Might be a silly question

[Julie Tweed]

But here goes anyways..:-)

Can someone with shingles trigger it in someone else?

I know it can cause chicken pox in anyone who hasn't had it before....but what about ones who've had it.....a few years ago in my work someone had shingles and then two more got it....

Someone has it now and I was wondering if being exposed would cause it to come out ...or is that not possible.


Cheers
:-)
J

[Kgrammiecaz]

Re: Might be a silly question

I had a severe case of shingles 3 and a half years ago. It is my understanding, as you mentioned, the only people at risk are those who have not had chicken pox. If you have had chicken pox, you have the virus dormant in your system. Being around someone with shingles does not mean you will catch it. There are several reasons the virus comes out but not by exposure. At least that is my understanding. I would not mind being corrected if. I am mis-stating

[Claire Hallman]

Re: Might be a silly question

My aunts doctor told her that her shingles were contagious. I would advise not to rub up against them just in case.

[EnumclawGramma]

Re: Might be a silly question

When I had them my doctor told me I was ONLY contagious to people who had never had chicken pox, or a severe enough case of chicken pox to develop immunities, and then I was ONLY contagious (and this is a wee bit gross) when your shingles are popping and yucky. When they crust over....you're not.

[EnumclawGramma]

Re: Might be a silly question

It also seems to me there is almost a time of year when it's really common. And for sure it's WAY more common now that it used to be.

[bellasnanny247]

Re: Might be a silly question

from web-md:

You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles. But there is a small chance that a person with a shingles rash can spread the virus to another person who hasn't had chickenpox and who hasn't gotten the chickenpox vaccine

The article also stated that it usually occurs in older people-however......my son developed a case of shingles when he was about 14(he's 29 now). And thinking back, when he was born, he ended up contracting impetigo in the hospital--so perhaps his immune system has been somewhat compromised for most of his childhood?? (he had so many cases of strep throat that he finally got his tonsils out last year).

[soul60s]

Re: Might be a silly question

When I had them my doctor told me I was ONLY contagious to people who had never had chicken pox, or a severe enough case of chicken pox to develop immunities, and then I was ONLY contagious (and this is a wee bit gross) when your shingles are popping and yucky. When they crust over....you're not.

There is a commercial on TV that says if you had chicken pox then the shingle virus is already in you.

[soul60s]

Re: Might be a silly question

My aunts doctor told her that her shingles were contagious. I would advise not to rub up against them just in case.

I know that my sister worked in a nursing home and there was a huge breakout there. It was not the first time either. What's the chance that that many people didn't have chicken pox as a child? Also there is a commercial that says if you had chicken pox then the shingles virus is already in you and you have a greater risk of getting it.

[bubba]

Re: Might be a silly question

You can catch shingles from another person. A girl I work with got it from her roommate.

[K. McEuen]

Re: Might be a silly question

They are only contagious to someone who has not previously had chicken pox.

Often shingles break out during stressful times. I wonder what was going on at work that so many people broke out at the same time unless they never had chicken pox.

[lilmouse]

Re: Might be a silly question

My understanding was that it could be passed on if someone rubbed up against the rash or never had the chicken pox...I have a bad case of it and I stayed home from work until the rash was healed...(I am a waitress)..,my doctor stated I had the worst case she had ever seen of the shingles and I am still suffering from the nerve pain and it has been over 6 months since the initial breakout of the rash...no new rash either....but the pain remains and isn't easy to treat!

[EnumclawGramma]

Re: Might be a silly question

I am starting a job as a volunteer at our local hospital. One of the blood tests you have to have is to see if you have sufficient chicken pox immunities in you. This is even if you've HAD chicken pox. Maybe if you don't you're more apt to get shingles?

[soul60s]

Re: Might be a silly question

They are only contagious to someone who has not previously had chicken pox.

Often shingles break out during stressful times. I wonder what was going on at work that so many people broke out at the same time unless they never had chicken pox.

I don't know but half a nursing home gets it, including staff and it makes you wonder. Board of health had been called once before because of it.

[Ahamblin]

Re: Might be a silly question

I have come down with shingles twice. Kind of unusual but not unheard of. You can only come down with shingles if you have either had chicken pox or the live chicken pox vaccination. The shingles vaccine is not a guarantee that you will not develop it but may lessen the severity.

"Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles, the varicella zoster virus, can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox. In such cases, the person exposed to the virus might develop chickenpox, but they would not develop shingles. The virus is spread through direct contact with fluid from the rash blisters, not through sneezing, coughing or casual contact.

A person with shingles can spread the virus when the rash is in the blister-phase. A person is not infectious before blisters appear. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious.

Shingles is less contagious than chickenpox and the risk of a person with shingles spreading the virus is low if the rash is covered."

Hope this helps.
Ann

[JCY]

Re: Might be a silly question

Per the NIH web site, shingles are contagious with direct contact with the rash when it's in the blister phase. Lots of info. on the web. Just google Shingles or Are Shingles Contagious? My uncle got shingles when he was exposed to a neighbor child who had chicken pox. His immune system was weakened from cancer. My husb. had shingles a few yrs. ago. on his lower back. Some of the worst pain he ever had, & the post neuropathic pain persisted for a long time. JCY