition caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. How shingles spreads. Share on Pinterest.

How do you get shingles? Symptoms of shingles. Outlook for people who have shingles. How long is shingles contagious? How to avoid spreading shingles. The shingles vaccine. Read this next. How Long Does Shingles Last? What You Can Expect.

Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. What Does Shingles Look Like? Medically reviewed by University of Illinois. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. The virus can reactivate later, causing shingles.

Most people who develop shingles have only one episode during their lifetime. However, you can have shingles more than once.

If you have shingles, direct contact with the fluid from your rash blisters can spread VZV to people who have never had chickenpox or never received the chickenpox vaccine. If they get infected, they will develop chickenpox, not shingles. They could then develop shingles later in life. The risk of spreading VZV to others is low if you cover the shingles rash.

People with shingles cannot spread the virus before their rash blisters appear or after the rash crusts. Also see Treating Shingles. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Shingles Herpes Zoster.