Steven asks…
Pregnant and around someone with shingles?
I am in my first trimester and I work with a girl who has just found out that she has shingles. I know that this is contagious; however, what are the effects of me being around her and being pregnant?
admin answers:
Bring it up to your employer. They don’t want her getting all of their employees sick!
Sandy asks…
how long till shingles is not contagious?
I got diagnosed with shingles on thursday and need to attend a funeral next week, were there will be pregnant ladies, will i be ok to go or will i still be contagious
admin answers:
You should be ok, but just to safe check with your doctor.
William asks…
is shingles contagious?
A member of the family has been informed they have shingles, i’m worried as my daughter is 8 months pregnant, and on the 27th this month (june 2008) i am having a full knee replacement, i am also recovering from one which i had on the 22nd April 2008. thank you
admin answers:
If an adult or child is exposed to the herpes zoster virus and has not had chickenpox as a child or received the chickenpox vaccine, a severe case of chickenpox may develop, rather than shingles.
Until the shingles blisters scab over, avoid physical contact with:
* Anyone who’s never had chickenpox
* Anyone who has a weak immune system
* Newborns
* Pregnant women (A chickenpox infection can be dangerous for the developing baby.)
Donna asks…
Exposed to Shingles, Am I contagious?
I drove a co-worker to the ER yesterday. I drove him in my car and sat with him for a half an hour. I touched the medication he had with him. He also had a sinus infection and was coughing and sneezing near me. I just found out today that he has a sever case of shingles and he is currently quarentined at the hospital. Is it possible that I contracted the virus and am I currently contagious? I have had chicken pox in the past but I’m healthy so I’m not necessarily concerned about contracting it. I worried that I may pass it to other people. I called my GP and they told me to avoid my pregnant friends along the the real young and real old until I’m sure I don’t have it which could take up to 21 days before I know. Is this for real?! If I am contagious, how long will it take for me not to be?
admin answers:
No.
Shingles is reactivation of the virus which occurs with previous chicken pox.
The virus is not on the surface of the body but in the nerves, is reactivated in the nerve, and is no risk to others.
You are no risk to others. There is no risk to you.
…..
“Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus – the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you have chickenpox, the virus stays in your body. It may not cause problems for many years. As you get older, the virus may reappear as shingles.
Unlike chickenpox, you can’t catch shingles from someone who has it.”
http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?input-form=simple&v%3Asources=medlineplus-bundle&v%3Aproject=medlineplus&query=shingles+&x=0&y=0
Shingles is a disease that affects nerves and causes pain and blisters in adults. It is caused by the same varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus does not leave your body, but continues to live in some nerve cells. For reasons that aren’t totally understood, the virus can become active instead of remaining inactive. When it’s activated, it produces shingles.
Just like chickenpox, people with shingles will feel sick and have a rash on their body or face. The major difference is that chickenpox is a childhood illness, while shingles targets older people. Most adults live with the virus in their body and never get shingles. But about one in five people who have had chickenpox will get shingles later in life—usually after the age of 50.
When the activated virus travels along the path of a nerve to the surface of the skin, a rash will appear. It usually shows up as a band on one side of the face or body. The word “shingles” comes from the Latin word for belt or girdle because often the rash is shaped like a belt.”
http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/shingles.asp
…..
You have no more or less risk of developing shingles yourself than you did before:
advanced age and HIV, both lowering the immune system increase the risk of shingles.
…
Daniel asks…
My grandfather has Shingles. Is he still contagious?
He’s had them for about a month now. The lesions and scabs are gone, but he is still experiencing pain in his neck and shoulders from them. His doctor said he could experience symptoms for up to a year or more, but I can’t imagine he’d be contagious that entire time. I am 8 weeks pregnant and am worried about being near him. I got chicken pox as a kid from my brother, but only had five bumps. The pediatrician said that was enough to build up my immunity, but I wanted to double-check before I see my grandfather this weekend. So, how long was/is he contagious?
admin answers:
There is no way your grandfather is contagious since all the lesions are gone. In general, one is contagious only until the lesions are scabbed over, which takes much less than 1 month. Also, I concur with your pediatrician that since you had chicken pox as a child, then you have nothing to worry about. You would still have antibodies to the virus (varicella) and your baby shares those antibodies with you. Even if you were exposed to your grandfather while he was contagious, your baby would not have been infected. If you have any doubts, you could also get a blood test to check for immunity.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
