What is the lay term for herpes zoster?

Herpes zoster is commonly known as shingles. This term is used to describe a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which originally causes chickenpox. After an individual recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the nerve tissues and can reactivate later in life, leading to shingles. The condition is characterized by a painful rash that typically appears as a stripe of blisters on one side of the body, often accompanied by burning or stabbing pain.

The other terms listed represent different conditions: chickenpox refers to the primary infection caused by the same virus (varicella-zoster), cold sores are typically associated with herpes simplex virus infections affecting the lips or mouth, and a skin rash is a non-specific term that could refer to any number of dermatological conditions and is not specific to herpes zoster. Therefore, shingles is the accurate lay term specifically for herpes zoster.