shingles?

if an elderly person has it, and someone comes into contact with them (meaning like say drive them to an appointment) would the other person catch it? I'm not too familiar with it

Re: shingles?

If you have not had the chicken pox you should stay clear of anyone who has shingles because you can catch it!

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Even if you have had Chicken Pox you can still get it...One of my friends got shingles from a child who had chicken pox even though she had chicken pox already. Shinges is extremely painful...stay away!

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My Dad had it in 05 while we were TTC so I took the extra precaution and stayed away from him for a couple of weeks. I never had chicken pox and hadn't received the vaccine yet.

He never had chicken pox but must have been exposed as a child and the virus was still in his system. I tried to find ouot from my uncles who had it but they couldn't remember.

Maybe stay away.

Message edited 7/18/2007 9:25:08 PM.

Re: shingles?

Posted by beautyq115

Even if you have had Chicken Pox you can still get it...One of my friends got shingles from a child who had chicken pox even though she had chicken pox already. Shinges is extremely painful...stay away!

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someone at wortk actually has shingles now and was cleared to come to work. From what I was told You usually get it as an older adult after having chicken pox years ago. Apparently the virus sits dormant on the spinal cord until something triggers it. It is spread through skin to skin contact. Unless you are immunosuppressed (elderly, pregnant, cancer, etc) you should be fine.

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I hear that shingles is the second coming of the chicken pox. I think you need physical contact to catch it - not just driving the person to an appointment. I do not believe it's airborne.

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Source: http://www.shingles.com/index.jsp

Is shingles contagious?

You cannot catch shingles from someone who has it. However, the rash that occurs with shingles sheds the same varicella zoster virus that causes chicken pox and may be contagious. So, if you have not had chicken pox or have not been vaccinated against the varicella zoster virus, you can develop chicken pox (not shingles) if you come in contact with someone who has shingles. People with shingles can transmit the virus only if the blisters have broken and the virus is transmitted when skin-to-skin contact with broken blisters occurs.

Who gets shingles?

Anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk of developing shingles. More than 90% of Americans over age 15 have had chicken pox. Although young people can get shingles, this disease usually occurs in people over age 50. The frequency of shingles is basically constant between the ages of 20 and 50 years (2.5 cases per 1,000 people per year). The chances of getting shingles then doubles in people between ages 50 and 60 years, and then doubles again in people age 80 to 90 years.

The following may cause the varicella

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she's had it for about 3 weeks now and since theres no one else to take her and she needs to go to the doctor he's taking her. I'm just worried at that point if god forbid he caught it then i'm seeing him later, I don;t want this to be everyone infects each other you know.

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Don't you have to come in contact with the person to get it, not just be near them ??

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it doesnt work that way. Now if he rubbed on her rash and then he got a rash and you rubbed on it... then maybe

But I think you are fine.

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from a shingles website:

Is shingles contagious?
Shingles is not contagious. Shingles occurs only when the virus in a person's body becomes active. Contact with an infected person will not cause shingles. However, although shingles is not contagious, contact with a person with shingles could lead to chicken pox in someone who has never had chicken pox and has not received the varicella vaccine.

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Thanks everyone

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I had chicken pox as a baby -- then got shingles when I was 14 and AGAIN LAST YEAR! (on my chin, too! how lovely!). I was put on Valtrex and my doctor told me that it's "probably" not contagious, especially after being on the meds for a few days....

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My MIL came to visit me in the hospital when my DS was born. We did not know it at that time, but she had shingles! My doc told me not to worry since she wasn't in direct contact with my newborn. I was flipping, but he was fine!

Re: shingles?

I had chicken pox when i was younger and then got shingles on my face when i was 28. My doctor said as long as no one was rubbing against my sores on my face it was not contagious. And the only people who needed to take precautions were people who never had chicken pox.

I think you are fine.

Re: shingles?