Friends, a few weeks back I came to know about a disease, that I was not aware of earlier, and many like me do not know about this disease. This disease is called SHINGLES. After doing some research, I found out more about this disease, which I want to share with you all.
Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It can occur anywhere in your body. It typically looks like a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left or right side of your torso. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus-the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus stays in your body for the rest of your life. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.
It is not a life-threatening disease, but it can be very painful. Vaccines can help lower the risk of shingles. Early treatment may shorten a shingles infection and lessen the chance of complications. The most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia. This is a painful condition that causes shingles pain for a long time after your blisters have cleared.
Symptoms
Shingles symptoms usually affect only a small section on one side of your body. These symptoms may include:
- Pain, burning or tingling
- Sensitivity to touch
- A red rash that begins a few days after the pain.
- Fluid-filled blisters that break open and crust over
- Itching
Some people also experience
- Fever
- Headache
- Sensitivity ti light.
- Fatigue
Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. For some people, the pain can be intense. Depending on the location of the pain, it can sometimes be mistaken for problems with heart, lungs or kidneys. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash. Most commonly, the shingles rash develops as a stripe of blisters that wraps around either left or right side of the torso. Sometimes the rash occurs around one eye or one side of the neck or face.
Primarily Shingles is characterised by pain or a tingling sensation on one side of the face or torso, followed by a red rash with small fluid filled blisters.
When to see a doctor
Contact your healthcare provider a soon as possible if you suspect shingles, especially in the following situations:
- The pain and rash occur near an eye. If left untreated, this infection may lead to permanent eye damage.
- You are 50 or older. Age increases your risk of complications.
- You or someone in your family has a weakened immune system. This may be due to cancer, medications or chronic illness.
- The rash is widespread and painful.
Causes
As mentioned earlier, shingles is caused by the same virus which stays back in your body after you have recovered from the attack of chickenpox. Sometimes the virus reactivates and travels along nerve pathways to your skin-producing shingles. The reason for shingles is still unclear. It may be due to lowered immunity to infections as people get older. Shingles is more common in older adults and in people who have weakened immune systems.
Varicella-zoster is a part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses. This is the same group that includes the viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes. As a result, shingles is also known as herpes zoster. But the virus that causes chickenpox is not the same virus that causes cold sores or genital herpes, which is sexually transmitted infection.
Shingles affects the nerves
Its rash is associated with an inflammation of nerves beneath the skin.
Is Shingles contagious?
A person with shingles can pass the virus to anyone who is not immune to chickenpox. This usually occurs through direct contact with the open sores of the shingles rash. Once infected, though, the person will develop chickenpox rather than shingles. Until your shingles blisters scab over, you are contagious.
Risk factors
Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can develop shingles. Other factors which also may increase your risk of developing shingles are:
- Age- elderly people are at more risk for developing shingles.
- Diseases- some diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer can weaken your immune system.
- Drugs that prevent rejection of transplanted organ can increase your risk of shingles, as these drugs lower your auto immune system.
Complications
- Postherpetic-neuralgia- this is the condition which can develop after your blisters are cleared. This condition causes pain.
- Vision loss- shingles in an around eye can lead to vision loss.
- Neurological problems- shingles may cause inflammation of the brain, facial paralysis or problems with hearing or balance.
- If shingles blisters are not properly treated, bacterial skin infections may develop.
Prevention
Shingle vaccine is now available in the market. It is approved and recommended for people of 50+ years, whether they have had shingles or not. The shingles vaccine does not guarantee that you will not get shingles. But this vaccine will likely reduce the severity of the disease. And it will lower your risk of postherpetic neuralgia. The vaccine is not affective as a medication for treating shingles. It can be only used as a way to prevent shingles.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
26th March 2024