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Shingles |
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What is shingles?
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral infection of the nerve roots.
It causes pain and often causes a rash on one side of the body,
the left or right. The rash appears in a band, a strip, or a small
area. Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have
weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines,
or other reasons. Most people who get shingles will get better and
will not get it again.
What
causes shingles?
Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up
again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the
virus ”sleeps” (is dormant) in your nerve roots. In some people,
it stays dormant forever. In others, the virus “wakes up” when
disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system. It is not
clear why this happens. But after the virus becomes active again,
it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.
You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles.
What
are the symptoms?
Shingles symptoms happen in stages. At first you may have a
headache or be sensitive to light. You may also feel like you have
the flu but not have a fever.
Later, you may feel itching, tingling, or pain in a certain area.
That’s where a band, strip, or small area of rash may occur a few
days later. The rash turns into clusters of blisters. The blisters
fill with fluid and then crust over. It takes 2 to 4 weeks for the
blisters to heal, and they may leave scars. Some people only get a
mild rash, and some do not get a rash at all.
It’s possible that you could also feel dizzy or weak, or you could
have long-term pain or a rash on your face, changes in your
vision, changes in how well you can think, or a rash that spreads.
If you have any of these problems from shingles, call your doctor
right away.
How is shingles treated?
There is no cure for shingles, but treatment may help you get well
sooner and prevent other problems. Call your doctor as soon as you
think you may have shingles. The sooner you start treatment, the
better it works. Treatment may include:
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Antiviral medicines, sometimes
given with steroid medicines, to help you get well sooner and
feel less pain.
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Medicines to help long-term
pain. These include antidepressants, pain medicines, and skin
creams.
Good home care can help you feel
better faster. Take care of any skin sores, and keep them clean.
Take your medicines as directed. And use over-the-counter pain
medicines to relieve pain.
Avoid contact with people until the rash heals. While you have
shingles, you can spread chickenpox to people who have never had
chickenpox. Be extra careful to avoid people with weak immune
systems and pregnant women and babies who have never had
chickenpox.
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