What is shingles?

Once upon a time, just about every child in America went through the rite of passage known as chickenpox. It was itchy and painful for a week or two, sure, but the good news — or so we were led to believe — was that once you got it, you’d never get it again. Unfortunately, the reality is a bit more complicated. While the Varicella Zoster virus that causes chickenpox never leaves your body, thus making you immune to future chickenpox outbreaks, it also makes you susceptible to another excruciating illness — a painful rash known as shingles.

Shingles Causes

Shingles are caused by the Varicella Zoster virus, the herpes virus responsible for chickenpox. After a chickenpox episode, the virus goes dormant. But if the virus re-awakens, it will manifest as shingles, a band-like rash that can affect any part of the body but most often the midsection. There are a number of reasons why the virus might flare up again, but shingles usually affect people with weakened immune systems. These can include people with autoimmune disorders such as HIV/AIDS, people on immunosuppressant therapies, those under inordinate amounts of stress and older adults. In fact, more than half of all shingles cases occur in people over the age of 50.

Shingles Symptoms

Shingles can sometimes be difficult to identify, particularly because the early symptoms of shingles are often nothing more than a vague pain or sensitivity in the area of the body where the virus has reactivated. Other early symptoms include a fever, abdominal pain, or a general feeling of being unwell. Most of the time the rash develops around the midsection (in fact, the term “shingles” is derived from the Latin word for girdle, “cingulum”). However, shingles can affect many parts of the body, including the neck and face. Often blisters will develop at the site of the rash, and these can take up to four weeks to crust over and heal.

Though shingles itself is not technically contagious, the Varicella Zoster virus is extremely contagious. If somebody who has never had chickenpox comes into contact with somebody actively experiencing shingles, he or she runs the risk of catching chickenpox. However, people who already have had chickenpox won’t contract shingles from somebody else.

Shingles Treatment

Unfortunately, there are limited treatments for shingles. Antiviral treatments have some efficacy, but they need to be started within the first 72 hours of the illness to be really effective. Other treatments, such as corticosteroids or pain medications, treat the symptoms of shingles more than the virus itself. However, these treatments can make the pain and discomfort of a shingles episode much more bearable. Much like that childhood bout of chickenpox, though, the best treatment for shingles is simply getting enough rest until the virus runs its course.

Though painful and unpleasant to look at, shingles usually only last a few weeks before the Varicella Zoster virus returns to its dormant state, and complications are few, if any. Sometimes, though, shingles can present serious problems. This usually occurs when it appears on the face or around the eyes — though unlikely, shingles can affect eyesight, potentially causing blindness. Other potential complications from the shingles virus include bacterial infections, and, in rare cases, neurological problems. Even though shingles are fairly common and usually present no serious long-term problems, it is important to have your shingles checked out by a doctor.