Zoster (Shingles)
Shingles, also called zoster or herpes zoster, is a painful rash that typically occurs on one side of the face or body. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.
How Shingles Develops & Who is Affected
Anyone who has caught chickenpox can get shingles later in life. That’s because the virus that causes chickenpox stays in your body, even after you feel better. The chickenpox virus can reactivate years later and cause shingles disease. About 1 out of every 3 people in the U.S. will get shingles at some point in their life.
Shingles does NOT spread from one person to another like a cold or flu. However, someone with shingles can spread chickenpox to a person who has never had chickenpox disease nor the vaccine.
Symptoms & Health Effects
Shingles usually causes a painful, itchy rash that shows up on one side of the body or face. The rash often forms a line or stripe and turns into blisters. The blisters typically scab over in 7 to 10 days and clear up within 2 to 4 weeks. The pain, however, can last for months. Before the rash appears, people might feel pain, tingling, or itching in the area.
Other symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Chills
- Upset stomach
In rare cases, the rash may spread widely and look similar to a chickenpox rash. This usually happens among people with weakened immune systems. Long-term nerve pain is the most common complication of shingles. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for complications from shingles.
Prevention
Shingles vaccination is the only way to protect against shingles and related complications from the disease. A two-dose series of the shingles of vaccine is recommended for:
- All adults 50 years or older.
- Adults 19 to 49 years with weakened immune systems due to disease or therapy.
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