Shingles are also called herpes zoster and it is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster which also causes chickenpox. It is often believed that provided you have had chickenpox in the past that you cannot catch shingles, however, this is not true; in actual fact, a person can only develop shingles if they have been infected with chickenpox, sometimes decades earlier. The virus remains dormant and will reactivate as shingles under some circumstances
The first symptoms of shingles tend to be burning and shooting pain in the skin. The symptoms tend to be one side of the body and also appear in small patches.
It is common for a rash to then develop followed by red, fluid-filled blistering of the skin.
Other Symptoms which may be early signs of shingles are:
There are some complications associated with shingles that may persist after the rash has disappeared
This form of the condition is very unpleasant with a blistering rash on the eyelids and forehead. Other symptoms such as burning and throbbing pain in the eye alongside redness, swelling and blurred vision.
Once the rash has disappeared there may be nerve pain in the eye as a result of damage to the nerves.
It is extremely important that shingles in the eye are treated as it can result in blindness
It is not common to contract shingles in pregnancy and the most likely scenario where this would happen is if the pregnant woman had come into contact with someone who had active chickenpox or shingles infections.
It is very risky if someone catches chickenpox whilst pregnant because it can result in the fetus developing congenital abnormalities. For this reason, it is recommended to have a vaccination against chickenpox before becoming pregnant
It tends to be less of a problem if a pregnant person catches shingles but nevertheless it can still be unpleasant
If you are feeling unwell in general and suspect that you may have shingles, it is important to have a diagnosis from your doctor.
It is likely that your doctor will make the shingles diagnosis from the examination of any rashes and blisters that you may have.
In some cases, your doctor will want to test a sample of skin or fluid from your blisters. The sample will then be sent to a laboratory to be tested for varicella-zoster virus
Anyone who has had chickenpox in the past has some risk of developing shingles; however, some factors increase that risk quite significantly.
These may include:
It is also true that as we get older our weakening immune systems will leave us open to more complications as a result of the disease; it may be that more rashes will develop as well as more infections in open blisters. More cases of pneumonia and inflammation of the brain are seen in older people with shingles
As shingles are riskier for people as they get older, it is often advised that older people are vaccinated against the disease. The vaccination is the same as that given to prevent chickenpox
The varicella-zoster virus is not airborne and so cannot be spread if someone with shingles coughs or sneezes near you or if you drink out of the same cup or use the same spoon.
The shingles virus is contagious but the only way that it is likely to be transmitted to another person is if the person were to come into contact with a blister which is oozing on a person with shingles. It is highly unlikely that you will contract shingles from this sort of contact but if you have never had chickenpox or been vaccinated, it is possible that you will develop that disease
There is no cure for shingles
There are some treatment that can be carried out at home and will help alleviate symptoms
There is a selection of antiviral drugs now available that are invaluable in the treatment of shingles. They help reduce the duration of the disease as well as reducing the risk of complications. Ideally, treatment with antivirals needs to begin within 3 days of the appearance of the rash so it is important to seek help as soon as possible.
There are three drugs which are generally given to treat shingles:
Drug treatments specifically recommended for the pain include:
Conclusion
It is without a doubt that shingles can be a very uncomfortable and unpleasant disease with some complications that are very serious.
However, provided we seek the right help early enough in the disease we can avert many of the complications and discomfort