Don't hug someone with shingles

I've had chicken pox as a child, and they say you only get one strain of chicken pox and then your body becomes immune, I do remember one of my aunts getting shingles, but I never knew you couldn't hug someone with shingles.

Another reason for not hugging someone with shingles is because it hurts a lot.

I had shingles twice in my life once when I was seventeen and then at 54 in 2010. It was horrible the second time around and I had my granddaughter living in my house. Thankfully she didn't get sick. It is a very painful and can actually put you out of commission for at least a month to six weeks. I believe to catch it though the person would need to actually touch your skin where the rash is.

I have never had the shingles, but my ex husband has been dealing with them for over a year, the residual effects of them anyway. He has iching constanly, and just can't get it to go away. he is dealing with the itching, but it has been a struggle for him as he is 71, soon to be 72, and since he is older, he will have them longer than someone who is much younger. From what I understand, you have to be free of the shingles for at least a year, in order to get the vaccine. If he had known about the vaccine along time ago, then he would have got it, but since he is dealing with it like he is, he can't get vaccinated until he is shingle free. He said that he doesn't wish the shingle on anyone. I can certainly believe that, from the way he has been suffering with them. Take care, and have a great day.

Last year one of my best friends had shingles and to make matters worse, his girlfriend was pregnant at the time. He actually had to stay away from home for an entire month while he was sick because of the fact that shingles or chicken pox is something that can be very bad for a pregnant woman. I felt so bad for him at the time that it happened. Luckily, he was able to get through it all and his girlfriend didn't contract the virus so there were no side effects on either her or the baby. Me, I didn't think anything of giving him a hug while he was down with shingles, but that is because I've had chicken pox before and also because I figured I'd been around him just before it came up so I was going to get them if I was meant to no matter what.

It is caused by a virus. And that being said is a disease that can be spread through air. What we can do is to make sure that we are always healthy and with high immune system so that we will not be infected with it.

I had shingles and I would not have wanted anyone to touch me. I do think that since shingles is from the chicken pox virus that you can catch it or visa versa if you never had it before.

ha, Ithought you were going to say it was because shingles are painful... Well it makes sense, if a virus is active, it is probably contagious.

wow, I never knew that. Of course dont know anyone with those.