Shingles at young age

I am 28 years old. I had shingles around my left eye last month. I went to see a doctor, who prescribed me acyclovir. It in fact worked very well and the rashes were gone in a week after i started taking the medicines. I read that shingles is mostly common in those who are above 50 years old, with HIV, or it may also cause because of stress. It freaked me out cause I am just 28 years old, so i went for HIV testing and it was negative.  I am now curious to know if it is common to have shingles at this age, what could have possibly caused shingles on me (though i think it is because of stress)? Do I have weak immune system? Do I need to go for another hiv testing? or see a primary care doctor?
I would be very thankful if you put your expert idea on this matter.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Did anyone test the site with a swab test?  This could be either shingles or HSV 1?  The most common reasons we see people getting shingles at a young age is that they got chicken pox at less than the age of 1. That means that the immunity they build to varicella zoster virus just isn't as good and wanes earlier.  If you are generally healthy and your HIV test is negative (which I would have recommended), that's all good.  I could be just the luck of the draw and nothing to be concerned about at all, but I would observe carefully and if it comes back again, then have the rash swab tested for herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus to see which is causing the rash.  If nothing recurs, there is nothing to be concerned about.

Terri

[brad1235]

Thanks for the reply.
I had chicken pox when i was 5. The doctor who prescribed me acyclovir diagnosed it as shingles right way though he didn't do any swab test. I was under a lot of stress (stress from work, family) last few months. So, is it possible to get shingles from that? Is there any other case of shingles you know at this age?

[Lozis]

I get shingles a lot and I'm only 19. I got the chicken pox vaccine and i got the chicken pox when i was 5. My immunologist thought I had something called hyper ige syndrome but my results for that were negative. They don't really know why i keep having reoccurring shingles    but i think it's mostly because I have a bad immune system and I do get stressed easily.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Recurring shingles is a bit of an oxymoron.  It is unusual, though not terribly so, to have one recurrence.  But more than that?  Very unusual.  To be certain, I think a swab test for varicella zoster virus is essential.

Terri

[brad1235]

thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one to get shingles at young age. I hope it stops recurring on you.

[brad1235]

Thank you for all your answers. Please, let me know what is the chance of getting shingles because of stress. I think i had shingles and not HSV 1. I will definitely do swab test if it recurrs.

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

Shingles generally occurs in people over 50, though it can occur in younger people.  It is caused by a decline in the immunity to chicken pox virus as one ages.  No way to know at this point what it was.

Terri