Shingles Rash - Facts, Causes, Symptoms, Complications

If you have ever had a shingles rash, then you would know how much it hurts. However, if you’ve never suffered from this ailment, but you think you may have it, you would need to know what causes shingles and what this illness is.

When you get shingles, you don’t only suffer from a rash; there are other symptoms, as well.

First of all, what is Shingles?

Good question. Shingles is also called Herpes Zoster. This is an infection of the roots of the nerves. When this condition flares up, a shingles rash will often appear in one area of the body. It will usually show up in a band, or a cluster.

You may have heard that having chicken pox can cause you to get shingles later in life and, while this is true, not everyone who has had chicken pox will suffer from this painful infection. The same virus that causes chicken pox also causes shingles later, after a person has reached adulthood.

Usually, shingles appears in people whose immune system is weak due to stress or other factors, or the elderly. In fact, most cases of shingles occur in people who are over the age of 60, and your chances of getting shingles increase as you age, because the elderly often do not have strong immune systems.

The good news is that if you suffer from shingles and your immune system is okay, it is unlikely that you will suffer from additional shingles outbreaks after you have healed. The shingles rash usually lasts for about 30 days and it will usually become less painful as it heals.

What are the symptoms of shingles?

A painful shingles rash isn’t the only symptom of this ailment. You may begin to feel like you’re getting the flu before you suffer from the rash, but you probably won’t run a fever. You may also have a headache and feel sensitive to light.

Some time after this, you will likely suffer from itching, tingling or burning in one area, with a shingles rash that develops in that area.

Some people only suffer from a small shingles rash, but others will find themselves suffering from very severe pain that could mimic problems such as appendicitis. Depending on what area of the nerves are affected, long term difficulties can include changes in vision, changes in your ability to think clearly, or even long term paralysis in the face.

Are there other complications with shingles?

Many people who get shingles will not likely suffer from complications of this infection. Depending on your age and the strength of your immune system, you will likely heal up with no other effects of the disease at all.

However, if you have a weakened immune system due to certain types of chemotherapy, extreme levels of stress or other medications, it is possible that you will suffer from some of the potential side effects of shingles.

In the last section, we discussed problems such as loss or decrease in vision and changes in your ability to think. We also mentioned that there could be long term paralysis in the face. There is a risk of bacterial infections at the site of the shingles rash, and scarring can sometimes occur.

You may also experience muscle weakness and long term nerve pain. In addition, you could suffer from a condition called Allodynia, which is when something that ordinarily wouldn’t cause pain, such as a soft feather, causes pain to you.

Conclusion

If you feel that you may be suffering from shingles, you should consider seeing your health care professional to seek treatment. Depending on the severity, no treatment may be required, but it’s always good to keep an eye on your condition.

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