Dianne Feinstein's shingles diagnosis: What to know about the rash caused by a virus

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, age 89, is home from the hospital recovering from a bout of shingles. Here's what to know about the painful rash caused by a virus.

"I’m recovering at home now while I continue receiving treatment and look forward to returning to the Senate as soon as possible." After someone gets chickenpox, the virus stays "dormant" in the body, hiding out in the nervous system. "When people are older, or immunocompromised, the virus can become active again, causing shingles or zoster." "The rash tends to be painful, with pain often persisting for a long time after the rash resolves."

Roughly one out of every three people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).