What are the symptoms of shingles?

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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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