Health Conditions

What causes it?

Although caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, shingles does not occur in the same way. Shingles, unlike chickenpox, cannot be spread through the air from an affected individual to another person. Only individuals who have had chickenpox can develop shingles, which results when the dormant chickenpox virus in the individual's nervous system is reactivated.

Any weakening of the body's immune system can cause the varicella zoster virus to "reawaken" and appear in adulthood as shingles, although the exact reasons are not entirely understood. The immune system can be weakened by aging; sunburn; use of steroids; illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and colds; medical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy; periods of increased stress; and excessive alcohol intake.