What is Shingles?

QUESTION: What is shingles? Is there anything that can be done for it?
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ANSWER: Shingles is a painful condition that primarily affects skin and
nerves. The most visible symptom is a blistering rash. It is also called
herpes zoster since it is caused by one of the herpes family of viruses,
varicella-zoster. Varicella-zoster is also the virus that causes chicken pox.
Shingles is, in reality, not a disease that is "caught." It is a reactivation
of the virus that has been dormant in the nervous system since a childhood
bout of chicken pox.
The virus reactivation is apparently due to some physical stress to the
affected area, such as surgery, trauma, or other infection. Before the rash
appears, you may have a mild fever or feel tired or there may be stinging,
burning, or pain in the affected area. The fever subsides when the first red
patch breaks out and small to large blisters develop within a day or two that
last for up to two weeks. In most cases, the blisters fill with pus within a
few days, scab over, and heal by themselves. The rash can be painful or
itchy, which can be relieved by using compresses wet with Burow's solution
(Domeboro powder dissolved in water). Your physician may prescribe one or two
antiviral drugs; Zovirax (acyclovir generically), which is taken orally or
intravenously, or Vira-A (vidarabine), an ointment or intravenous injection.
An uncomplicated case of shingles may not need these medications, however, and
your physician may choose only to prescribe pain relievers.
Uncomplicated shingles usually heals well without scarring, and unless
the blisters are popped or punctured, is unlikely to become infected.
Shingles is not contagious in the usual sense, but you should be careful to
avoid adults who are ill or have an impaired immune system or children who
have not had chicken pox, since these people are susceptible to
varicella-zoster. People who are immune compromised are more likely to get
shingles that last longer and extend over a much wider area of skin.
Usually shingles occurs on the back or trunk, but it can occur on the
face and around the eye. This is a more serious situation, since ophthalmic
shingles can damage the eye or lead to a brain infection called herpes zoster
encephalitis.
Another complication is pain that lasts after the rash disappears. This
is known as post-herpetic neuralgia and is more common in elderly shingles
sufferers. Several medications can be used for this, but not everything works
on every patient.