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May 25, 2021 · Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a painful blistering rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Find out what causes herpes zoster and how to identify and treat it.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. Two to four days before the rash occurs there may be tingling or local pain in the area.
- Overview
- Symptoms and Causes
- Diagnosis and Tests
- Management and Treatment
- Prevention
- Outlook / Prognosis
- Additional Common Questions
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Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. There are treatments for shingles symptoms, but there is no cure. There are vaccines against shingles and postherpetic neuralgia.
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OverviewSymptoms and CausesDiagnosis and TestsManagement and TreatmentPreventionOutlook / PrognosisAdditional Common Questions
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What causes shingles?
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
What are the symptoms of shingles?
Early symptoms of shingles may include: Fever. Chills. Headache. Feeling tired. Sensitivity to light. Stomach upset. Other signs and symptoms that appear a few days after the early symptoms include: An itching, tingling or burning feeling in an area of your skin. Redness on your skin in the affected area. Raised rash in a small area of your skin. Fluid-filled blisters that break open then scab over. Mild to severe pain in the area of skin affected.
How long does a shingles outbreak last?
It can take three to five weeks from the time you begin to feel symptoms until the rash totally disappears. First, a few days before the rash appears, you may feel pain in an area on your skin. The pain is described as itching, burning, stabbing or shooting. This usually happens before the rash comes. Next, the raised rash appears as a band or a patch, usually on one side of your body. The rash usually appears around your waistline or on one side of your face, neck, or on the trunk (chest/abdomen/back), but not always. It can occur in other areas including your arms and legs. Within three to four days, the rash develops into red, fluid-filled, painful, open blisters. Usually, these blisters begin to dry out and crust over within about 10 days. The scabs clear up about two to three weeks later.
How is shingles diagnosed?
Shingles can be diagnosed by the way the rash is distributed on your body. The blisters of a shingles rash usually appear in a band on one side of your body. Shingles also may be diagnosed in a laboratory using scrapings or a swab of the fluid from the blisters.
How is shingles treated?
There is no cure for shingles but there are treatments for managing the symptoms.
If you have more than one area of blisters, what can you expect if you go to the hospital?
It’s important to note that most people with shingles don’t need to be in a hospital, but if you do: You’ll be in a contact isolation room. The door will be kept closed. A sign on your door will remind people who have never had chickenpox or the vaccine not to enter. The sign will also remind staff to wear gowns and gloves when entering the room.
If you have shingles in only one area of your body that can’t be kept covered, what can you expect for your hospital stay?
You will be in a contact isolation room. The sign on the door will remind staff to wear gowns and gloves when entering the room.
Is a vaccine available to prevent shingles?
Two vaccines are available in the United States to reduce your chance of developing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. One vaccine, Zostavax®, has been available since 2006. The second vaccine, Shingrix®, has been available since 2017. Shingrix is recommended as the preferred vaccine by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of medical and public health experts. Shingrix (recombinant zoster vaccine) is given as a two-dose shot in your upper arm. You should receive the second dose (shot) two to six months after receiving the first. Shingrix has been shown to be more than 90% effective in preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. Its effectiveness remains above 85% for at least four years after receiving the vaccine.
Who should be vaccinated with Shingrix?
The Shingrix vaccine is recommended for those 50 years of age and older who are in good health. You should get the Shingrix vaccine even if: You’ve had shingles already. You’ve been previously vaccinated with Zostavax (a live zoster vaccine). If you’ve been vaccinated with Zostavax, wait at least eight weeks before getting vaccinated with Shingrix. You don’t know for sure if you’ve ever had chickenpox. Ask your healthcare provider, who knows your entire health history if getting this vaccine is right for you.
Who should not be vaccinated with Shingrix?
You shouldn’t receive the Shingrix vaccine if you: Have ever had a severe allergy to this vaccine or any ingredient in this vaccine. Are breastfeeding (chestfeeding) or pregnant. Currently have shingles. Are ill and have a high fever. Have tested negative for immunity to varicella-zoster virus (get the chickenpox vaccine instead). Ask your healthcare provider if the benefits of getting the vaccine outweigh any potential risks.
What should you expect if you get shingles?
Shingles can be a very painful condition. If you think you have the symptoms of shingles, see your healthcare provider right away. Starting antiviral medications early can ease your discomfort and end symptoms earlier. A better approach to shingles is to take action and do what you can to lessen your risk of getting it. If you've never had shingles in the past, talk to your healthcare provider about getting the shingles vaccine. If you’ve never had chickenpox, talk with your healthcare provider about getting the chickenpox vaccine.
Is shingles dangerous or even fatal?
If shingles involves your eye, it can lead to blindness. In rare cases, shingles can lead to hearing problems, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) and even death.
When is it safe to return to work if you have shingles?
You can return to work when you feel well enough to return and you’re no longer contagious. This means that your blistered rash has dried up and scabbed over. This usually takes up to 10 days from the time the rash first appears.
Why doesn’t having chickenpox earlier in life provide immunity against having shingles later?
After having chickenpox, your body doesn’t rid your system of the virus. Instead, the virus stays in a portion of the spinal nerve root called the dorsal root ganglion. In most people, the virus simply stays there quietly and doesn’t cause problems. Scientists aren’t always sure why the virus gets active again, but they know stress can be a cause.
Can you still develop shingles if you’ve been vaccinated for chickenpox?
Yes. Despite being vaccinated for chickenpox, you can still get shingles. No vaccine is 100% protective, and the effectiveness of vaccines lessens with time. However, people who get the chickenpox vaccine are significantly less likely to develop shingles later in life compared with people who never received the chickenpox vaccine. One recent 12-year study found that the number of shingles cases was 72% lower in children who had received the chickenpox vaccine compared with those who didn’t.
Can you get shingles if you haven’t had chickenpox?
No. You can’t get shingles if you’ve never had chickenpox, but you can get chickenpox from someone who has shingles. If you’ve never had chickenpox and you come into direct contact with the oozing, blister-like rash of someone with shingles, the varicella-zoster virus can infect you and you would develop chickenpox. Once you’ve had chickenpox, you could develop shingles at some point in your life. This is because the varicella-zoster virus never fully goes away after you’ve had chickenpox. It lies quietly “inactive” in your nerve tissue. Later in life, the virus may become active again and appears as shingles.
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It causes a painful rash or blisters on the skin, usually on one side of the body. Learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of shingles.
Aug 20, 2022 · Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash and is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Learn about the symptoms, risk factors, complications and how to prevent shingles with vaccines.
Identify common symptoms, causes and spread, treatment, and risks of shingles (herpes zoster).
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