A 22-year-old woman thought she had a simple chlorine rash after swimming in a pool while on vacation. What started as a small patch on her arm soon spread and became painful, leading her to seek medical help.
The New England woman, who shared her story on Reddit, explained that she assumed her reaction was from chlorine sensitivity. Instead, doctors confirmed she had shingles, a condition more commonly associated with older adults. Let’s walk through what happened to her, what shingles is, and what people should know about the risks.
From an apparent simple rash to a diagnosis
After swimming in a Cape Cod pool, the woman noticed clusters of red bumps forming on her arm. They looked like hives at first, so she dismissed them as irritation from the water. “We had just gone swimming before so I assumed it must’ve been from the chlorine since some people are sensitive”, she told Newsweek.
But within three days, the rash was spreading and becoming more painful. She posted photos online, describing it as a chlorine rash, and thousands of Reddit users responded. Many suggested it looked like shingles rather than a simple skin reaction.
Her primary care doctor initially considered poison ivy or shingles and told her to take an antihistamine until she could be examined. Less than a day later, he reviewed her photos again and called back, saying he was “90 percent sure” it was shingles. When she arrived at his office, he even brought in physician assistants to see her case firsthand as a teaching example.
What to know about shingles
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shingles typically appears as a painful rash on one side of the body or face. The blisters scab over in about a week and usually heal within two to four weeks.
The condition is far more common in people over 50, but it can occur at any age. Stress, weakened immunity, and certain health conditions can increase the risk, even for younger adults. While most cases resolve, complications like nerve pain can linger. The woman said she experienced nerve pain but was still able to do errands.
Many people wonder if shingles is contagious. You cannot catch shingles directly from someone else. However, if you’ve never had chickenpox or the vaccine, you could get chickenpox from contact with shingles blisters. That infection could later lead to shingles. The CDC notes that chickenpox is far more contagious than shingles itself.
The woman’s experience highlights how symptoms can be misread and how quickly online communities can help steer someone toward the right diagnosis. One Reddit user even realized their own rash was shingles after seeing her post and went to urgent care for treatment.
The takeaway is simple: don’t ignore unusual rashes, especially when they’re painful or spreading. Getting checked quickly is important, since starting antiviral medication within the first few days can shorten the illness and reduce the risk of complications.
