What Do You Know About Shingles?

Varicella is a Latin word used to tell the chickenpox/shingles virus from its much more dangerous relative, variola, which causes smallpox. Zoster is part of the virus name because it is the Greek word for girdle. A common symptom of shingles is painful rash that forms a band (girdle) of blisters halfway around the waist. Shingles comes from Latin word cingulum, which also means belt or girdle.

After a bout of chickenpox has ended, scientists believe that the virus moves to nerve cells near the brain and spinal cord. There it becomes inactive. When the virus becomes active again, it often moves down a single nerve fiber to the skin. The virus then multiplies in the nerve ending, and pain develops. This is often followed in a few days by a rash where the pain is. The varicella-zoster virus belongs to a group of viruses called herpesviruses. Shingles is also called herpes zoster.

About 1 in 3 people will get shingles during their lifetime. The chance of getting shingles goes up after age 60. Most people who get shingles have only 1 episode in their lifetime. But it is possible to get shingles more than once. People who have a weakened immune system may be more likely to get shingles and then get it again. Researchers aren't sure why only certain people get shingles. Experts advise the vaccine for anyone age 50 or older who has had chickenpox, even if you have already had shingles. The vaccine can reduce the risk of getting shingles again.

These symptoms may occur first in the area where the rash will appear. Often the area first becomes painful or has a tingling or burning feeling. Other early symptoms may include fever, chills, headache, or upset stomach. After several days, a rash similar to chickenpox appears. The rash may occur in a band on 1 side of the waist, on 1 side of the trunk, or on 1 side of the face. A chickenpox rash doesn't hurt. But a shingles rash often is quite painful.

Shingles blisters often scab over in 7 to 10 days. The rash clears up within 2 to 4 weeks. The rash generally doesn't cause scarring.

A person with shingles can't pass shingles on to anyone else. But a person with shingles can pass on the virus. For this to occur, the person with shingles must have the shingles rash present. And the second person must not have had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine and must come in direct contact with the open sores of shingles. The second person will develop chickenpox, not shingles. A person who has been vaccinated against chickenpox is protected from exposure to a person with active shingles.

The length of a shingles outbreak and the severity of its pain can be eased by antiviral medicine. This is particularly true if treatment is started within 72 hours after the rash first shows up. Pain medicine may also be used, along with calamine lotion, wet compresses, and colloidal oatmeal baths to relieve the pain and itching. Early treatment also helps reduce the risk for a complication of shingles called postherpetic neuralgia. This is pain that lasts after the shingles rash goes away. Other treatments for postherpetic neuralgia include antidepressants, antiseizure medicines, and medicines that you put on the skin.

One of the main complications of shingles is pain that stays for a long time or doesn't go away at all. This is called postherpetic neuralgia. This may happen because the nerve cells that carry pain signals are most affected by the shingles virus. The pain can be severe and unrelenting. That's why it's important to see your healthcare provider right away for treatment if you develop symptoms of shingles. Antiviral medicines, antidepressants, and antiseizure medicinesmay help prevent postherpetic neuralgia. Shingles outbreak on the face is a particularly dangerous condition. This can involve the seventh and eighth cranial nerves and cause a condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. This syndrome can cause facial paralysis and inner ear damage. People who develop a shingles rash on the face may have an inflammation of the eyes that can lead to vision problems. In severe cases it causes vision loss. Shingles on the face also may affect hearing.

Shingles vaccination is the only way to protect against shingles and its complications. Experts advise the vaccine for anyone age 50 or older who has had chickenpox, even if you have already had shingles. The vaccine can reduce the risk of getting shingles again. Adults age 19 and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or therapy should also get vaccinated. They have a higher risk of getting shingles and its complications.