by Have you ever heard about shingles? If you don’t know what that is, you’re a happy person! It’s the same disease known as herpes zoster, caused by the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox. It’s an uncomfortable disease with aggressive symptoms like rash, blisters, and itchy patches on the skin. It’s usually localized in a single body area, but face occurrence is the most common.
You can use topical shingles treatment cream or other similar treatments to ease the symptoms. Since it’s a virus, you can wait until it calms down and deal with the symptoms in the meantime.
Causes and Symptoms of Shingles
As mentioned, shingles is a viral infection that causes painful skin lesions. It usually appears if you have had chickenpox, high temperature, or have been under huge stress recently. The virus may live in the body for years and reactivate as shingles, i.e., herpes zoster.
The virus may live in our body, including the nerve cells, for decades. Sometimes, it appears like shingles when the person is over 50, even though they had chickenpox when young. The virus stays inactive and may suddenly become active due to the following reasons:
- Weakened immune system
- A disease that highly affects the immunity
- Medications and medical treatments
- Stress and PTSD
- Medical conditions like cancer that attack the immune cells
As a result, some of these symptoms may appear:
- Pain on one side of your face
- Burning feeling on the spot where the lesions later appear
- Red rash before the blisters appear
- Skin breaks with fluid-filled blisters
- Intense headache
- Fever and fatigue
- Aggressive itching
People don’t usually connect the dots easily, and they’re surprised when the blisters appear. Before that, they may think the symptoms are related to their mood, sun exposure, or allergens. When the blisters appear, it’s often clear what’s happening.
The symptoms mentioned are the most common. The less common can be:
- Eye problems if the rash appears around the eyes
- Hearing issues if the rash is close to the ear
- Facial paralysis (not very common)
- Balance problems
- Pneumonia or other kinds of lung infection
When The Shingles Usually Appear?
As we listed plenty of causes and symptoms, one is very common. Those who have the virus in their body can often deal with herpes zoster after high body temperature with the common cold.
The burning people feel, is mistakenly considered a high body temperature because nothing prepares you for shingles. But when the first lesions appear on the skin, then it’s more than clear what’s happening.
How to Treat Shingles?
In this section, we’ll mention a few ways to make the whole shingles thing more comfortable for you. From medication to pain relief, here’s what you can do:
- Cold Compresses – Applying a cooling treatment to the blisters may not directly cure them but will ease the feeling of itching and burning
- Antiviral Medication – The virus has its lifespan, but the antiviral medication will ease the symptoms (note that a doctor must prescribe this type of medication)
- Pain Relievers – OTC pain relievers may ease the pain and make you feel more comfortable
- Loose Clothes – If the blisters appear on your body, ensure you wear loose-fitting clothes from breathable materials
Additionally, we suggest not to scratch the scar, as it may get worse. Clean the rash regularly according to the doctor’s recommendations and pat it dry before applying any topical treatment.
Be careful! If the initial rash appears around your eyes, you must see a doctor immediately. In the meantime – never scratch the area as it’s very sensitive and you can spread the infection to the eyes.
Is There a Way to Prevent Shingles?
There are quite a few ways to prevent shingles later in life, and they’re all related to vaccines.
Varicella vaccine is a regular part of many vaccination plans worldwide. It’s applied to babies, to prevent life-threatening conditions later in their life. Some vaccines are recommended for people over the age of 50, who had chickenpox or shingles condition before.
At this point, it is important to note that there are two types of vaccines used to prevent shingles in different stages of life. The chickenpox vaccine is used to prevent chickenpox, while the shingles vaccine is for those who have already had chickenpox at some point.
The name of the shingles vaccine is Shingrix, and also Zostavax is used. The protection is pretty high, with an average of about 90%. So, if you had chickenpox when young, and you’re close to the age of 50, you may consider getting vaccinated.
What May Happen if Not Treated Properly?
While shingles mostly won’t cause complications, there are risks for several conditions like:
- Postherpetic neuralgia, i.e., the burning feeling even after the healing
- Bacterial skin infections such as shingles and blisters are open wounds
- Vision problems if the blisters are around the eyes
- Neurological problems like meningitis or encephalitis (very rarely)
- Serious body infections and weakened immune system
It’s crucial to recognize the symptoms and treat the shingles early. That way, you lower the risk for complications.
Final Words
Let’s summarize everything we said in this article. While it’s unfortunate to have to deal with such a condition, it’s important to know that shingles are treatable, and the symptoms won’t last long if treated on time.
Vaccination is an important chain in disease prevention. Surely, it may not be 100% prevented, but it will make the symptoms easy to deal with. But if you feel a burning sensation on your face with no explanation at all, maybe it’s shingles, i.e., herpes zoster blisters. Note that it may appear anywhere on your body.
With a doctor’s recommendations and appropriate treatment, there is no risk of scars or skin irritation later. Follow the instructions from this article, but always talk to your doctor first before using any treatment available. Be responsible for your health because even the tiniest health issues may leave huge problems if not treated properly and in a timely manner.
