Shingles is a serious infection which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The illness causes a distinguishing rash as well as painful symptoms which develops on the band of skin which is supplied by the nerve. Symptoms tend to dissipate after two to four weeks, but often the pain can linger once the rash has gone. It’s a common illness more in people over the age of 50, but other complications are uncommon. Your GP will prescribe antiviral medication if you are diagnosed with shingles. Although you can’t catch chickenpox twice, the same virus leads to both chickenpox and shingles, so it’s common for people who have had chickenpox in the past to later develop shingles.
Sometimes you can hear shingles being referred to as herpes zoster, though this is a very different condition to the herpes simplex virus. Around one in five people develop shingles in their life, and although it is uncommon to have shingles more than once, this does happen in one in 50 people. Stress can trigger shingles, but they usually appear with no real cause. If you’re immune system is lowered or has aged, this may be a reason behind you developing the ailment. So, if you have HIV/AIDS or your immune system is compromised by treatment such as chemotherapy, you may be more at risk. This virus usually affects just one nerve, on one side of the body. It’s common for two or three of the nerves in the same area to be affected though. Usually, this occurs in the nerves on the chest or stomach, as well as the upper face such as the eye area. The pain is localised and can vary in severity, often described as a dull, burning or gnawing pain. Whatever the level of your pain, the skin on the affected area is likely to be tender. The rash is noticeable as red blotches which quickly move on to become itchy blisters. The tissues under the rash may also become swollen and inflamed.
Shingles is contagious, as is chickenpox, and will remain so until the blisters have scabbed and dry. If your blisters are covered with a dressing, they will stay safe in terms of how contagious they are. In pregnant women, this can be a risk so if you’ve not had chickenpox and are pregnant, avoid those with shingles. It pays to stay safe with regards to the virus, so avoid using towels with others or going swimming if you have the virus, so as to limit the spread of infection. It’s rare to have any complications with the illness though. In the event of a complication, it may be an infection of the brain – this is because of the spread of the virus through the body. Although very serious, these are extremely rare.The general measures used to treat shingles include wearing loose-fitting clothes to reduce the irritations on the affected skin, as well as cooling the area with ice cubes wrapped in a plastic bag. Simple emollient creams can help to reduce itchiness if the rash is becoming a problem.
Shingles can cause very painful symptoms in some people, so painkillers are the best course of action for reducing this side effect. Over-the-counter options are fine and stronger painkillers such as codeine may be useful, but speak to your pharmacist to be sure. If you have shingles, or think you may have come into contact with someone who does and are worried, you should speak to your GP who can advise you and suggest treatment.
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