Shingles is a painful condition, and a Shingles outbreak can occur to you at any time, if you've had chickenpox in the past. Learn more about this debilitating illness, what you can do to prevent a Shingles outbreak and treatments for easing the pain and discomfort of a Shingles outbreak.

Why is it Called Shingles?

"Shingles" is admittedly an odd name for the notoriously painful nerve disease that is caused by the chickenpox virus. Even though the word ends in an "s", "Singles" is singular, not plural. The word "Shingles" has its origins in the Latin word for "belt"; "cingulum", because a Shingles outbreak usually produces a pattern of rash and blisters in a horizontal "belt" around the patient's torso. When you "get Shingles" or "have Shingles", this usually implies that you are having a Shingles outbreak, since you can't "catch Shingles" or "get Shingles" from someone else, as you would the common cold.

More Shingles Topics and Information: Does The Shingles Vaccine Work? How Do You Catch Shingles? What is Shingles? How Did I Get Shingles? I Think I Have Shingles What Are The Shingles Symptoms?