Shingles how do you get it

In fact, to get shingles, you must have the chickenpox virus inside your body. Anyone who has had chickenpox has this virus. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus moves to nerves inside your body, where it goes to sleep.

You will always have the virus inside your body. If the virus wakes up, you get shingles. If you were born in the United States before , you likely had chickenpox. They may have been too young to remember or had a very mild case. Both names are correct. Although anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles, your risk of developing shingles increases with age.

Most people get shingles in their 50s or later in life. Scientists are still studying why this happens. When the immune system starts to weaken, which may start in your 50s, the virus can wake up.

Anyone who has a weakened immune system also has an increased risk of getting shingles. Shingles is usually diagnosed based on the history of pain on one side of your body, along with the telltale rash and blisters. Your doctor may also take a tissue scraping or culture of the blisters for examination in the laboratory. There's no cure for shingles, but prompt treatment with prescription antiviral drugs can speed healing and reduce your risk of complications.

These medications include:. Shingles generally lasts between two and six weeks. Most people get shingles only once, but it is possible to get it two or more times. Taking a cool bath or using cool, wet compresses on your blisters may help relieve the itching and pain. And, if possible, try to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Some people have such mild symptoms of shingles that they don't seek medical treatment.

At the other extreme, severe symptoms may result in a visit to the emergency room. Preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your limited time with your doctor. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out.

For shingles, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:. In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask any additional questions that occur to you during your appointment. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. 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. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Quick Facts.