It causes a painful rash. You can only get shingles if you had chickenpox in the past. Most of the time your immune system keeps the chickenpox virus in these cells. As you get older or if your immune system gets weak, the chickenpox virus may escape from the nerve cells and cause shingles. Most people who get shingles are more than 50 years old or have a weak immune system.
Shingles causes a painful, blistering rash.
Sometimes the pain starts a few days before the rash appears. The rash begins with raised reddish bumps. In a few days, these bumps turn into blisters. You might feel a stinging or burning pain. The rash may wrap around your back and chest, or it may be on one side of your face.