Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once a person has had chickenpox, the virus can live, but remain inactive, in your body. If it becomes active again, usually later in life, it can cause Shingles. If you've had chickenpox, there is no way to predict if you'll get Shingles. What's more, the inactive virus usually has no signs or symptoms. So Shingles can appear at any time without warning.

From shinglesinfo.com


It turns out that's what I had when I was on my Nova Scotia self supported tour in 2006. It started out as a bad headache, then my eyes got all puffy, then I got what looked like giant acne all over my forehead. I went to a health clinic, with the puffy eyes and headache and got treated for migraine.

I didn't know for sure that's what it was until I went to my eye doctor 3 or 4 months later and had some new scarring on my corneas and he asked me about it. When I described all my symptoms, he told me that's what I had had.

I'm guessing I must have had a rather light case since I cycled 19 days with it on the tour and had no drugs other than Advil.

They are not really sure what causes it to flair up. Stress can be a factor.

V.