Is it possible to have shingles more than once

Unfortunately, it is possible to get shingles twice or more. In fact, of the one in three people who experience shingles, women are at a higher risk of developing it a second time than men are. The longer you experience severe pain after shingles called post-herpetic neuralgia , the higher your chances of a shingles recurrence.

Interestingly, if shingles comes back, it may recur on another side of your body. Your chances of getting shingles increase as you get older. The U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends that adults age 50 and older get vaccinated against shingles. Shingrix is the preferred vaccine. The CDC recommends Shingrix for adults 50 years and older, whether or not they have already had shingles or previously received the Zostavax vaccine, which has been used since You should get two doses of Shingrix, two to six months apart.

While Zostavax is still available, studies show it is less effective than Shingrix. Most viruses are killed by your immune system, but the chickenpox virus hibernates inside your nerve roots , which are cords that transmit pain and itching sensations to your skin. You don't feel any symptoms while the virus is dormant because your immune system stops the microbes from multiplying. But as you age, your immune system tends to gets weaker. Like a collapsed dam, this weakened defense can let in a flood of viral microbes to your system, causing the virus to spread from your nerve root into your skin, and ultimately leading to a shingles outbreak.

Most people will only have one outbreak of shingles in their lifetime, but "in rare cases, it can reactivate a second time and cause another episode of shingles," says Amesh A. A second or third bout of shingles happens the same way as a first outbreak — the virus reactivates and spreads to your skin. However, experts don't know exactly what causes the virus to deactivate and reactivate.

It is possible to have a third outbreak of shingles, but this happens very rarely. Keep in mind that if you've already had shingles once, you can't get infected again from someone with shingles or chickenpox. The only way that you can have multiple bouts of shingles is through the reactivation of the dormant virus in your own body. Experts don't know exactly why the shingles virus reactivates, Adalja says, but it likely has to do with a weakened immune system.

Some factors that may weaken your immune system and contribute to shingles outbreaks include:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Shingles Herpes Zoster. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Quick Facts. You cannot get shingles from someone who has shingles. You can get chickenpox from someone who has shingles if you have never had chickenpox or never received the chickenpox vaccine.