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Acne Help (Home) > Rare Skin Disorders > Shingles

Shingles: Virus, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Herpes zoster, a painful viral infection commonly called shingles, which is caused by the chicken pox virus. Shingles can develop in anyone who has had chicken pox.

More than 1 of every 10 people who had chicken pox as children get shingles as adults, usually over age 60. The chicken pox virus remains dormant or inactive in nerve root cells of the body.

Shingles is a second eruption of the varicella-zoster virus - the same virus that causes chickenpox.

Cause of Shingles

Varicella-zoster is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses, which includes the viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes. Many of these viruses can lie hidden in your nervous system after an initial infection and remain dormant for years before causing another infection.

Anyone who's had chickenpox may develop shingles. If your immune system doesn't destroy the entire virus during the initial infection, the remaining virus can enter your nervous system and lie hidden for years. Eventually, it may reactivate and travel along nerve pathways to your skin - producing shingles.

The reason for the encore is unclear. Shingles is more common in older adults and those who have weak immune systems.

Symptoms of Shingles

The first signs of shingles often include itching; stabbing, shooting pains; a tingling feeling in or under the skin; redness on the skin of the affected area; fever; chills; headache; and stomach upset. After a few days, a rash appears as a band or a patch of raised dots, usually on one side of the body, around the waistline or on one side of the face or the trunk. The rash eventually develops into red, fluid-filled, round, painful blisters. The blisters typically begin to dry out within a few days or weeks.

Individuals with post-herpetic neuralgia (PNH), a complication of shingles, can continue to have pain, ranging from mild to severe and debilitating, for months or years after the skin rash has healed

Diagnosis

Tests are not normally needed to diagnose shingles, because the type and location of the blisters are usually distinctive. However, sometimes a test to identify the varicella virus is carried out. This involves a blood test to measure antibody levels in the blood

Treatment

Medical Treatment

Antiviral Medications

Common names include:

• Acyclovir (Zovirax)
• Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
• Famciclovir (Famvir)

Antiviral medications won't cure shingles, but they can shorten the duration of the illness. They may also reduce the amount of pain and discomfort you suffer from the rash. Antiviral medications may help prevent complications of shingles, such as postherpetic neuralgia. In order for antiviral medications to work, they have to be started within 72 hours of the rash's emergence.

Possible side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Abdominal pain
• Rash
• Headache
• Tremor

Prednisone

Common brand name:

• Deltasone

Prednisone seems to reduce the pain of shingles for some people. It's possible that some people who have taken prednisone suffer less pain from postherpetic neuralgia than those who didn't take this medicine. However, whether prednisone prevents the development of postherpetic neuralgia has not been definitively established.

Possible side effects for short-term use (about three weeks or less) include:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Increased appetite
• Mood swings, increased emotionality
• Increase in blood pressure
• Increased blood sugar (especially in diabetics)

Possible side effects for long-term use (about three weeks or longer) include:

• Weakening of the immune system and an increased risk of developing infections
• Osteoporosis (thinning, weak bones)
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Indigestion
• Swelling in the hands, face, legs
• Easy bruising

Ibuprofen

Common brand names include:

• Motrin
• Advil

Ibuprofen can also help relieve some of the aches and pains associated with shingles. Because some people find ibuprofen to be very hard on the stomach, you should take this medicine with food. Drinking alcoholic beverages while you are taking ibuprofen can increase the chance that it will irritate your stomach. If you have stomach problems, do not take ibuprofen without consulting your healthcare provider.

On rare occasions, people have allergic reactions to ibuprofen. If you notice a new skin rash, difficulty breathing, or puffiness or swelling in your face or around your eyes, stop taking ibuprofen and immediately contact your healthcare provider.

Antipruritic (Anti-itch) Medications

• Benadryl

Antibiotic Ointment

• Polysporin
• Neosporin

Home Treatment

You may reduce the duration and pain of shingles by:

• Taking good care of skin sores, such as not scratching blisters and keeping your skin clean.
• Using medications as prescribed to treat shingles or postherpetic neuralgia, which is pain that lasts for at least 30 days after the shingles rash heals.
• Using nonprescription pain medications, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen, to help reduce pain during an attack of shingles or ongoing pain caused by postherpetic neuralgia.

Self-care

If you develop shingles, take good care of yourself:

• Keep the affected area clean.
• Apply cool, wet compresses to relieve pain.
• Soak in a tub of lukewarm water or use calamine lotion to relieve itching and discomfort.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever or anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). Get plenty of rest.

Can shingles be prevented?

Immunisation with the varicella vaccine can protect people from chickenpox. The vaccine involves a single injection for children under 12 and two injections for teenagers and adults. However, there is no evidence that immunisation against chickenpox will prevent shingles later in life.

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