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Medical Question: What Is Shingles?

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is an infection that you acquire when the varicella-zoster virus gets activated in your body, according to FamilyDoctor.org. It belongs to the same family of viruses that causes herpes, but the virus that causes genital or oral herpes does not lead to the development of shingles, according to Dr. Melissa Conrad Stoppler. Though shingles generally clears up on its own, medications are available to help alleviate symptoms and reduce complications.

  1. Causes and Risk Factors

    • The virus that causes chickenpox---varicella-zoster virus--is the same virus that causes shingles to develop. After getting chickenpox, the virus stays inactive in your body until it gets "turned on" again. Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles, but certain factors may increase your likelihood of getting shingles. If your body is under constant emotional stress, if you have a weakened immune system due to a medical condition or medicines you take, if you are over age 60 or if you experienced chickenpox before you turned age 1, you have a higher chance of developing shingles than others, according to MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.

    Symptoms

    • Shingles usually appears on the trunk of your body (belly, chest or back area) though it can occur on your facial region too. The initial symptom is a pain, burning or tingling on one side of the body; these sensations appear a few days before the rash. The rash appears as reddish bumps that evolve into blisters, which dry out and fall off after one week. Sometimes the color of your skin may change in the affected areas, according to FamilyDoctor.org. The rash may be accompanied by fever, headache, chills, upset stomach, as stated by New York State's Department of Health.

    Complications

    • When shingles occurs on your eyes, it can cause scars that permanently damage your sight. If you get shingles involving your eyes, you can develop glaucoma, a condition that can lead to blindness, as stated on FamilyDoctor.org. Dr. Stoppler writes that a rare complication called Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, a condition that affects the cranial nerves by causing facial nerve weakness and deafness, may occur. A very common complication is postherpetic neuralgia, which is nerve pain that continues after the shingles rash has disappeared.

    Treatment

    • In general, shingles resolves itself without treatment. Bed rest, proper cleaning of the skin, soothing baths and cold compresses may help reduce symptoms. Medications and topical creams that relieve pain and itching may also alleviate symptoms. In more severe cases, your health care provider may prescribe an antiviral, which reduces pain, complications and the course of the infection, according to MedlinePlus.

    Prevention

    • A vaccine used to prevent chickenpox is available and recommended for those who have never been exposed to chickenpox. Research shows that people who are vaccinated are less likely to experience complications if they get shingles. If you've never had chickenpox or the vaccine, you should avoid contact with someone who has shingles because you can get chickenpox upon being exposed to the virus, according to NYS Department of Health. Shingles is contagious as long as the blisters have not dried out and scabbed over.

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