Are Shingles Contagious?

Shingles is a viral infection on the skin caused by Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), which also causes chickenpox. A study in the U.S. has shown that up to 1,000,000, people are detected with shingles. People who have had chickenpox, are the most vulnerable to contract the disease. Even after recovering completely from chickenpox, the virus remains in dormant form inside the body. Later, the chances of it becoming active is high. People with shingles develop severe rash throughout the body. The immune system is weakened completely, and the body becomes susceptible to infections.

When are Shingles Contagious

The answer to how long are shingles contagious is still unanswered by doctors, because the virus remains in a passive state in the nervous system, and is never totally eradicated from the body. Risk of developing singles is high if a person has a very weak immune system, or leads a stressed lifestyle. Shingles become contagious when virus passes from the affected person to another. The person recently exposed might not contract shingles immediately but gets infected with chickenpox, at the initial stage. The symptoms of shingles become clear with eruptions on skin as red rashes, causing irritation and burning pain. They occur as small blisters, pus filled with red bases. The blisters develop along the nerve projections of the spinal cord, or distributed locally. After one week the blisters pop, ejecting the pus. This is the most contagious stage as the pus is the main agent in spreading infection. Although, the blisters disappear, the pain persists for quite some time. Basically, there are two stages of shingles, the prodromal and the eruptive, the latter being the contagious. In the prodromal or the first stage, one experiences severe headache, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Swelling of lymph nodes, reduced energy, increased sensitivity to pain and burning sensation in certain areas of body, are some other symptoms. Shingles rash and blisters develop in the eruptive stage.

Shingles is a disease, independent of age group, although more likely to attack old people. Under extreme cases, the pain goes beyond toleration. Blisters become crowded giving rise to a painful condition. This stage is also known as post-herpetic neuralgia which, if untreated, gives rise to further health complications, marked by pneumonia, hearing disorders, malfunctioning of organs and loss of eyesight. In extreme rare cases a person may develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and subsequent death. Shingles pain subsides, if treated in the initial stages.

The Verdict

The final answer is yes. Singles are highly contagious to people who have not suffered from chickenpox. The infection passes easily to healthy children and adults. In the first stage, they develop chickenpox, harboring the virus in latent form. The potential to contract shingles is enhanced in the later years. However, once the blisters are crusted over, the virus loses its contagiousness and there is no chance of spreading the disease. Singles in the eye is also caused by the same reasons, although people above 50 years, mostly develop this form of disease. Shingles might also be contracted during pregnancy, or if a person is under the medication of immunosuppressive drugs.

Effective treatment for shingles is carried out with antiviral medicines, along with some home remedies to relieve the painful blisters and rashes. Proper treatment at early stage, heals the disease completely.