Shingles are caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, therefore everyone who has had chicken pox is at risk of developing shingles.
Shingles is an infection of a nerve area caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes pain and a rash along a band of skin supplied by the affected nerve. Symptoms usually go within 2-4 weeks. Shingles are caused by a reactivation of the chicken pox virus, around 1 in 5 adults get shingles, although it's more common in people over 50 or who have poor immunity. It's not apparent what causes the chickenpox virus to reactivate but it may be linked to changes in your immune system.
The first sign of shingles is normally sensitive, tingling or burning skin where the shingles rash appears. The area can be painful. At the same time, you may experience fever, headache and enlarged lymph nodes.
The shingles rash is a series of red spots on the torso or face which develops into fluid filled blisters. These blisters are full of the chickenpox virus making the infected person contagious. You can't catch shingles from an infected person but you can catch chickenpox if you previously haven't already had chickenpox and therefore aren't immune.
Shingles can be treated with antiviral medicines and painkillers calamine lotion can also be used to help reduce the itching. Shingles that affects the eyes needs antiviral therapy and urgent assistance from an optician.
If for any reason a persons immune system has been weakened for instance through cancer treatments chickenpox could be caught for a second time.
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