Shingles appears to have a hereditary link
January 6th, 2009 by Nina Thompson, ARNP
If you have a blood relative who has had shingles, you may be a greater risk of developing the disease.
Shingles is a very painful rash that can last from one to three months. In May of 2006, the FDA licensed a new vaccine to reduce the risk of shingles in older Americans. Zostavax, a live virus vaccine, is given as a single injection and is recommended for use in people 60 years of age and older.
View photos and read more about Shingles from Bay Area Medical Information, www.BAMI.us
via Archives of Dermatology, May 2008
via FDA, “Shingles Vaccine”, 2008
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My wife, My mother-in-law and my sister-in-law have all had shingles and they all generally get it between February and May
Dear Shingle Expert:
I’ve had the shingles at least 5 times in my life, and I am in my sixties. I did get the shingle vaccine shot in 2009, and unfortunately, they came back last Friday. I’m taking Acyclovir Tabs,anti-viral anti-biotics, and they relieve some of the pain, if I take them faithfully. I also use topic cream
It seems that my mother and sisters have had the shingles, and the write up seems to suggest that it can be heredetiary.
My question is when does shingles become contagious? This morning I went to Curves Exercise Circuit to work out and I mentioned to the manager of Curves that I have shingles and she suggested that I don’t work out because there are a few pregnant women that come to work out. They weren’t present when I was there. My doctor told me that people can’t contact shingles in the air,but they could get it from someone touching them.
From what I read about shingles people can’t get it from someone who has it, but if they never had chicken pox they could get chicken pox, and also the time period for shingles to be contagious is a few weeks. When the shingles dry up then it’s not contagious.
Could I have some medical concrete information that I could pass on to people who fear contacting shingles?
Thank you very much, Elisabeth Parent
Also,
Probably good to stay away from pregnant women and certainly from children who have not been vaccinated. Shingles can be recurrent and not enough is known about it. A medical journal, Shingles and PHN is coming in Feb for doctors and researchers.
Also keep it covered till Completelycrusted to help prevent contagion
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Iam 55 years old and I have shingles…My Mom had shingles numerous times before she passed away…My neice had shingles when she was 18 years old…so I do believe there is some truth in it being heredity…I called the national disease control center and they told me I was only contagious when the shingles blistered and was seeping and you would have to touch the seepage and it would be pregnant women and babies under 1 year of age and people who have not had chickenpox that would be in danger…but the pain is so severe that I do not want to go anywhere….what makes me so upset is, that I tried to get the shingles shot and was told by our health department that I had to wait till I was 60, but in reality I could have gotten the shot at age 50 , they just recommend that you wait till your 60. My thought is , if you insist to your doctor that you want the shot, they will have to give it to you…thanks for listening….
i am 59 and just came down with shingles. my dad had them years ago, and my sister got them a few years ago. no recurrences that i know of.