Husband has Shingles: Should I be worried?

[whittnie117]

Hey ladies,
So we just found out my husband has Shingles. I've had the chicken pox, but I know pregnant ladies have lowered immune systems. Should I be worried?

 

[Sophie2015]

No. You should be fine. You can't get shingles from someone if you've already had chicken pox or the vaccine.

 

[Misscalais]

I was told from my Dr the other day when going through my blood work that because I've had the chicken pox that i would be ok if i was exposed to someone with the chicken pox or shingles.

 

[whittnie117]

Thanks ladies. I appreciate the comforting news.

 

[CurlyRose]

Just avoid all direct contact with his skin or anything that has directly touched it (clothes, bedding etc) and wash all those things in a higher temperature. Then even if you might be able to pick it up, because the odd person isn't immune to it despite having had chicken pox, you won't, because it spreads via contact.

 

[Sophie2015]

You can't get shingles from him. If you haven't had chicken pox or the vaccine you could get chicken pox from his shingles virus. But you can't transmit shingles from person to person. Shingles only occurs if you've had chicken pox. Once you've had c pox the virus stays in your body but is dormant until something comes along to weaken your immune system and then shingles can occur. If you've had c pox you have immunity to any person with shingles or chicken pox.

 

[xdxxtx]

I wouldn't worry too much. It is extremely rare to get chicken pox more than once, but my mum got chicken pox from me as a child after having had it herself as a child. That being said, I would be careful not to touch the sores, but I wouldn't go stay in a hotel for a few weeks or anything.

 

[mssk]

From what I know you Should avoid contact with someone who has shingles when your are pregnant if you have had the chicken pox. I had them and work in a health care setting and I was advised by both my OB and employer not to care for anyone who had shingles.

Mayo Clinic---"To develop shingles, you have to catch chickenpox first, which typically happens in childhood. When you get over chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus stays in your body, but remains dormant, often for many years and possibly for life. As you age, though, there's an increasing risk that the virus will reactivate, resulting in shingles."

 

[Scout]

You should be fine as others have pointed you can't get shingles from someone, only chicken pox and you've had that. I had shingles when my daughter was an infant and before her chicken pox vaccine and the doctor told me that the only way she'd get chicken pox from my shingles is if I ran around naked or she was rubbing herself all over me, and even then it wasn't a certain thing. I didn't take the chance though

 

[mssk]

That being said I think the avoidance is precautionary and mainly for those who have not had chicken pox and would contract chicken pox from the person with shingles not shingles themselves. I would just avoid contact with open sores and have your husband put sheets in the wash and dryer for you often.