shingles is only on one side of the body; following a nerve pathway. it is very painful. poison ivy can occur anywhere on the body. both sides. it is very itchy; not painful. they are both blistering skin eruptions but shingles tends to be hemorrhagic (bloody-looking) and occurs in clusters. poison ivy tends to have clear blisters and likely as some linear (line-like) patterns where part of the plant contact occurred.
how do you tell the difference between poison ivy and shingles?