Are Shingles Contagious? Causes, Symptoms, And Treatments
The most commonly asked question when dealing with this issue is, are shingles contagious? Shingles is also known by the name herpes zoster. The interesting facts about shingles is that it’s a medical condition characterized by painful rashes and blisters on the skin. These rashes occur in a specific area and usually only on one side of the body. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). This virus is also responsible for the cause of chickenpox in humans, which is why it makes sense for peopl
e only to wonder are shingles contagious. The virus stays in the body after one has had chickenpox without causing any symptoms whatsoever. The virus is usually latent in the nerve cells of the body. However, it can break out of the nerve cells and cause a viral infection of the skin known as shingles. Some of the major trigger factors that cause it to break out of latency are stress, impaired immune system, etc.
Shingles is a medical condition that can be diagnosed and it is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:
Symptoms of Shingles List:
- Fatigue and tiredness and malaise.
- Fever accompanied by sudden chills.
- Persistent headaches.
- Digestive discomfort.
- Itchy skin that later develops into painful blisters and a characteristic skin rash that appears as a stripe from the spine to the chest.
The last condition is particularly helpful to the doctor to diagnose the condition. The rest of the symptoms are usually common flu-like symptoms. Laboratory tests are available that are used to diagnose shingles.
Are shingles contagious to children? Shingles in children is usually painless. The drug treatment for shingles can reduce the severity and duration of the shingles if the medication is started within 72 hours of the appearance of the rash.The rashes, pain, and other symptoms of shingles are usually found to subside within three to five weeks.
Undiagnosed shingles can lead on to postherpetic neuralgia, which is an extremely painful condition. Some major complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, loss of eyesight, loss of hearing, vertigo, glaucoma, etc., can occur if shingles is left untreated. In some cases, it may result in the death of the patient. However, these conditions are rare.
As a Disease, Are Shingles Contagious?
Shingles is a socially distressing disease. This is because of the fact that if you are afflicted with shingles, and your blisters are still moist, there is a good chance that you will pass it on to anyone who you get in touch with. A healthy person can contract shingles if they come into direct contact with the rashes or blisters of the affected person. The person is more at risk if she/he has had chickenpox sometime in her/his life. However, a person who has never had chickenpox before also stands a risk of contracting shingles. This risk exists only when the rashes are raw and are not yet crusted. The risk of contracting shingles reduces when the rashes crust and develop scabs. So the answer to are shingles contagious is yes, but in a limited way. (Click the following link to see a short video explanation of the shingles virus by Dr. Jennifer Ashton)
The VZV does not spread through air. Thus, the coughing or sneezing of a person does not spread the virus through the air.
So a better question than are shingles contagious might be who are at risk of contracting shingles?
- A person who had had chickenpox earlier in life has the highest risk of contracting the disease.
- People above 50 years are also at risk of contracting shingles.
- Individuals with a compromised immune system such as those having AIDS form a high-risk group.
- A person who is taking extensive medication including immunosuppressive drugs is also at risk.
- Pregnant women and small children are at risk of developing the disease.
How to Manage Symptoms of Shingles
The treatment of shingles includes the management of the severity of the pain and shortening of the duration of the infection to avoid further complications. Analgesics, topical lotions and calamines to soothe the blisters, antivirals to reduce the infection, etc., are used for treating the infection. It has also been seen that vaccinations (Zostavax) protect aged people from contracting shingles. Sometimes, chickenpox booster injections also help. For young women it is recommended that they get vaccinated three months before attempting to become pregnant since you now know the answer to are shingles contagious.
Symptoms of Shingles and Pregnant Women
A pregnant woman should at all costs avoid contracting shingles. A pregnant woman who has had chickenpox earlier has a low chance of developing shingles when she comes into contact with an affected person. However, a healthy pregnant woman stands a fairly good chance of contracting shingles when she comes into contact with another person having shingles. If you are pregnant and you have shingles, the symptoms are much the same. The medical condition is characterized by the appearance of painful, itchy blisters on the skin. One may also experience a burning sensation of the skin.
Are Shingles Contagious to an Unborn Fetus?
Contraction of shingles during pregnancy can lead on to several other complications. The effect of shingles on the unborn fetus depends on the age of the fetus when shingles was contracted. Shingles during early pregnancy, within the first 24 weeks, can interfere with the health of the unborn child. Some babies of those mothers who had shingles during pregnancy have been seen to have birth defects. The complications are reduced for the baby if the mother contracts shingles after 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, the mother has to be treated for shingles to ensure that she does not develop further complications during pregnancy. If left untreated, the pregnant mother can develop pneumonitis which is life threatening for both the mother and the baby. So obviously shingles and pregnant women are not a good match!
A pregnant woman suspected of having shingles should be put on the treatment regimen at the earliest to avoid complications. Treatment includes prescription of antiviral drugs. It is a good idea to consult a medical specialist for advice on over the counter drugs like antihistamines, NSAIDS, and painkillers. Cold compresses can be used to relieve the itch caused by the blisters. The blisters and rashes should be kept well covered with clean gauze and dressing. Pregnant women can take precautions to the question of are shingles contagious, like being wary of sharing towels or linen or clothing that can cause spread of shingles infection. Avoid use of public swimming pools. Avoid sports and other situations where there is need for physical contact.
Thus, in summary, shingles is a painful and distressing condition that can be avoided by taking proper precautions and practicing healthy habits. Early diagnosis and treatment can help to reduce the severe complications the condition can bring along. Now you know how to answer anyone who might ask you, are shingles contagious?
If you have any other suggestions, ideas, questions, or anything of good value to everyone else feel free to leave a comment below. We would also like to encourage you to click any of the social links on the website to let others know about it as well, if you feel if can be of help to someone that is.
Also, you can Click Here to download a great report by Bob Carlton titled, “How To Cure Shingles”. This report answers all the questions around are shingles contagious, and reveals a proven method to cure shingles in 3 days of less…
Are Shingles Contagious? Interesting Facts You Should Be Aware Of…
Are shingles contagious? Only to those who haven’t had the chicken pox or the chicken pox vaccination. They are very painful though and chances are you are desperate for relief when you come down with a bad case. Not only do they itch and hurt, the blisters can ooze and be very unattractive. Treatment is essential as doing nothing can lead to infections, scars and a long recovery period. Although rare, you can even die as a result of shingles if you do not treat it.
There are many facts surrounding shingles that you should be aware of if you do develop a case.
Home remedies can be very effective in treating shingles. In fact, many of these have been shown to be more effective and act much quicker than traditional treatments for this condition. Furthermore, when you choose to make use of a home remedy, it is likely that you will recover quicker.
When you get a case of shingles, it will only appear on one side of the body. For some reason, shingles does not affect both sides of the body equally. The rash usually appears in a band or strip on this one side which may lead you to believe it is something else at first.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. This virus, after a case of chicken pox, hides in the body just waiting to emerge. Are shingles contagious? It only appears in certain people, but can lead to chicken pox in those who have never had the disease and haven’t been vaccinated, and knowing that today there are many parents who do not believe in getting their children vaccinated you have to be aware if you come down with the virus to ask the parents of anyone you may spend time with on a frequent basis.
In others, it can remain dormant forever and never cause a problem. Surgery may be needed to relive the symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia which is the most common of shingles complications. This treatment needs to interrupt pain signals which are sent to the brain. Early treatment can help to avoid complications so this does not become necessary.
Surprising to many people, eating certain foods during shingles treatment can help significantly while other foods can actually make your condition much worse. Knowing what these foods are will go a long way in helping you get through a case of shingles with the fewest problems.
Keep these facts in mind if you get a case of shingles. Relief is possible if you know where to turn. Are shingles contagious is something that everyone needs to know and how to get rid of them with the least possible problems is essential also.
Be sure to click here to check out the website of Bob Carlton to get all of your shingles questions answered. Bob is the creator of the How To Cure Shingles Report. He answers all your shingles questions including are shingles contagious, after you read it be sure and come back here to post your comments about it, I’d love to hear your feedback on his report.
Best of Luck,
Trevor
AreShinglesContagious101.com
Are Shingles Contagious? Shingles Virus Explained…
If you are asking the question, are shingles contagious, then please keep reading. Shingles is basically the reactivation of the chicken pox virus. So if you’ve had chicken pox then you can also catch shingles. It affects about a million Americans per year, with blister like mark in a strip or a rash type setting and always on one side of the body.
This rash is incredibly painful causing many people to become very irritable and making it hard to deal with other people during the outbreak.
Symptoms include:
- Headache
- Severe Pain / Burning
- Numbness or Tingling
- Red Rash
- Blisters
Who is most susceptible?
- Anyone Who has had Chicken Pox
- Older Adults
- Weakened Immune System
- Extreme Physical, Emotional Distress
Shingles can last anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks at a time. Getting rid of them as fast as possible is what most people want to know how to do because of the pain levels they are dealing with.
The reason it’s so painful is because it involves the nerve endings, and when this is the case the pain is almost unbearable.
There is a vaccine for it but the unfortunate news is you have to be over the age of 60 to qualify for it.
Shingles are only contagious for those who have yet to have had the chicken pox virus. Do your best to stay away from small children any anyone else who has never had them. The less people you are around during this period of time is best for both you and everyone else.
Hopefully you now feel more armed with knowledge about shingles? If you are currently experiencing the shingles virus you can learn more about all natural method to fast and easy cures by clicking here to download the “How to Cure Shingles Report”, which will answer the question, are shingles contagious and much, much more…
Are Shingles Contagious? Top Methods to Obtain Relief
The first thing you may ask when your doctor diagnoses you with shingles is, “Are Shingles Contagious?” and this is a very good question. Shingles can be very dangerous if left untreated so you need to know how your case will affect others around you. This is especially true if you live with someone who is already ill or a woman who is pregnant. Once you get this question answered, your focus will turn to obtaining relief from the symptoms as shingles can be very painful.
A number of methods may be used to obtain relief and here are five that you should try to see how they might help you. In order to obtain relief, you must treat the virus both internally and externally. Your goal is to fight off the virus, stop it from reproducing and ultimately destroy it while also obtaining relief from external symptoms.
Supplements can be of help in treating internal symptoms so you can beat the virus from the inside out. Home remedies are very successful in the treatment of shingles. They work quickly, are often more effective than conventional treatments and allow for a quicker recovery.
Supplements, diet and external treatments can all play a role in naturally treating this disease. When you ask, “Are Shingles Contagious?”, your doctor will tell you that you need to stay away from those who have never had the chicken pox and have yet to be vaccinated. While doing so, make use of treatments such as oatmeal baths to relieve the pain and itching often seen with this condition.
Certain foods can help to boost your immune system so you can better fight shingles. Other foods can actually make your condition worse. Watch what you eat so you don’t further aggravate an already irritating condition and have it sticking around for a longer period of time. 
Avoid scratching as this can make the symptoms worse and lead to scarring. Although this is difficult to do, you will be glad you didn’t scratch over the long run. Nobody wants to deal with ugly scars.
Try these methods to relieve the symptoms of shingles. You can get the relief you so desperately need if you do. Now that you know how to obtain relief and also the answer to your question, you can focus on looking for a cure so you never have to go through this again.
For more information on ways you can get relief to this issue and answers to the question, “are shingles contagious”, simply click here for the opportunity to download your report.
Are Shingles Contagious?
Becoming ill with shingles is an excruciating experience and those who have families near them often wonder are shingles contagious since they worry about if they need to be kept away from small children and other family members.
Anyone who has experienced the painful and debilitating effects of shingles knows that it is an illness that can last for much too long. The blisters and the pain, the headaches and the fevers, as well as the inability to live life normally until the rash and symptoms have disappeared. Can this illness be passed to others who are nearby or are those who come in contact with you safe from catching it?
The answer is that nobody can catch shingles from a person who is ill with it at the time because shingles is a condition that is caused by the body’s reactivation of the dormant chicken pox (varicella) virus. The virus has been dormant in the body’s nerve roots, sometimes for decades and the reasons that it ‘wakes up’ and wreaks this havoc are not totally understood. The speculation is that a weakening of the immune system could trigger it or it could be caused by stress or exhaustion.
It is true that you cannot spread the illness of shingles to another person, however it is possible to for a person to catch chicken pox from a person who has shingles. This is because the same virus causes both. If you have never had chicken pox and have no immunities to it, or if you are not immunized against it, you can catch chicken pox from someone who has shingles. 
It is reasonable to wonder are shingles contagious since it is an illness that mimics many other contagious conditions such as measles or mumps. There is a fever and illness that can cause the sufferer to become bedridden or housebound for a matter of many days and the symptoms are the same as many serious illnesses. The good news is that you cannot give that same condition to anyone who has immunities for chicken pox.
Are Shingles Contagious is a good question to ask, and the answer is to treat it as a condition that must be carefully watched while guarding against contact with those who may not be immune to chicken pox.
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This blog features information about shingles and if they’re contagious.
