Fast facts about shingles
There are an estimated 1 million cases of shingles diagnosed each year in the United States. One in 3 people will develop shingles during their lifetime. Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles. Shingles is an infection of an individual nerve and the skin surface that is supplied by the nerve. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once exposed, the varicella virus can lay dormant for years. Most adults with the dormant virus never experience an outbreak of shingles or any further problems. However, in some individuals, it may reactivate multiple times. Shingles is most common in people over the age of 50 years. However, the virus may reappear in people of all ages who have previously had chickenpox.
What are the symptoms of shingles?
Pain is the most common symptom of shingles. This can be a constant dull, burning, or gnawing pain, or sharp, stabbing pain that comes and goes. There may also be a blistering skin rash.This usually appears in one or more distinct bands, called dermatomes. It may also appear on the face in a band or break out on a quarter of the face. These dermatomes correspond to a single sensory nerve. Therefore, it causes isolated skin lesions, rather than a body-wide rash, and nerve pain.
What course does a shingles outbreak take?
Early onset may involve pain, tingling, numbness, and itching on a specific part of the skin, on a single side of the body.Between 1 and 5 days after the pain begins, a rash appears. Red blotches emerge that develop into itchy fluid-filled blisters. The rash looks like chickenpox but only on the band of skin supplied by the affected nerve. The rash may involve the face, eyes, mouth, and ears in some cases. Sometimes, the blisters merge, forming a solid red band that looks like a severe burn. In rare cases (among people with weakened immune systems) the rash may be more extensive and look like a chickenpox rash. If shingles affects the eye, this is called optical shingles. The virus invades an ophthalmic nerve and causes painful eye inflammation and temporary or permanent loss of vision. New blisters may appear for up to a week. Inflammation might be caused in the soft tissue under and around the rash. People with lesions on the torso may feel spasms of pain at the gentlest touch. The blisters will gradually dry up and form scabs or crusts within 7-10 days. At this point, the rash is no longer considered infectious. Minor scarring may occur where the blisters have been. A shingles episode normally lasts two to four weeks.In some cases, there is a rash but no pain, or no visible rash but a band of pain.
Other symptoms throughout the course may include fever, headache, malaise, fatigue, nausea, muscle pain and weakness, chills, difficulties with urination, joint pain, swollen glands (lymph nodes). Rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, brain inflammation, or encephalitis, or death. This usually happens in people who have an impaired immune system. If the rash affects areas of the face, symptoms may include - difficulty moving some facial muscles, drooping eyelids, hearing loss, loss of eye motion, problems with taste, or vision problems.
Are there complications associated with a shingles outbreak?
Most people do not experience any complications with shingles, but there is the potential for some long-lasting effects.
- Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) affects 10 to 20 percent of people with shingles
- Peripheral motor neuropathy occurs in 5 to 10 percent of cases
- Skin infection
- Encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain
- Transverse myelitis, or inflammation of the spinal cord
- White patches due to loss of pigment in the rash area
- Ramsay Hunt syndrome
- Eye problems
Is shingles contagious?
Shingles itself cannot be passed from one individual to another. However, the varicella-zoster virus can be spread from a person with shingles at the active stage to someone who has never had chickenpox. In these cases, the infected individual would get chickenpox, not shingles. Shingles is not spread through coughing or sneezing, but through direct contact with fluid from the blisters. Before the blisters develop and after the crusts form, the person is not contagious. Shingles is less contagious than chickenpox. The risk of spreading the virus is low if the rash is covered.
What treatments are available for shingles?
There is no cure for shingles. The virus can’t be eliminated from the body. However, there are ways to ease symptoms.
- Keep the rash clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing for comfort.
- Avoid rub-on antibiotic creams or adhesive dressings, as they can slow the healing process.
- If the rash needs to be covered, a non-adherent dressing should be used to prevent aggravating the skin.
- Products such as over the counter Calamine lotion can soothe and relieve itching.
- Antiviral medication like acyclovir or valacyclovir may be prescribed to help stop the virus from multiplying, and to reduce the severity and duration.
- Antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can sometimes help prevent itching at night.
- Neuropathy medications like gabapentin (Neurontin) may help with post herpetic neuralgia pain.
If you have questions or concerns about any symptoms you may be experiencing contact your healthcare provider. Primary Care Clinic of Jackson is open seven days a week to assist with all your healthcare needs. The Trezevant location is open Monday thru Saturday but your records are available electronically seven days a week at the Jackson location. Appointments are available at 731-265-6197 in Jackson and 731-669-3863 in Trezevant. Walk-ins are welcome at both locations.