Is shingles contagious?

According to the CDC, shingles itself is not. But “the virus that causes shingles, the varicella zoster virus, can be spread from a person with active shingles to another person who has never had chickenpox. In such cases, the person exposed to the virus might develop chickenpox, but they would not develop shingles.”

This happens when blisters are present, but once crusts appear, it cannot be spread. That’s why it is important to cover the rash to reduce the risk of giving others chicken pox.

The good news is that most people only have shingles once in their lives. However, that’s not always the case. Some people can develop the condition two or three times.

There are four things that shingles sufferers should avoid. Though research is limited, it is thought by some that certain foods may inhibit the body’s ability to heal.

Following are those choices.

1.    Arginine

Arginine is an amino acid found in protein-rich foods. While it has many health benefits, it just might affect shingles in a negative way.

According to Whole Health Chicago, arginine-rich foods promote the spread of shingles. In other words, arginine just might affect your body’s ability to heal.