Shingles

Shingles is a condition that is caused by a reinfection with the same virus that causes chickenpox. The condition can be characterized by a number of symptoms, including a rash and pain, and is most common in people over the age of 50. People who have had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine are also at risk for developing this condition. While there is no cure for shingles, there are several antiviral drugs than can help reduce the length and severity of the illness.

 

What Is Shingles?

Shingles (also known as herpes zoster) is a condition caused by a reinfection with the varicella-zoster virus. The varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles is the same virus that causes chickenpox. The infection with this virus just tends to occur during different decades of a person's life.
 
Shingles is not contagious. Therefore, a person who comes in contact with an infected person will not develop shingles. However, although shingles is not contagious, contact with a person with shingles can cause chickenpox in someone who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine.
 
(Click Causes of Shingles to learn more about the varicella-zoster virus and how it reactivates to cause shingles.)
 

Risk Factors for Shingles

Shingles is most common in people over age 50, but if you have had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, you are at risk for developing shingles. Shingles disease is also more common in people with weakened immune systems from HIV infection (or AIDS), chemotherapy or radiation treatment, transplant operations (such as a kidney transplant or stem cell transplant), and stress.
 

Symptoms of Shingles

The shingles symptoms a person experiences will vary. For some people, the symptoms of shingles can be very mild; for others, especially in older adults, symptoms can be debilitating. There is no way to predict who will develop shingles symptoms, how severe they will be, or whether a person will develop shingles complications.
 
Two of the most common symptoms of shingles include a shingles rash and shingles pain.
 
(Click Shingles Symptoms to learn more about the specific symptoms of shingles, including specific early symptoms.)
 
(Shingles Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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