Shingles (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Shingles Overview
- Shingles Causes
- Shingles Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Shingles Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medications
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Synonyms and Keywords
- References
- Authors and Editors
- Pictures of Shingles - Slideshow

- Viewer Comments: Shingles - Effective Treatments
Shingles Causes
No one knows for sure what causes the chickenpox virus to become reactivated to cause shingles. Some investigators suggest that the following conditions may participate in virus reactivation, but this lists only some of the major conditions that may trigger reactivation:
- stress;
- fatigue;
- a weakened immune system (This may be age-related, disease-related, or a drug-related decrease in ability to keep the chickenpox virus in an inactive state.);
- cancer;
- radiation treatments;
- injury of the skin where the rash occurs; and
- HIV/AIDS.
Next: Shingles Symptoms »
Viewer Comments & Reviews
Shingles - Effective Treatments
The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:
What kinds of treatments have been effective for your shingles?
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Herpes Zoster »
Herpes zoster (shingles) is 1 of 2 distinctive manifestations of human infection with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the other being varicella (chickenpox).
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