What is Shingles Rash? Understanding Herpes Zoster Virus
Shingles SymptomsWhat are the symptoms, and it's underlying causes? Can it be prevented, and if not, how can it be treated? These can be important questions to have answers to, especially if you are at risk for the infection.
Shingles is a skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, the Varicella Zoster Virus. If a person is exposed when young to the virus, they develop the common chicken pox rash. After a few weeks the skin rash clears but the virus never completely leaves the body, remaining in the nervous system. Later, the virus can become active again, causing the shingles rash.
Symptoms of shingles rash are different from chicken pox. Shingles typically affects only one side or area of the body, and symptoms can include fever, pain, nausea, and dizziness in addition to the stages of rash on the skin. The skin rash is of course the most evident symptom, but only occurs for a couple of weeks during the usual five week course of the infection's outbreak.
During the course of the infection a person with shingles is contagious and can spread the infection to others. If you have had chicken pox, you can develop the shingles rash later when your immune system becomes weakened by other illness, injury, or extreme stress. If you have not had chicken pox, being exposed to a person with shingles can cause you to develop it, even in adulthood. The infection is most easily spread by contact with the fluid in the blisters of the rash, so keeping the area clean, covered and away from surfaces or objects others might touch is an important way to keep from spreading the virus to others. It's important to be aware that young children can catch chicken pox if exposed to someone with herpes zoster virus due to shingles.
Stop by to read about ways to reduce rash symptoms, Shingles Vaccine and Common Viral Rashes.