What Is Shingles & Can You Have Them Internally?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately one million people diagnosed with shingles each year in the U.S. This painful disease occurs mostly in people over the age of 50 and those with weakened immune systems.

Shingles

• Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. A painful rash usually appears on one side of the face or body. Initially appearing as blisters, the rash then turns into scabs.

Cause

• After a person has chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in the body. In later years, the virus may be reactivated for unknown reasons. The Mayo Clinic speculates that lowered immune function in the body may contribute to virus reactivation.

Internal Shingles

• The varicella-zoster virus has been known to spread internally in people with weakened immune systems. Internal organs may be affected, as well as the lungs, central nervous system and brain.

Transmission Factors

• The shingles virus may be spread only through direct contact with the rash in the blister stage. If exposed, a person would develop chickenpox instead of shingles.

Treatment

• Antiviral medications can have an effect on shingles if taken within 48 hours of an outbreak. A variety of pain-relieving drugs are often used to control the extreme aches that accompany this disease.