Can You Get Shingles in More Than One Location?
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by a flareup of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which also causes chicken pox. Although it's possible to develop shingles symptoms on more than one part of the body, it's not likely.
-
Identification
-
After chicken pox, VZV goes dormant in some nerve cells of the body; when it reactivates in a nerve, it causes symptoms, including pain and rash, along the path of that nerve, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Features
-
Because shingles symptoms appear along the path of a nerve, they are usually limited to one side of the body, reports the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus website.
-
Location
-
The sites most commonly affected by shingles outbreak include, says MedlinePlus, the trunk of the body or the head, including the face.
Effects
-
Disseminated shingles, which are in more than one place, may occur in people who are immunocompromised (with weakened immune systems), according to MedlinePlus.
Considerations
-
If pain and rash occur in more than one place on the body, it is generally an indication that shingles is not the cause, and further testing may be necessary.
-
