A member asked:

I've been diagnosed with shingles but i never had shingles.what should i do?

6 doctors weighed in across 3 answers

Chicken pox?: Do you mean that you have been diagnosed with shingles, but never had chicken pox? It's the chicken pox virus that reactivates to cause shingles. Many people have had such a mild case of chicken pox, they don't even know they've had it. But a blood test will show the antibody to the virus. So, if you need to find out for sure, a blood test can help.

Answered 5/8/2019

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Chicken pox...: Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash due to the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox. After you get chickenpox, the virus remains inactive (becomes dormant) in certain nerves in the body. Shingles occurs after the virus becomes active again in these nerves years later. The reason the virus suddenly becomes active again is not clear. Often only one attack occurs.

Answered 12/30/2016

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Dr. Daniel Ziegler answered

Specializes in Emergency Medicine

But had chicken pox: The chicken pox virus went to hibernate in one of the nerves emerging from your spinal cord where, after your initial infection as a child, it has always lived. Sometimes the virus wakes up and causes a rash over whatever part of your body that nerve serves. It may come back again or might not but will always appear in the same place. Its in the same family as the virus that causes cold sores.

Answered 5/8/2019

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