“Can shingles be spread?” is a common question many individuals ask when they first become aware that they may have the virus. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t always a simple yes or no. Unfortunately, there are a variety of different infections that can mimic shingles, making accurate diagnosis and treatment difficult. This is due to the fact that symptoms for some can mimic those of other illnesses or even disorders.
So, can shingles be spread? The answer is yes. The question then becomes whether it will be easy to spread the disease and if so, how. Fortunately, it is highly unlikely that shingles can be spread by simple contact with an infected person. However, some cases have been reported where the patient’s actions brought others in close proximity of the rash the patient was displaying.
In addition, shingles is not likely to spread unless other symptoms are present. Commonly, the symptoms may develop on their own or later after developing in a person who is already experiencing another complication or illness. For example, a person experiencing a headache may experience the onset of a headache when coming in contact with a rash that is associated with shingles. However, the headache would have occurred whether or not the person came into contact with the rash. To make matters more complicated, such complications as fever and other illness-related symptoms may take months or even years to develop after initial infection.
Can shingles be prevented? Yes, it can. There are a variety of preventive measures that you can take to avoid outbreaks. Common sense and a good immune system are necessary to ward off these complications, so be sure to eat healthy and exercise regularly.
Can the symptoms themselves be spread by other people? The answer is yes, they can. The most common symptoms are pain and itching, but other people who come in contact with the patient can also develop these symptoms, so it may not be an isolated case.
Is Shingles contagious? The short answer is no, but the answer is it certainly can be passed from one person to another on contact. The same may not be said for other diseases, although these are usually not airborne. It is important to note, however, that this does not necessarily mean this disease is untraceable. It is possible for the symptoms to be spread, but since the illness usually takes some time to develop it is unlikely that the symptoms will cause others to become ill.
Can shingles be contracted through sexual contact? Yes, this is possible and may be a factor in some cases. Since the disease is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, the symptoms may in fact show up after having sex with a person who has had chickenpox. However, since the incubation period for the virus is 10 days it is not likely that your symptoms will appear immediately after having sex. Since there is not a known cure for the illness, you may wish to take this into consideration before engaging in any sexual activity. It is possible for sexual partners to pass the illness to each other, but since the incubation period is long it may take several years for the symptoms to become apparent.
Can shingles be spread to other people through sneezing or coughing? Again, since the virus is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, the symptoms will generally show up shortly after developing the infection. However, if your immune system is low your symptoms may take longer to appear. Again, since there is currently no cure for the illness, you may wish to consider this possibility before engaging in sexual activity.