What are the symptoms of shingles?

What are the symptoms of shingles?

What is shingles?

Shingles is a painful skin rash that affects one side of the body.

Individuals who have recovered from chickenpox can contract shingles since the virus remains in the body. Shingles is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster. This virus belongs to a group of viruses called herpes virus hence shingles is also known as herpes zoster. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus which is dormant in the nervous system of the body becomes reactive which then shows signs of shingles.

Shingles is contagious but less than chickenpox. It is transmitted form one individual to another only if a person comes in direct contact with the fluid of the oozing blister.

Who are likely to contract this disease?

Most people who develop this disease only have a single episode, however there are few who have developed recurrent cases of shingles. Below mentioned are few cases wherein an individual is most likely to contract this disease:      

Most common in people over the age of 50. Since as the person ages, the immune system also undergoes lot of changes.

People with low immune system have a higher probability of contracting this disease.

An individual with psychological or emotion stress Pregnant women Individuals undergoing cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Individuals with certain life threatening disease such as Cancer or HIV/AIDS or individuals taking certain medications also have the probability of getting this disease.

If an individual who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine comes in direct contact with the fluid of the rash may develop chickenpox, but immediately won’t develop shingles. However, it is possible for them to later develop shingles.

Symptoms of shingles The rash typically appears after an initial burning, stinging or itching sensation in the affected area. After a few days the rash appears in a band like pattern called dermatome mostly affecting a part of the body.

Individuals may also experience the below signs:

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Extreme pain, numbness and tingling sensation on a specific part of the skin.

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A rash begins to develop after one to five days of the pain.

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Itchy fluid filled blisters start appearing which are red in colour.

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In some cases, these rashes cover the face, ears, eyes and mouth.

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For upto a week new blisters arise.

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Inflammation might arise at the area around and under the soft tissue

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In some cases, the blisters merge forming red solid band. It looks like a severe burn.

Apart from the above mentioned symptoms the person may also come across the below symptoms: 

Fever

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Nausea

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Pain and weakness in the muscles

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Headache

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Fatigue

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Joint pain

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Swelling of the glands

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In rare cases where a person is dealing with weak immune system, shingles can lead to pneumonia, brain inflammation or death.

If an individual has shingles affecting the face area, the below signs would also accompany the disease: 

Loss of hearing

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Trouble in the vision at times leading to blindness

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Difficulty in taste buds

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Drooping eyelids

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Finding difficulty in moving certain facial muscles

It begins as clusters of small red patches which eventually develops in blisters. These blisters would eventually break open and the sores would then dry and crust over.

Complications associated with shingles 

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)

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Ramsay Hunt syndrome

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Weakness

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Inflammation of the brain, also termed as encephalitis

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Blindness

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Skin infection

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Neurological effect

There are potential chances that these effects would be long lasting.

Causes of shingles Shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus which is also the cause for chickenpox. After the episode of chickenpox, the individual still has the virus in its nervous system but in a dormant stage.

While it’s in the inactive stage, one may not experience any symptoms however this virus can reactivate years later and cause shingles. The pattern of the rash reflects the nerve which has been affected.

Diagnosis of shingles The doctor will be able to diagnose the rashes and blisters based on its distinctive appearance. In cases where the diagnoses become difficult a laboratory test would be done by testing the swab of fluid taken from the blister.

Prevention of shingles The varicella-zoster virus can be passed on to another individual in the active stage. Shingles compared to chickenpox is less contagious hence the risk of spreading the disease is less if the rash or blister is covered.

Shingles do not spread via cough or sneezing.

Treatment of shingles The treatment is aimed to minimise the pain and reduce the effects of the virus. Shingles can be treated with antiviral medication along with a pain medication. These medications shorten the course of illness. Over the counter medications also help in alleviating the localised itching.

A vaccine called Zostavax for varicella zoster is approved for people over the age of 50.