Shingles

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is shingles?
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2. Who gets shingles?
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3. How can I tell if I have shingles?
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4. What causes shingles?
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5. Does stress bring on shingles?
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6. I have never had chickenpox. How careful must I be to avoid getting shingles from somebody?
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7. Is shingles contagious?
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8. What is it like to have shingles?
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9. Why is shingles so painful?
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10. Can you get the rash all over your body?
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11. Are there people who get shingles without a rash?
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12. How long can it take for the symptoms to go away?
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13. Can I get shingles again?
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14. Is it important to see a doctor?
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15. What treatments are there for shingles?
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16. Do the medicines cure shingles?
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17. Why does the doctor tell you to keep your fingernails cut short?
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18. What is postherpetic neuralgia?
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19. What are the other complications?
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20. Why do we not hear much about shingles if it is so common?
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21. Why do some people call shingles "zoster"?
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22. Why is the varicella-zoster virus referred to as a herpes virus?
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23. Why does the virus that causes shingles reactivate in some people?
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24. Why does one person with these risk factors get shingles while another does not?
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