Causes

Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. If you had chickenpox early in life, you can’t get it again, but you can develop the irritation and rash known as shingles when under emotional stress. Location is Key The erupted shingles rash usually shows up on one side of your body, but you can also get it on your face. It’s important to note that, while shingles commonly erupt on the torso, you can get shingles anywhere on your body. If you develop shingles in the eye area, you could end up with corneal damage.

Shingles are more commonly known as chickenpox in children and is a contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. In the past, getting chickenpox was the standard part of childhood, but recent outbreaks have become a less common occurrence in almost all age groups since 1995 when they introduced the chickenpox vaccine. Babies can’t get the vaccine until they are almost 12 months old. However, chickenpox cases in babies under the age of 1 year decreased by 90% in the middle of 1995 and 2008. According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, this happened because of herd immunity.