All You Need To Know About Shingles

Shingles is an infection of an individual nerve and the skin surface that is supplied by the nerve. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.

 

Anyone who has recovered from chickenpox can develop shingles.

There are an estimated 1 million cases of shingles each year in the United States, with 1 in 3 people developing shingles during their lifetime.

It is not possible to have shingles if you have never been exposed to chickenpox or the varicella virus that causes it.

Once exposed, the virus can lay dormant for years. Most adults with the dormant virus never experience an outbreak of shingles or any further problems.

However, in some individuals, it may reactivate multiple times.

Shingles is most common in people over the age of 50 years. However, the virus may reappear in people of all ages who have previously had chickenpox.

Fast Facts On Shingles

Here are some key points about shingles. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.

•        Each year in the U.S., there are an estimated 1 million cases of shingles.

•        Around 1 in 3 people will develop shingles during their lifetime.

•        Shingles is a painful infection of the nerve supplying an area of skin and is accompanied by a localized skin rash.

•        Earlier signs of shingles are tingling, extreme tiredness, shooting pains, and redness of the skin.

1. Blisters

          One to three days after pain begins, blisters will typically appear on the inflamed, red skin. For a few days, new ones will continue to show up. Not all people develop these sores, but most do. It will look like a rash with groups of raised, red bumps erupting in the same places where the pain has been felt. Although most of these red bumps appear on the face and torso, sometimes they appear on the lower body or spine. It is uncommon for them to appear over your entire body. During this time, it is recommended to wear loose-fitting clothing in order to keep the blistered skin from becoming more irritated. Eventually, the sores crust over.

2. Scabs

          After 10-12 days, the sores, or ulcers, will typically erupt and ooze fluid, or turn a yellow color and flatten. They then dry out, begin to scab, and crust over in one to two weeks. Around this time, your pain may begin to ease; but some people have reported months, or even years, of recovery and pain-lessening.

          Fortunately, those around you are very unlikely to contract this virus once your blisters have completely crusted over.

3. Ulcer of the Skin

•        Open sores, or ulcers, often follow the redness and blistering. These open sores are filled with fluid and pus, resembling chickenpox. Unfortunately, these ulcers may become infected and bacteria can multiply. Any open sores are always susceptible to bacterial infection.

•        Itching commonly accompanies these ulcers of the skin. Beware of scratching, which can make scarring more likely to result. The ulcer of the skin will eventually crust over, and the rash will disappear. You may experience changes in your skin color along with the scarring. By this time, you are no longer contagious.

4. Redness of Skin

•        Most likely, the first visual symptom to indicate you have this virus will be redness of the skin. You will see pink or red blotchy patches, usually on one side of your body, or around your torso. The redness typically shows up in patches clustering along the nerve pathways. This is the precursor to the rash that develops and wraps around the left or right side of your torso.

•        In some cases, the redness and rash can appear on your face, on one side of your neck, or even around your eye.

5. Burning Sensation

•        Sometimes, even before the redness on your skin appears, you may feel a burning sensation in certain areas of your body. Other symptoms that usually accompany the burning are tiredness, a fever, weakness, or a tingling sensation. These are all early manifestations of the virus that occur a few days before the first signs of a rash appear on your skin. Instead of a burning sensation, some people say that they feel shooting pains in the areas that the rash later appears on.

6. Fatigue

•        Fatigue is another early shingles symptom that can develop early and continue for a few days or weeks. This is a feeling of extreme tiredness or exhaustion. You may feel inadequate to accomplish simple, daily tasks. Fatigue is your body’s response to the extra physical burden of your body’s immune system fighting and working hard. Take plenty of time to rest and lie down. Understand that you may need to take extra breaks during your work or chores. Resting will allow your body to fight well and heal more quickly! You may even want to take a relaxing oatmeal bath. Not only will it give you the opportunity to rest, but it will also help in easing any pain or itchiness that you are experiencing.

7. Itching

•        Besides the early symptoms of skin redness and burning, itching is also common. It can start even before the rash has shown up on your body. Usually, where you are feeling itchy is where the ugly rash will appear in a few days or weeks. Sometimes, this need to itch is constant; or it may come and go. Some people describe this feeling as a tingling sensation, or a feeling that their skin is prickling and oversensitive. It is almost like a pins and needles sensation. This symptom can be lessened by applying a cold, wet compress to the rash. You may also want to apply calamine lotion to the itchy areas. This painful and irritating virus can strain you physically and emotionally.

•        Make sure to get sufficient rest, ask for help from your friends and family, and find easy activities to do that will distract you from the pain and itchy skin. It is important to not associate with those who have not yet had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. They are likely to contract the virus if they come in direct contact with your rash. Lower your risk of infected open sores by keeping your skin clean and avoiding scratching. If you notice signs of infection, notify your doctor immediately. Your doctor will ensure that you receive treatment to prevent the infection from spreading. Be encouraged that most people see the rash disappear within two to four weeks!

•        You have possibly experienced, or know someone who has had shingles. If so, you realize that it is a painful condition that causes a rash, itching, burning, and blisters. However, pain is usually the first symptom. In fact, some people experience the pain without ever developing a rash or other skin symptoms.

•        The disease is caused by a virus known as varicella-zoster.  It is this same virus that causes chickenpox. Any person who has had chickenpox is also at risk of having shingles shingles because once the chickenpox has run its course, the virus may lie dormant in the nervous system. Many years later, it can travel along the nerve pathways and resurface as shingles. An outbreak is usually associated with a weakened immune system and is more common in older individuals.