About the Medical Conditions of Shingles

Shingles is a skin condition that can result in painful, oozing blisters that usually appear around a person's mid-section, including the chest, back torso and even under the breasts. Because shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, medical treatment, which usually consists of antiviral drugs or vaccines, is usually necessary to clear up the sores.

Identification

Though a rash or series of blisters that typically appear on your midsection is usually the most evident feature of shingles, sensitivity or burning on the skin's surface may be present before any physical malady has appeared. Unfortunately, because these symptoms aren't yet accompanied by any tangible sores, shingles can be difficult to identify at its early stage. Once the redness and blisters begin to form, however, the condition becomes much easier to diagnose and then treat.

Prevention/Solution

Antiviral drugs are the most common and effective forms of treatment for shingles, so it is important to see your doctor soon after symptoms develop. There is a varicella-zoster virus vaccine called Zostavax that is usually administered to "at-risk" populations, including the elderly and people with a vulnerable immune system, such as cancer or transplant patients and those who are HIV-positive. This vaccine greatly reduce chances of developing shingles again, and, if shingles should reoccur, it should lessen its symptoms and severity. There are three antiviral drugs on the market that treat shingles. They are Zovirax, Famvir and Valtrex. These drugs are most effective when they're administered within 72 hours of the rash or sores appearing. Steroids and a few pain relievers are also used occasionally to treat shingles, though the antivirals are usually the best treatment option.

Warning

Like chickenpox, shingles is contagious. Because both of these conditions develop from the varicella-zoster virus, it can be spread to someone who has not had chickenpox and will only result in chickenpox, not shingles. If you've already had chickenpox you cannot catch the varicella-zoster virus from someone else, though you can still develop shingles. Cellulitis can develop if the blisters caused by shingles become infected with bacteria, which can be treated by antibiotics. Rarely, shingles will form on the face, which can irritate the eye and possibly--though again rarely--lead to blindness.

Time Frame

If burning and sensitivity is present on your skin from shingles, the actual bumps and blisters will appear approximately three to seven days later. The antivirals typically need to be administered within 72 hours of the blisters forming. A person who is otherwise in good health and does not have any immune system problems should recover from shingles within three to five weeks. Typically the burning and itching will subside first, followed by the disappearance of the rash and/or blisters. The physical maladies should not leave any kind of lasting scars.

Misconceptions

The varicella-zoster virus, which causes shingles and chickenpox, is actually one form of the herpes virus. However, it is not the same strain of the virus that causes genital warts or mouth sores, so there is no risk of these conditions developing alongside shingles.

Resources

• More on shingles