7 things to know about the shingles virus

Intense pain, burning, tingling and a blistering rash – these are some of the common symptoms of shingles.

If you’ve ever had chicken pox, the varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles is dormant in your nerve tissue.

So, what causes shingles to spring to life, wreaking havoc on your body? And what can you do about it?

Here are seven things you should know about the shingles virus.

1 Shingles is chicken pox coming back to get you

If you’ve had chicken pox, you can get shingles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles.

Shingles can be very painful and debilitating. The rash consists of little vesicles of clear fluid on a red base. They appear linear, because they follow the distribution of a single nerve. Shingles never crosses the midline, so if you have an outbreak, it’s either going to be on the right side of the body or the left side of the body. It could be on your face, your arm, your back, your tummy, your leg – but it’s only one place at a time.

2 A common cold could trigger shingles

Your immune system tends to wane as you get older, which is why shingles usually occurs in adults over 50. If you get sick with a cold or a sinus infection, your immune system is focused on fighting the cold, which can trigger shingles. Other risk factors include stress, sun exposure, medications to prevent organ rejection, and cancer treatments.

3 You can get shingles more than once

Having had shingles once doesn’t mean you won’t get it again. Some people get shingles repetitively.

4 You can’t give someone shingles

If you have shingles, you can’t give it to someone else. But you could give someone chicken pox if that person hasn’t had it or if they haven’t been immunized against it.

Shingles is spread through direct contact with the open sores. If you keep the rash covered and prevent people from touching the area, it should be fine. Shingles is no longer contagious once it dries up and scabs develop.

5 Vaccination can prevent shingles

If you’re 50 or older, the CDC recommends 2 doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) vaccine, called Shingrix, to prevent shingles. It’s a two-shot series that’s about 98% effective.

The previous shingles vaccine, Zostavax, was 65% to 70% effective. Anyone who has had Zostavax should be re-immunized with Shingrix. This also applies to people who have had shingles or are unsure if they’ve had chicken pox.

The older you are when you get shingles, the more likely you’ll have long-term, persistent pain, so it’s very important to get vaccinated.

6 Treatment options vary

We treat shingles with antiviral medications to help reduce the outbreak. Sometimes steroids are helpful. We can also use an anti-seizure medication to help settle down the nerve and the pain coming from that nerve.

7 It’s rare, but shingles can cause blindness

Although it’s not common, if shingles gets in one or more of your eyes, that can affect your vision. I immediately refer patients to an ophthalmologist for treatment in this case. Another uncommon potential complication is an overwhelming viral infection called disseminated zoster, which has effects throughout the body. Some people who developed that infection end up being treated in the intensive care unit.