Shingles
Symptoms:- Hearing issues
- Balance problems
- Paralysis or weakness in the facial muscles near affected ear
- Blurry vision
- Eye infection
- Redness in the affected eye or upper lid
- Puffiness
- Pain or pressure inside the eye
Shingles in nose symptoms, causes and treatments
As mentioned earlier, the trigeminal nerve serves the dorsum of the nose among other facial regions. If shingles in nose symptoms are to occur, they will present on the orifice of the nose.
It is not common for shingles to show up on the nasal region only. One of the common variations is a shingles infection in the eye and nose. This is referred to as Hutchinson’s sign. In this case, the herpes zoster virus affects a nerve that serves the inside of eye, thus causing symptoms such as swelling, changes in vision and blindness. The symptoms may be accompanied by a shingles rash on the end of the nose.
Another likely scenario is the shingles rash appearing around mouth, ear, nose and neck. This is referred to as Ramsay Hunt sign. Symptoms may include facial muscles paralysis, loss of hearing, pain inside the ear and dizziness.
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Note that a shingles rash only occurs on one side of the body. For example, you can have the rash on the right ear or the left ear, but not both. It all comes down to the fact that shingles only affects the areas supplied by a particular nerve fiber. This can be seen in shingles on nose pictures. In people with serious immune complications, cases of disseminated shingles may occur. This is where signs occur in more than one dermatome.
People suffering from illnesses such as HIV or those receiving treatment for cancer can develop serious complications of shingles. These include chronic headaches, unconsciousness, inflammation in brain or spinal cord, pneumonia and difficulty breathing. Cases of shingles on nose should therefore be reported to a doctor in such cases.
Treatment:
Antiviral drugs are usually given as primary treatments. Other options include:
- Pain relievers
- Antidepressants
- Analgesics
- Anticonvulsants
- Corticosteroids
- Topical creams
- Home remedies
Shingles on scalp symptoms, causes and treatment
It is very likely that shingles on scalp symptoms will also involve the forehead or one eye. This is because the sensory nerve that serves the scalp also serves the forehead and upper eyelid.
First symptoms are usually similar to those of common cold or flu. They include fatigue, fever, headache and nausea. After a day or two, there will be pain, tingling, itching or burning effect on affected areas. Shingles rash and blisters may appear 2-3 days after. Some patients experience pain without a rash.
Shingles blisters on scalp cause permanent damage to hair follicles. This leads to bald patches on affected areas. See shingles on scalp pictures. Only in rare cases will inflammation in the brain result from shingles on scalp.
Treatment:
Treatment can be done in the following ways:
- Use of antiviral drugs like acyclovir. Antiviral drugs work best when started within 72 hours of first symptoms. They don’t cure shingles but succeed in making the outbreaks shorter.
- Use of cool compresses to relieve itching and pain. To use a cool compress, soak a piece of cloth in cool water, wring it out and hold it against the affected areas for 20 minutes.
- Applying topical products. Topical products indicated for shingles treatment work in a variety of ways. For example, they may contain antihistamines which help relieve itchiness. They can also be carrying corticosteroids, popular treatments for inflammation and itchiness. Some creams contain capsaicin, a product known to treat shingles nerve pain.
- Applying calamine lotion to relieve itching.
- If shingles is causing prolonged pain that outlasts all other symptoms, medical attention should be sought. In that case, antidepressants and other such medications will be used to manage the pain.
Vaccines for shingles on forehead, scalp and nose
The first shingles vaccine was approved by FDA in 2006. Zostavax is a live vaccine given in one shot. It is indicated for people over the age of 50 years. The vaccine remains active for about 5 years. Currently, a booster is not yet approved. [RELATED] In 2017, Shingrix was also approved as a shingles vaccine. It is given in 2 shots and is a nonliving vaccine. The vaccine is estimated to be effective for more than 5 years. Like Zostavax, it is indicated for people over the age of 50 years. Shingrix can be given to people who already had Zostavax. Vaccines can help with recurring shingles but do not sure ongoing infection. It is advisable to talk with your doctor before taking either vaccine. For example, Zostavax is only effective for about 5 years. Shingles complications are most likely in people above the age of 60 years. [post_title] => Shingles Rash on Forehead, Scalp and Nose: Symptoms, Treatment and Pictures [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => shingles-rash-on-forehead-scalp-and-nose-symptoms-treatment-and-pictures [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 19:41:48 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 19:41:48 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5900 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5902 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-08 13:50:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-08 13:50:08 [post_content] => Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus responsible for chicken pox in children and young adults. Only people who have ever been diagnosed with chicken pox can get shingles. Normally, shingles occurs years or even decades after a chicken pox infection. At first, the symptoms of shingles aren’t always obvious. They mimic those of the common cold or the flu. This is on top of the fact that many infections cause flu-like symptoms at first. We are used to shingles occurring on places like the face, trunk and lower back. Apparently, the condition can also show up in the mouth, throat or lips. The problem is that several other conditions are also common in these areas and may present with signs and symptoms almost identical to those of shingles.Can you get shingles in your mouth, throat or lips?
Where does shingles show up? Can you get shingles in your mouth or throat? Can you get shingles if you never had chicken pox? First, shingles can occur on any part of the body. It is also very possible to have shingles in the mouth, throat and lips. If you never had chicken pox as a child or as an adult, you cannot get shingles. The problem is that many people don’t remember having had the infection although they did have it as kids. Pregnant women should go for tests if they are not certain since chicken pox during pregnancy can be serious. [RELATED] To understand how this is so, it is important that the process by which shingles occurs be briefly described. Shingles basically starts with a chicken pox infection. A good number of people contract varicella-virus during their childhood years. After first contact with the virus, chicken pox occurs. This virus is transmitted when healthy individuals breathe in contaminated air after a patient coughs or sneezes. Normally, the chicken pox virus remains in incubation for 10-21 days after which it presents with a widespread rash, blisters and flu-like symptoms. The symptoms linger for several weeks before disappearing. After recovery, the varicella virus doesn’t leave the body entirely. Some of it hides in nerve fibers where it remains in latency for years or decades. Immune cells help keep the virus from causing any signs of infection. When the immune system is compromised such as during cancer treatment, HIV infection or during prolonged emotional stress, the latent virus can become reactivated. If that happens, symptoms of shingles occur. The main difference between chicken pox and shingles is that shingles only affects localized body regions. Cases of disseminated shingles are not common. Since herpes zoster virus remains in individual nerves that supply different dermatomes, symptoms are only noticeable on the affected dermatomes. If the nerve fibers that innervate the mouth, throat or lips are affected, shingles symptoms will appear on these areas.Shingles in mouth symptoms and pictures
The mouth is innervated by several branch terminals of nerves. The trigeminal nerve is the largest supplier, however. This nerve branches into three terminals which innervate different facial regions.
Shingles in mouth symptoms are not always obvious. On other body areas such as trunk, shingles rash is identified from its tendency to form a band-like appearance and only affect one side of body. In short, the rash doesn’t cross the body’s midline. Check out shingles in mouth pictures.
Before the shingles rash appears, most patients experience fatigue, headache and nausea. Fever may be present, but mildly. A day or two after, there will be stabbing, pain, tingling, burning or itching on affected areas. Blisters and rash will appear 2-3 days after. These blisters usually rupture, ooze and crust over for the next 1-2 weeks.
If it is shingles, signs will most likely appear on the tongue and palate. The cheeks too may be involved. Remember that only one side of the mouth will be affected. To get this idea of only one side of the body being involved, see pictures of shingles rash on chest.
Shingles in mouth treatment
Before treatment, diagnosis may be necessary to rule out other infections such as cold sores. Allergic reactions can also be responsible for mouth pain and sores. Treatment is mainly done with antiviral drugs. These drugs do not cure shingles. What they do is shorten the recovery period and prevent more severe symptoms. [RELATED] When treatment is started early, the drugs have very little impact on the recovery time. Patients are advised to seek medical attention within 72 hours of first symptoms. Medications such as antidepressants and pain relievers may be considered for treatment for shingles nerve pain.Shingles in mouth and throat pictures, symptoms and treatment
Shingles around mouth or in mouth is not common. An even more uncommon case is shingles in the throat. Rarity, however, doesn’t mean impossibility.
Internal shingles pain may accompany signs of the disease on the throat. Internal shingles is more common in people with serious immune issues. If not treated, complications such as pneumonia, confusion, inflammation in the brain and headaches can result.
It is not easy to tell whether pain, rash or blisters on throat are being caused by shingles. The best approach is to go for medical diagnosis. Your doctor may be able to identify shingles from its symptoms. If not, a scraping of the blisters will be taken for examination under a microscope. Shingles in mouth and throat pictures may help with self-diagnosis.
Patients have the best chance of getting the most benefits from antiviral drugs if treatment is started early. Otherwise, the drugs will have very little effect.
Can shingles cause breast cancer? There are no reports linking shingles with breast cancer. However, the two diseases can occur in the same time frame, due to weakened immunity.
Shingles on lips causes and symptoms
Weakened immunity and stress are the most likely shingles on lips causes. Regardless, the herpes zoster virus is responsible for the infection.
Cold sores are more common on the lips than shingles is. As it happens, these two diseases are caused by viruses in the herpes family. They however are different and present with different symptoms, although they can be confused with each other.
What are cold sores?
Cold sores are not caused by cold, as the name may suggest. They are viral infections caused by herpes simplex virus. Like herpes zoster virus, HSV has the ability to remain dormant in the body until triggered. Common triggers include trauma, stress, menstrual periods and weakened immunity. First cold sores outbreaks are most severe. Unlike shingles, cold sores often recur and can affect even children.
Cold sores can appear anywhere on the body but mostly appear around mouth and outside surface of lips. They present as blisters which may break, ooze before scabbing or forming yellow crusts. The sores last for 7-10 days. Once they have scabbed over, patients become noncontagious.
What is shingles?
Shingles is the result of a reactivated chicken pox virus. You can tell cold sores from a shingles rash and blisters by examining the extent of symptoms. Cold sores occur on both sides of the body without discrimination. This is not the case with shingles.
Treatment:
Shingles on lips outbreak is best treated with antiviral drugs. Your doctor will prescribe the drugs after diagnosis. Can you use calamine lotion for shingles? Calamine lotion works by relieving itchiness. The problem with topical products the likes of calamine lotion is that they can cause harm if accidentally swallowed. In fact, there other many products such as shingles treatment cream that may help with shingles but can cause harm when used around or in the mouth.
Vaccines for shingles in mouth and lips
While no one finds a shingles outbreak easy to deal with, it can be doubly traumatic to deal with shingles in the mouth or lips. [RELATED] Can a shingles vaccine help? Currently, there are two vaccines that have been approved for shingles. These are Zostavax and Shingrix. Recommended shingles vaccine age for both is 60 years and above. Shingrix is thought to be more effective than Zostavax. Vaccines do not cure diseases and not given during an ongoing outbreak. What they do is prepare the body for a potential attack by the disease being vaccinated against. For example, the shingles vaccine tells immune cells what herpes zoster virus looks like and how it causes infection. With that information, immune cells are able to produce antibodies to fight the virus should it become reactivated. This means that shingles on the lips and mouth or throat can be prevented with vaccines. It is always advisable to talk with your doctor before taking any vaccine, or any medication for that matter. [post_title] => Shingles in Mouth, Throat and Lips: Symptoms, Treatment and Pictures [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => shingles-in-mouth-throat-and-lips-symptoms-treatment-and-pictures [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 19:34:02 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 19:34:02 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5902 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5904 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-08 13:49:54 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-08 13:49:54 [post_content] => It is estimated that 1 in 3 persons will get shingles in their lifetimes. But this is only possible in people who have previously developed chicken pox, since both diseases are caused by the same virus. Outbreaks usually last for 2-4 weeks. About 30% of all cases will end up in post-herpetic neuralgia. This is a complication of shingles that causes prolonged pain which may persist for months or even years. Patients are advised to seek medical treatment within 72 hours of the appearance of first symptoms. Otherwise, antiviral drugs will have little or no impact. The good thing is that treatment can also be done at home. Primarily, home treatment is not aimed at curing the disease but improving its symptoms. In this article, you will learn how shingles starts, how it spreads, its causes and how to keep it from spreading.How does shingles start; beginning stages
The first time a person comes into contact with the varicella-zoster virus, they develop chicken pox. The chicken pox virus stays in incubation for 10-21 days after contamination. Even before the rash appears, patients remain contagious up until the blisters crust over. Most patients recover after several weeks, often without complications. The chicken pox vaccine helps avoid complications. Although it is termed as "recovering" from chicken pox, varicella-zoster virus is not completely flushed out of the body. Some of it hides in nerve fibers that innervate different dermatomes. There, the virus remains in latency for years until reactivated. [RELATED] Any factor that may cause immunodeficiency can trigger the herpes zoster virus to activation. When that happens, shingles occurs. The reason why people get shingles rather than chicken pox as the secondary infection is because our bodies become immunized. When herpes zoster virus is reactivated, it replicates and moves from the nerve fibers towards the skin. Replication means more viral proteins which in turn results in flu-like symptoms like fever, fatigue and headache. As the virus travels towards the skin through affected nerves, patients feel pain, itchiness, tingling, stabbing or burning effect on affected areas. Itching and pain may persist and in fact worsen with time. This is commonly seen in shingles affecting ear.
After 2-3 days of these beginning symptoms, typical signs of shingles appear. These are a painful rash and blisters. Affected areas start by becoming red, tender and inflamed. Tiny lesions that begin as spots then form on these areas. See shingles pictures early stages. The lesions may keep appearing for the next several days. Soon, these lesions become fluid-filled blisters which may break open and ooze. Afterwards, crusting over will occur for the next several days or weeks.
It is advisable that your doctor be the one to suggest the best shingles back pain treatment or for any other potential complication. This is because shingles pain is a neurological disorder which probably won’t improve on its own any time soon.
Does stress cause shingles signs
You may have come across stress listed as a potential shingles trigger. So does stress cause shingles?Technically, stress doesn’t cause shingles. What it does is initiate an array of activities that may ultimately depress the immune system. Weakened immunity means higher risk of infections like shingles. Nerves pick distress signals from different parts of the body. In response, the brain initiates release of certain hormones meant to address the issue. Examples of such hormones include cortisol and adrenaline. While these hormones are important in their own ways, their abundance ultimately weakens the immune system. Prolonged emotional stress can also trigger shingles. For example, it has been noted that people with stress-induced shingles are more likely to have engaged in poor habits common in people with emotional stress. Such habits include smoking, abusing drugs and giving up on healthy meal plans. In one way or another, such habits are very likely to weaken the immune system over time.
Stress can also be caused by prolonged or severe pain. Prolonged pain leaves patients depressed, which will in turn result in the hike of certain hormones. With time, the hormones will have a negative impact on the immune responses.
We also know that stress is associated with diseases like high blood pressure, obesity, heart diseases, diabetes and more. One common thing with all these diseases is that they negatively impact the victim’s immunity.
Even though stress doesn’t actually cause shingles, it is very much a potential trigger.
How does shingles spread?
A main unique thing about shingles is that its signs only occur on one side of the body and on localized areas. Cases of disseminated shingles are not entirely impossible but only occur in people with serious immune issues. Sometimes, shingles occurs on multiple dermatomes. So how does shingles spread? During the years of latency, herpes zoster virus makes only a couple of viral proteins not enough to cause any problems. After activation, more viral proteins are made. The new viruses take advantage of nerve fibers to reach the skin. This means that signs will appear on every part of the body supplied by the affected nerve. Shingles on neck pictures can help illustrate this point very well. [RELATED] Shingles is not contagious. This means that healthy people cannot get the infection from patients. However, herpes zoster virus can be transmitted. If a healthy person comes into direct contact with shingles blisters or the fluid that oozes from them, they can catch the virus. If it happens that the healthy individual has never come into contact with the virus, they will develop chicken pox. The following groups of people are at the highest risk of catching the shingles virus:- Immunocompromised persons – having infections or diseases like HIV and leukemia suppresses one’s immunity. Some medications and therapies such as cancer treatments also weaken the immune system.
- Unvaccinated individuals – people who have never received a chicken pox vaccine can easily catch the varicella-zoster virus. This is especially if they are around a chicken pox patient. About 90% of healthy individuals who become exposed to the chicken pox virus for the first time develop the disease.
- Pregnant women – can shingles during pregnancy affect baby? Shingles is not considered dangerous to pregnant women or their unborn babies but chicken pox is. For this reason, tests to check for chicken pox antibodies should be performed if planning to become pregnant and not certain if you have ever been diagnosed with the disease or vaccinated against it. For infants, direct contact should be avoided if a shingles outbreak occurs several days before or after delivery.
- Aged people – complications of shingles are most likely in people over the age of 60 years. It all comes back to the fact mentioned earlier that weakened immunity makes shingles worse.
How to keep shingles from spreading on your body
Anyone who has ever had chicken pox cannot escape the risk of getting shingles. Let’s look at how to keep shingles from spreading on your body.- Avoid direct contact – as long as shingles blisters have not completely crusted over, the herpes zoster virus can be transmitted during direct contact.
- Cover the rash – since shingles rash affects small body areas, it is practical to keep the rash covered. In this case, caution should be taken not to aggravate pain or irritation by using tight non-cotton dressings or clothing. You can seek help from your doctor in the case of shingles rash on face.
- Maintain hand hygiene – it is very likely that you will be tempted to touch or scratch a shingles rash. To avoid passing on virus particles that may be picked up when touching, ensure to wash your hands regularly.
- Seek treatment – treatment is not only meant at providing shingles nerve pain relief but also at reducing risk of spread.
What causes shingles in toddlers and children?
Shingles can be mistaken for a skin infection. In reality, it is a disease of the nervous symptom. When people recover from chicken pox, varicella-zoster virus doesn’t entirely get flushed out of the body. Some of it hides in nerve fibers that serve different dermatomes. There, the virus stays dormant until reactivated. Chicken pox induces a form of resistance in the body during a primary outbreak. Reactivated chicken pox virus therefore causes localized signs, particularly on skin areas innervated by affected nerve. Shingles in multiple dermatomes is possible but fairly rare. This can be seen in shingles in toddlers pictures. [RELATED] What are the risk factors of shingles in toddlers? Previous chicken pox outbreak: Not everyone who has had chicken pox will develop shingles. However, a previous positive diagnosis makes it more likely that the disease will occur.
Weakened immunity:
It is not fully understood how the herpes zoster virus manages to remain in the body in a latent state for years or even decades. Experts speculate that the presence of healthy immune cells keeps the virus from causing infection. When certain factors which may weaken the immune system are present, chances of shingles outbreaks are higher.
Premature babies:
Premature babies are prone to many infections and diseases. But you are not likely going to see a case of shingles in a toddler, even under these circumstances. At first contact with varicella-zoster virus, a baby will develop chicken pox. Shingles may come afterwards.
Babies born to infected mothers:
Babies born to mothers who have chicken pox during pregnancy or when breastfeeding can contract varicella-zoster virus. While shingles is not considered dangerous to pregnant mothers or unborn children, chicken pox is.
Is shingles contagious to toddlers?
You may have heard that chicken pox is one of the most contagious diseases. About 90% of healthy people who come into contact with the causative virus for the first time become sick. Most cases of chicken pox are reported in children and young adults. So is shingles contagious to toddlers? Shingles is not contagious. It doesn’t pass from person to person. However, the herpes zoster virus is contagious. It passes to other people during direct contact with shingles blisters or the fluid that oozes from the blisters. If a mother has had chicken pox or has received the chicken pox vaccine, their babies are born with chicken pox antibodies. The antibodies keep them protected for about 6 months. But since the immune systems of toddlers have not been exposed to different types of infections, it is much easier for the herpes zoster virus to be passed to them. Mothers with a shingles outbreak a week before or after delivery should avoid direct contact with their babies. [RELATED] A family member with shingles can also pass the herpes zoster virus to a toddler. Shingles patients are contagious when blisters are yet to completely crust over. Crusting over can take several days or weeks. During that period, direct contact should be avoided. Can I get shingles on my fingers? Shingles mostly occurs on the face, trunk and lower back. It can however affect any part of the body. The important thing to remember is that both sides of the body won’t be affected at the same time. See pictures of shingles on face or chest for illustrations.Can children get shingles rash?
About 75% of all shingles patients are over the age of 45. This is mainly because our immune systems weaken as we get older. But can children get shingles?
Children too can get shingles. In fact, about 5% of cases occur in children and young adults yet to reach 15 years of age. So how do you know if it is shingles?
Self-diagnosis can be done by looking for typical symptoms of shingles or comparing with shingles in children photos. Before a rash and blisters appear, patients often develop flu-like symptoms. These include fatigue, fever, nausea and headache. Fever may not be present but fatigue is usually the most predominant of the early symptoms of shingles. A day or two after, there will be tingling, burning, stinging, itching and pain in the affected areas. These are caused by the movement of the herpes zoster virus from nerve fibers towards the skin. Rash and blisters appear 2-3 days after the first symptoms. Blisters begin as spots which soon develop into lesions and later into blisters. The blisters may break open and ooze before crusting over for the next several days.
The defining characteristic of shingles rash is a band-like appearance. If the rash or blisters have crossed body’s middle line, start with ruling out shingles. There are quite a number of skin conditions that can occur in children and may be mistaken for shingles.
Diagnosis and treatment for shingles in children
Doctors are often able to recognize shingles from its symptoms. To confirm diagnosis, a scraping of the blisters may be taken for examination under a microscope in the lab. Blood tests can also be taken to check for viral proteins.
Treatment is primarily done with antiviral drugs. For best results, the drugs should be started within 72 hours after first symptoms. Like other viral infections, shingles is not curable even with antiviral drugs. The medications work by shortening recovery period, improving shingles symptoms and preventing complications of shingles.
Over the counter medicine to treat shingles pain such as ibuprofen can prove helpful. Ibuprofen should not be given to babies younger than 6 months unless instructed by a doctor. Use of aspirin in children can lead to a complication called Reye Syndrome. For this reason, parents are advised not to give aspirin to their children.
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If pain outlasts other signs and symptoms of shingles, a condition known as post-herpetic neuralgia may have occurred. It is a complication of shingles that causes prolonged pain that can last for months or years. Medical attention is necessary in that case. Doctors prescribed medications such as antidepressants, analgesics and anticonvulsants for post-herpetic neuralgia.
Care measures for shingles in children
Shingles is not a serious disease but can be very discomforting and painful. The good thing is that outbreaks rarely persist for more than 4 weeks. In that time, the following self-care measures may help:- Keep affected areas covered with a loose, preferably cotton dressing. Avoid tight clothes as they can aggravate pain and induce skin irritation.
- Discourage your child from touching or scratching the affected areas. Scratching may not only spread the virus but also encourage scarring. If left alone, shingles blisters will crust over and fall off on their own, leaving no scars.
- Use a cool compress on a daily basis to relieve itchiness and reduce pain. The cool compress may also help prevent bacterial infections from occurring.
- Apply calamine lotion to help dry out blisters and encourage faster recovery. Dry blisters also minimize chances of spread.
- Try adding baking soda or colloidal oatmeal to bath water and letting your child soak in the water for 15 minutes. Use cool water for warm water may aggravate pain. Baths are more practical when dealing with shingles on buttocks and lower back or shingles leg pain.
- Apply capsaicin ointments as treatment for shingles nerve pain. If the ointment is not available, use essential oils as an alternative. Petroleum jelly may also help. Other home remedies for shingles include apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, aloe vera and neem.
When to see a doctor
Even without medical attention, a good number of shingles patients are able to recover. See your doctor if the following occurs in your child:- High fever
- Pus formation
- Red streaking
- Warmth, tenderness and redness in affected areas
- Confusion
- Severe headaches
- Rash, ulceration or swelling inside eyes
Can you get shingles under your breast?
Different nerves serve the areas just above the breast, on the breast and just below the breast. Shingles virus can affect any of these nerves. So can you get shingles under your breast? The short answer to this is yes, you can. What is shingles virus anyway? Also referred to as herpes zoster virus or varicella-zoster virus, it is a virus in the herpes family. The virus is also responsible for chicken pox. Like other herpes viruses, it has the ability to remain in the body without causing signs of infection or being detected by immune cells. [RELATED] The chest, lower back and face are the most commonly affected areas. One unique thing about shingles is that it mostly affects only one dermatome and only one side of the body. For example, shingles rash on breast may not extend to below or above the breast. The same applies to a rash above or below the breast. Also, a rash on the left breast will not affect the right one and vice versa. Since specific dermatomes are supplied by nerve terminals branching from the spinal cord, shingles rash tends to occur in a stripe or band-like appearance. This can be seen more clearly in shingles pictures on back.Shingles on breast symptoms
There is no major difference between shingles on breast symptoms and any other body part. Patients can however mistake other causes of breast rash with shingles.
First signs of shingles are flu-like symptoms. These include fever, fatigue, nausea and headache. Fever may not be present but fatigue is almost guaranteed. A day or two after, pain which may be accompanied by tingling, burning, stinging or itching develops. Some patients describe the pain as excruciating. In fact, it can mimic early warnings of chest pain or heart attack.
Blisters and rash appear 2-3 days after first symptoms. The blisters begin as tiny spots which quickly become lesions and later develop into blisters. Within a few days, the blisters may rupture and ooze before crusting over. Complete crusting over can take up to 2 weeks. It is when shingles blisters are open or oozing that shingles virus is most contagious. How long does shingles rash last? Normally, the rash lasts for 2-4 weeks.
Can shingles cause breast cancer?
The possibility of a positive cancer diagnosis is something everyone is afraid of. The good thing is that cancer is treatable if identified early. So can shingles cause breast cancer? Technically, shingles does not cause breast cancer. It also does not increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Patients receiving breast cancer treatment may be at higher risk of developing shingles however. Some cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy often compromise the immune system. This may open an opportunity for shingles virus to become active. [RELATED] People with severe or recurring shingles may be at higher risk of getting breast cancer. This is because severe shingles symptoms are signs that something is very wrong with the immune system. Although cancer cells start as normal cells that have gone out of control, a healthy immune system may be able to recognize and destroy them before they can form tumors. Breast cancer often starts with a painless and hard lump inside the breast. With time, the tumor will gradually gain mass and may become painful. Other signs of breast cancer include changes in the nipple, dimpling of the breast, nipple retraction, discharge and pain in the breast.Diseases similar to shingles rash on breast
The funny thing is that a rash or pain on the breast is likely not going to be resulting from either cancer or shingles. Medical diagnosis is always important to confirm diagnosis however. Below are other disease and conditions that may present with symptoms similar to those of shingles on breast.
Mastitis:
This is a bacterial infection that starts in the milk ducts, mostly due to clogging or blocking in the ducts. Trapped milk provides the nutrients required for bacteria to grow. Signs and symptoms include:
- Hard, painful swollen lump
- Redness
- Warmth
- Fever
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Green discharge from the nipple
- Redness
- Pain
Diagnosis and treatment for shingles on breast
If an unexplained rash appears on your breast, have it checked by your doctor. Most causes of rash on breast require some medical attention. Shingles is often identifiable from its signs and symptoms. Your doctor may require your medical history and timeline of symptoms. To confirm diagnosis, a scarping of the blisters may be taken to the lab.
Treatment is primarily done with antiviral medications. For best results, treatment should be started within 72 hours of first symptoms. Otherwise, the drugs will have little or no impact.
Your doctor may also prescribe pain relievers. If not, you can buy them over the counter. Ibuprofen is a good example.
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Sometimes, shingles pain outlasts all other symptoms and persists for months or years. This condition is known as post-herpetic neuralgia. It occurs is about 30% of all shingles patients. Doctors use medications like antidepressants, anticonvulsants and analgesics to treat post-herpetic neuralgia.
At home, you can try the following:
- Use a cool compress to reduce pain and relieve itching.
- Apply calamine lotion to keep blisters dry and thus promote quick healing. The lotion may also help relieve itchy symptoms.
- Use capsaicin ointment to reduce shingles nerve pain. In fact, you can make a home remedy with red pepper extract and water for similar benefits.
- Apply essential oils to soothe irritation, restore skin integrity and prevent bacterial infections. Essential oils may also reduce pain and act as shingles scars treatment.
- Keep shingles rash covered to prevent spread to other people. In this regard, avoid tight dressing, as it can aggravate pain. There is more to be learnt on how to keep shingles from spreading on your body, especially when toddlers, immunocompromised individuals or older people are involved.
Is there a cure for shingles?
Viral infections are usually very hard to treat. This is because the infectious viral DNA usually becomes a part of the host’s DNA in a complex process involving a number of body chemicals. So is there a cure for shingles? [RELATED] Currently, there is no drug that can be given to flush herpes zoster completely out of the body. Below is a list of commonly prescribed medicines for shingles:- Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir. They don’t cure shingles but may shorten the recovery period and prevent severe shingles symptoms.
- Pain killers such as opioids to relieve severe shingles pain.
- Corticosteroids which may be prescribed or purchased over the counter. They excel in reducing inflammation and may reduce pain. Corticosteroids are often used for shingles in ear treatment.
- Tricyclic antidepressants such as nortriptyline. They are considered when dealing with post-herpetic neuralgia.
- Antihistamines to relieve itchiness resulting from shingles rash.
- Analgesics like lidocaine to deal with the pain.
- Anticonvulsants to normalize nerve signals that may be causing nerve pain from shingles years later.
Natural cures for shingles
The right natural cure for shingles for you can be of more help than prescribed drugs. This is in regards to improving shingles symptoms and only when dealing with mild shingles rash. Below is a list of natural remedies for shingles that you can give a shot.
Cool compress:
This is a very popular treatment option. Just soak a piece of cloth in cool water, wring it out and compress it on the rash for 15 minutes. It reduces pain and relieves itchiness.
Cornstarch or colloidal oatmeal:
Add 2 cups of cornstarch or colloidal oatmeal in lukewarm bathwater. Wait for the water to cool before taking your bath. Preferably, soak in it for several minutes. Rinse with fresh water and pat dry or leave to air dry. It reduces itchiness and prevents skin irritation.
Essential oils:
Essential oils keep the skin hydrated and may also help reduce pain. Other than that, essential oils prevent bacterial from causing infection on affected areas. Before using an essential oil, remember to dilute with carrier oil. This is especially when treating symptoms of shingles on face.
Garlic:
Garlic can be applied directly or taken by mouth. For direct application, make a paste with garlic cloves. For oral administration, eat 3 raw garlic cloves or take it in form of supplements. When used with onions, the combination can help with shingles headache treatment.
Apple cider vinegar:
Apple cider vinegar has a number of properties that may help with shingles rash. It for one is an anti-inflammatory and antiviral. Other than that, direct application makes blisters dry out faster thus promoting recovery and relieving itchiness. Shingles pain relief apple cider vinegar treatment may also help.
[RELATED]
Honey:
You can use honey on shingles blisters if you want to keep them from becoming infected with bacteria. Honey has been used since the ancient times to promote healing of wounds and burns. To use it, apply a thin coat of raw honey on affected areas and leave to dry. It is a good option for shingles on fingers treatment.
Olive leaf extract:
Olive oil is among the essential oils that can help with shingles. Apparently, olive leaf extract cures shingles too. For the best benefits, purchase over the counter products made from olive leaf and take as instructed. The leaf extract is said to treat shingles pain in days.
Over the counter cures for shingles
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are popularly used as over the counter medications for shingles. They help relieve inflammation and pain. Patients are advised to take necessary precautions when using over the counter medications. This is especially in regards to making sure not to overdose. Don’t give aspirin to children under the age of 6 months. If you have kidney issues, blood pressure problems or stomach ulcers, don’t use aspirin.
Shingles nerve pain can be treated with capsaicin ointments. Capsaicin is a substance found in chili peppers. It is said to reduce inflammation and ease pain. The ointment is to be applied thrice a day although different brands may come with specific instructions.
After showers, you can use calamine lotion. The lotion keeps blisters dry, thus relieving itchiness and encouraging recovery. Dry blisters are less likely to develop bacterial infections.
Over the counter medications may not be as effective as prescription medicines but they are worth a try.
Homeopathic cure for shingles
If you are looking for a homeopathic cure for shingles, below are top options to consider:- Arsenicum album – Works best for shingles on lips, face and intercostal region. The rash is red, burning and worsens at night. It may cause depression, anxiety and mental restlessness.
- Iris versicolor –Works best for shingles under both armpits or either armpit. Also on right side of lower back and when symptoms include stomach issues like nausea.
- Graphites –Best for rash on joints, skin folds and on the groin. Helps with symptoms of herpes zoster in obese women and those nearing menopause. Helpful for blisters oozing watery fluid.
- Apis –Works best for stabbing shingles pain and when pain worsens with warmth but eases with cold. Also works for rash that is itchy, pink and swollen.
Diets and supplements for shingles treatment
Diets and supplements make excellent choices for natural shingles treatment. It is known that weakened immunity is the biggest risk factor for shingles. Including healthy foods in your diet can therefore succeed in curing a current or looming shingles outbreak.
Water:
Body cells are largely made up of water. This means that without enough of the liquid in the body, many systems will be performing inefficiently. Even when not dealing with a shingles outbreak, keep up with the recommended volume of water per day.
Green leafy vegetables:
Everyone may be suggesting that you increase your daily intake of green leafy vegetables. It is not without a good reason. Just to mention a few, they contain beta-carotene, vitamins and calcium. All these boost the immune system in one way or another.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is popularly known as a preventive food for scurvy. While it prevents scurvy, the vitamin also keeps the immune system at its optimum level of efficiency. The vitamin is abundantly found in yellow fruits, mainly citrus fruits.
[RELATED]
Zinc:
Zinc is found in some foods but its richest source is supplements. The mineral aids in fighting illnesses. The recommended supplement measurement for zinc is 50mg to be taken daily.
Vitamin B12:
Vitamin B12 reduces the time it takes for wounds to heal. It may also reduce pain associated with shingles.
Lysine:
Lysine supplements are quite popular for natural shingles treatment. It is best that you get the right dosage information from your doctor.
Away from curative measures, consider getting a shingles vaccine to prevent recurrence or severe outbreaks. Currently, there are two shingles vaccines that have been approved by the FDA.
[post_title] => How to Cure Shingles in Three Days: Apple Cider Vinegar, Natural and Homeopathic Ways
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[post_content] => Shingles is a disease that is most common in people above age 50. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. A majority of people over age 40 have had chicken pox, mostly during childhood and young adult years.
People with weakened immune systems are most likely to develop shingles. About 75% of all cases occur in people above age 40. Complications of shingles are more likely after age 60. While there is no cure for this viral disease, patients are advised to seek treatment within 72 hours of first symptoms.
Normally, shingles causes a painful rash and blisters alongside other symptoms. When no rash is present, internal shingles is said to have occurred. This form of shingles is not very common and can be hard to diagnose, let alone treat.
What is internal shingles without rash?
Can shingles be internal? What do we mean by internal shingles without rash? When a person recovers from chicken pox, the causative virus doesn’t entirely leave the body. Some of it hides in nerve fibers that innervate particular dermatomes. The virus stays dormant but may later become active and cause shingles. [RELATED] Reactivated herpes zoster virus replicates and heads for the skin through nerve fibers. Once in the skin, the virus causes a rash and lesions which soon turn into blisters. The blisters take a couple of days to crust over and completely heal without scarring. The defining characteristic of shingles rash is a band-like appearance and affecting only one part of the body. This can be seen in pictures of shingles on chest. Can you get shingles under your breast? Commonly affected areas are the chest, face and lower back. Since every part of the skin is supplied by a particular sensory nerve, shingles can show up on anywhere including under the breast, armpits and buttocks. See also shingles on buttocks pictures and information on shingles symptoms armpit. Internal shingles without a rash don’t follow the normal process described above. In this case, signs and symptoms may only be present inside the mouth, inside the ear, in the eyes, muscles, nerves, brain or other organs.What are the symptoms of internal shingles?
We have seen that the only special thing about internal shingles is the absence of rash. Now, what are the symptoms of internal shingles? Typical symptoms may include:- Headache
- Body or muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Itchiness
- Numbness
- Back or spinal pain
- Blurry vision
- Swelling inside eye
- Vision problems
- Pain
This type of shingles is caused by the herpes zoster virus inside the ophthalmic nerve. This is the nerve that serves the forehead, scalp, upper eyelid, cornea and tip of the nose. Therefore, there may be symptoms such as pain, tingling and burning sensation in the mentioned areas. Medical attention is necessary to avoid permanent blindness.
When the ear is involved, it is referred to as Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. In this case, the nerve that serves facial areas near ear and around mouth is affected. Symptoms may include:
- Paralysis or weakness in facial muscles on one side
- Dizziness
- Pain inside ear
- Hearing problems
- Balance issues
- Pneumonia
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Unconsciousness
- Difficulty breathing
- Abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea
- Being sensitive to light
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Flu-like symptoms
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating due to inflammation in the brain or spinal cord
- Presence of ulcers or blisters inside mouth or on throat
- Pain which may be localized or more intense along certain areas such as spinal cord
What causes internal shingles nerve pain?
Anyone who has ever been diagnosed with chicken pox can get internal shingles. Regardless, there are some people who are more likely to develop the disease.
Anything that may compromise the immune system is a risk factor of internal shingles. Good examples are diseases like HIV, leukemia, diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
People who have recently undergone organ transplant surgeries also suffer from lower immunity. This is necessary to ensure that the body doesn’t reject the transplanted organ.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are popular cancer treatments. Along with cancer itself, they often weaken a patient’s immunity.
As we get older, our bodies are no longer able to perform tasks as efficiently as they used to. Ultimately, the immune system will be somewhat affected. This is why shingles is most common after age 60.
There are two theories that may explain what causes internal shingles pain. So far, we have seen that shingles is caused by a reactivated chicken pox or herpes zoster virus.
As the virus replicates and moves along nerve fibers to reach the skin, affected nerves can become damaged in the process. The damaged nerves may heal abnormally and end up sending unnecessary pain signals to the brain. As a result, nerve pain occurs and may persist even after the outbreak is over. It could also be that affected nerves get inflamed and keep sending pain signals to the brain. Either way, internal shingles pain is usually very distressing and a great source of discomfort.
How long does internal shingles last?
How long does it take for shingles to heal? What is the recovery period for internal shingles? How long does internal shingles last? Normally, shingles lasts for 2-4 weeks. Severe cases or not using medications can see outbreaks last for 5 weeks.
As for internal shingles, it is not easy to predict the recovery period. The problem with internal shingles is that one or more complications are usually involved. For example, we have seen that the disease is most common in people with serious immune issues. In that case, an outbreak can persist much longer than expected.
When post-herpetic neuralgia is involved, things become even more complicated. Post-herpetic neuralgia is a condition characterized by prolonged shingles pain that outlasts all other symptoms. The pain can last for months or even years.
Is it contagious?
Shingles is not contagious. It cannot be passed from person to person. So how does shingles spread? Herpes zoster virus can be passed to others during direct contact. Patients remain contagious until blisters have fully crusted over. Since the causative virus is contained in fluid from shingles blisters, coming into direct contact with the fluid can also transmit shingles.
Internal shingles treatment
Before treatment, diagnosis will be necessary. Doctors are sometimes able to recognize internal shingles from its symptoms. Patients will be required to provide their medical history details and timeline or nature of symptoms. Writing down some of these details may help during appointment. To confirm diagnosis, additional tests such as virus culture and antibody stain may be performed. [RELATED] Antiviral medications like acyclovir and valacyclovir are primarily used for internal shingles treatment. These drugs are most effective when started during shingles rash early stages. Otherwise, they are of little or no help. Other options include:- Opioids
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Analgesics
- Corticosteroids
- Anticonvulsants
Treatment can also be done at home with capsaicin ointments. These work by reducing internal shingles pain. Capsaicin is a substance found in chili peppers. In absence of ointments, a paste can be made at home for almost similar benefits.
You can also try anesthetics and topical analgesics. A good example is lidocaine cream. These work by reduce skin sensitivity so that even minor stimulations do not translate into pain. For better results, you can try mixing aspirin into the cream. Don’t give aspirin to children under the age of 6 months. If you have kidney issues, problems with your blood pressure or stomach ulcers, don’t take aspirin.
Some home remedies may succeed in reducing internal shingles pain to some extent. Apple cider vinegar for example is an anti-inflammatory. It can help reduce swelling inside affected nerve fibers. Tea tree oil can also be used for the same purpose. As for essential oils, the likes of lavender oil and frankincense oil are known to reduce pain and promote relaxation. Olive leaf extract is said to relieve shingles pain in days. The ingredient can be found in a number of products available over the counter.
If internal shingles is causing both pain and itchiness, a cool compress may help. To use a cool compress, soak a piece of cloth in cool water, wring it out and compress on the affected areas for 15 minutes. You can repeat the process as many times as you would like. The cool compress numbs the affected areas which in turn prevents excess pain and itchiness.
Vaccines and supplements for internal shingles
Shingles vaccine can help prevent internal shingles. Currently, you can choose from the two FDA approved vaccines. These are zostavax and shingrix. Zostavax is a live vaccine and is effective for about 5 years. Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine and may be effective for longer. Both are recommended for people above age 60. [RELATED] People who have never contracted chicken pox are urged to get chicken pox vaccine. Among other things, the vaccine can help prevent shingles and pregnancy birth defects. Healthy diets and supplements are aimed at keeping the immune system healthy. This may help prevent nerve pain from shingles years later. Examples include:- Water – water is very crucial for most body functions. Even when not dealing with a shingles outbreak, try keeping up with the recommended volume per day.
- Green leafy vegetables – these contain many important minerals and vitamins. They also reduce risk of obesity and diseases that may compromise immunity.
- Vitamin B12 – promotes quick recovery and may reduce nerve pain.
- Vitamin C – it promotes healthy immunity and aids in skin health.
- Zinc – zinc is an important mineral in regards to a healthy immune system.
- Lysine – lysine taken in supplements has been shown to reduce shingles nerve pain.
Can shingles affect more than one dermatome?
Is it possible to have shingles on multiple dermatomes? In most cases, shingles occurs on one dermatome. It is not uncommon for adjacent dermatome to also be affected. To understand why this is so, let’s look at how shingles occurs. A good number of people had chicken pox when growing up. After a person recovers from chicken pox, some varicella-zoster virus hides in nerve fibers that innervate certain dermatomes. The virus remains there until reactivated, in which case shingles occurs. [RELATED] A dermatome is an area of the skin supplied by nerves from a single spinal root. There are 31 pairs of peripheral nerves that arise from the spinal cord in humans. There are 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 sacral, 5 lumbar and 1 coccygeal. Each pair serves a particular part of the body.
If it happens that the herpes zoster virus affects a thoracic nerve, for example, you can have shingles on the breast symptoms, below the breast, and so on. But since the virus doesn’t affect both nerves serving the same areas on the two sides of the body, signs will only occur on one side. Sometimes, the herpes zoster virus can migrate to an adjacent nerve. This happens when a particular nerve divides into several branching terminals. A good example is the trigeminal nerve which branches into three terminals. But as mentioned earlier, shingles in multiple dermatomes is not common.
Most cases occur on the face, lower back and trunk. Any part of the body can however be affected. In people with serious immune issues, disseminated shingles can occur. This is where signs are not localized but occur in multiple areas. Such serious cases can result in fatal complications. Check out the history of shingles ICD 10 for more details.
Cervical shingles dermatome map; C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8
Understanding how cervical nerves are outlined can help with self-diagnosis for shingles. Below is a summary of cervical shingles dermatome map:- C1, C2 and C3 – these three cervical nerves serve the head and neck areas. Any case of shingles on head, neck or face is due to herpes zoster infection in one or several of these nerves. C1 doesn’t serve any dermatome, however.
- C4 – this nerve serves the neck and the areas above the rib cage. If shingles occurs on the neck, shoulders and chest, it most likely involves this nerve.
- C5 – the dermatome served by C5 covers the shoulders and arms to about where the wrist starts.
- C6 – dermatome covers side of the arm, side of hand where thumb is located and top of shoulders.
- C7 – dermatome covers back of arm, shoulder, and hand along middle finger. Shingles on fingers symptoms usually involve herpes zoster virus in C7 dermatome.
- C8 – dermatome covers the upper side of hand, arm, and shoulder on lower side.
- Ophthalmic nerve – innervates the skin on scalp, forehead, cornea, upper eyelid and tip of the nose. Collectively, these areas can be referred to as V1 dermatome. Herpes zoster virus often causes infection on this dermatome. This is why shingles symptoms eye are common.
- Maxillary nerve – this nerve innervates the V2 dermatome. V2 dermatome includes the nose, lower eyelid, conjunctiva, cheeks, upper lip and maxillary teeth.
- Mandibular nerve – this nerve serves V3 dermatome. This includes lower lip, tongue, outer ear and chin.
Thoracic shingles dermatome map; T1 –T12
Thoracic dermatomes are located on the upper torso. T1 dermatome covers the inner forearm while T2 covers upper arm on the inner side. T3 covers the dorsal part of middle back while T4 covers the area that levels with the nipples. T5 covers the area from under the breast to the end of the ribcage. T6 is a bit different for it covers the foot at the bottom side. T7 covers the area from where T6 dermatome ends at the navel while T8 dermatome starts where the rib cage ends to just level with the navel. T9 runs from just above the diaphragm to lower abdomen while T10 levels with the navel. T11 starts from just below the navel to groin region while T12 covers the middle of groin.Lumbar shingles dermatome map; L1-L5
There are 5 lumbar dermatomes which serve the lower body. L1 dermatome covers the groin and hip. L2 covers the thigh on the inside while L3 covers the knee. L4 covers the ankle area on the inside part while L5 covers the foot and first 3 toes on the bottom side.Sacral dermatome map shingles pattern; S1-S5
If shingles is to occur on sacral dermatomes, it would follow a pattern dictated by the following dermatomes: S1 covers the last two toes and also extends to the ankle bone. S2 covers the heel on the outer side. S3, S4 and S5 cover the genital areas, including the buttocks and perianal areas. [RELATED] The last spinal nerve or coccygeal nerve serves the dermatome at level of the coccyx. On pictures, you will realize that dermatomes are shaped like long bands or stripes. If one of them is to be affected by shingles, a rash will appear along the affected dermatome. This is one of the defining characteristics of a shingles rash.Symptoms and treatment of shingles on different dermatomes
Symptoms:
A shingles outbreak begins with flu-like symptoms. These include fatigue, nausea, vomiting and headache. There may be fever but most patients complain of a predominant fever. A day or two after these symptoms, pain, tingling or itching will develop on affected dermatomes. This occurs as herpes zoster virus migrates from the nerves towards the skin.
Rash and blisters appear 2-3 days after first symptoms. At first, the blisters present as spots which soon develop into lesions and ultimately into blisters. The blisters often rupture and ooze before crusting over. How long does it take for shingles to heal? The whole process takes 2-4 weeks. Without treatment or when severe cases are involved, outbreaks can last longer.
Treatment:
There are various options of how to treat shingles in adults. These include:
- Antiviral drugs
- Pain relievers
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Anticonvulsants
- Corticosteroids
- Analgesics
- NSAIDs
- Home remedies
- Homeopathic cures
Does shingles leave scars after healing?
How does shingles occur? What is shingles virus? A shingles outbreak is not caused by a virus picked up from other people or transmitted in similar ways. It results from the reactivated chicken pox virus. This mostly happens in people with immune problems such as caused by diseases like HIV and leukemia. Medications taken after organ transplants or to treat cancer can also lower immunity. There are reasons to believe that stress can trigger flare ups. While most people get the disease once, cases of recurring shingles are not uncommon. [RELATED] Rash and blisters start 2-3 days after the first symptoms. Blisters start as small spots which later develop into lesions and eventually become blisters. The blisters often rupture and ooze before crusting over. Can you get shingles under your breast? Shingles can occur anywhere but mostly show up on the face, lower back and trunk. Does shingles leave scars after recovery? In most cases, scarring doesn’t occur once the blisters are healed. If it does, the resulting scars may be flattened, pitted and sometimes raised. They also tend to be reddened or purple in color. See shingles scars pictures for illustrations.Shingles scars treatment
Even when shingles scars occur, they usually are not that conspicuous or extensive. Still, you may feel the need to get them removed. This is especially so when dealing with scars on the face. There are several shingles scars treatment options that may help.
Laser surgery:
Lasers are powerful, controlled beams of light. They are commonly used to even out skin pigment. Although laser surgery can be quite expensive, it is usually effective. Several appointments may be needed especially when severe scarring is involved.
Scar revision:
This is a form of surgery that aims at improving or reducing the appearance of scars. It is also used to correct disfigurement such as that caused by poor healing of wounds or injuries.
Punch excision:
During this procedure, the scarred skin will be cut out and replaced with new skin grafts. Punch excision is mostly considered for extensive scarring but may be helpful with shingles scars.
Tissue fillers:
Soft tissue fillers are a good option when dealing with pitted scars. An injection will be used to introduce collagen and sometimes fat into affected areas. With time, the skin will become smoother and even out.
Dermabrasion:
This procedure aims at removing the outer layers of the skin to allow for a healthier, smoother skin to emerge. A rotating device is used for this purpose. After treatment, the skin will become swollen and red but heals with time.
[RELATED]
Talk with your dermatologist before making the final decision on which shingles scars treatment to go with. Note that such procedures are usually not taken care of by insurance coverage.
Shingles scar removal at home
Below is a list of home remedies that may help with shingles scars removal.
Salicylic acid:
This is a weak acid commonly used to remove skin growths such as skin tags and warts. It works by corroding the skin. With time, the corroded skin peels off and is replaced by smoother new skin.
Baking soda:
Baking soda encourages peeling of the skin. This allows new, normal skin to form on the affected areas. The problem with baking soda is that it requires a lot of patience and may not be effective for everyone.
Apple cider vinegar:
Apple cider vinegar has acidic properties which may help with shingles scars removal. To use it, soak a cotton ball in diluted apple cider vinegar and apply directly.
Essential oils:
Essential oils can be used before and after scars have formed. They help restore skin integrity and moisture.
Aspirin:
Crush two tablets of aspirin and make a paste with nail polish. Apply the mixture to the affected areas until the scars fade away. Don’t use aspirin orally if you have kidney problems, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers and heart issues. The medicine should not be given to babies below 6 months of age.
Calamine lotion:
Calamine lotion is mostly used to ease the itchiness caused by shingles. For scar removal, mix it with some rubbing alcohol and apply with a cotton ball.
Shingles scars prevention
Rather than struggling with how to get rid of shingles scars, it is much easier to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Below are several shingles scar prevention options. [RELATED] Reduce itch to avoid scratching: Scratching is one of the reasons why shingles scars occur. The problem is that shingles itchiness can prove intolerable. To reduce itchiness, use products such as calamine lotion, oatmeal baths, baking soda and antihistamines. Pain killers such as ibuprofen can also help. For shingles nerve pain relief, more powerful pain killers are necessary. Use a cool compress: A cool compress helps with shingles scars prevention in ways. First, it reduces itchiness and thus discourages scratching. Second, it keeps the skin from drying and flaking. Cool compresses may also keep blisters clean, thus promoting faster recovery.
Use antibacterial agents:
Bacteria can easily take advantage of shingles blisters to get into the skin and cause infection. Bacterial infections are more likely to end up in scarring than normal shingles blisters. To avoid this complication, use antibacterial products such as soaps, aloe vera and essential oils. If infection occurs, get medical attention so that antibiotics can be prescribed.
Improve your diet:
Shingles scars are like any other normal wound on the skin. The longer they are around, the more likely they are to cause scarring. The healing process can be sped up by increasing your intake of vitamins like vitamin C and minerals like zinc. Omega-3 fatty acids can also help since they reduce inflammation and boost immunity.
Avoid contact:
Shingles is not contagious but the herpes zoster virus is. Avoid direct contact with an infected person during the blister-phase. In this way, herpes zoster virus will not be transmitted. You can consider learning more on shingles rash contagious and airborne transmission of shingles precautions.
Vaccines to prevent shingles scars
Two different shingles vaccines have been approved for the FDA. These are Zostavax and Shingrix. Both are recommended for people above age 60. Vaccines do not necessarily prevent or cure a disease. What they do is ensure that if the disease is to occur, it will not bring the most severe symptoms or complications. [RELATED] Vaccines can greatly help with shingles scars. As mentioned earlier, scarring caused by shingles is more common in people with serious immune issues. Since get vaccinated reduces risk of severe shingles outbreaks, it can succeed in keeping scars from occurring at all. If you have never been vaccinated against chicken pox, it is advisable that you get the shot. This is especially true if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Can you die from shingles? Severe shingles outbreaks can lead to complications such as pneumonia and inflammation in the brain which in turn can lead to death. Shingles eye contagious infection is associated with complications such as blindness. [post_title] => Scars After Shingles: Prevention, Treatment and Pictures [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => scars-after-shingles-prevention-treatment-and-pictures [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 18:32:01 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 18:32:01 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5916 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [10] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5886 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-05 19:03:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-05 19:03:24 [post_content] => Shingles is a disease that affects the sensory nerves but presents like a skin infection or rash. 1 in 3 people are likely to get the disease at some point in their lives. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. This means that anyone who has ever had chicken pox is at risk of getting shingles. Common shingles symptoms are a painful rash and blisters. The symptoms develop on a localized body area and only affect one side of the body. For example, shingles may affect only one eye or occur on one side of the chest. Commonly affected areas are the lower abdomen, chest and face. The disease can however affect any part of the body; see shingles on the breast symptoms for example. Most shingles patients recover without complications, sometimes even without medications. The problem is that going without medications and treatment puts one at risk of shingles complications such as post-herpetic neuralgia. It also makes it more likely that the causative virus will be transmitted to healthy individuals. There are a variety of medications and forms of treatment that can be used to manage shingles. They include antiviral drugs, pain relievers, over the counter products and natural treatments.Antiviral medications for shingles
Since shingles is a viral infection, it is not surprising that antiviral drugs are primarily used for treatment. Antiviral medications for shingles do not necessarily cure the disease. They do, however, succeed in relieving its symptoms as well as shortening the recovery period. Commonly used antiviral drugs include: Acyclovir (Zorivax) Acyclovir for shingles works best when given within 72 hours of the first symptoms. It mainly is given in oral form, an 800mg dose to be taken 5 times in a day for 7-10 days. By the time that period is over, shingles blisters will have crusted over. Acyclovir has been shown to be effective and safe, specifically for people with HIV whose immune systems may be compromised. [RELATED] It works by inhibiting synthesis of viral DNA. In patients with recurring shingles, acyclovir can be used for prevention. In that case, lower doses will be prescribed for longer periods of time. Serious outbreaks may be treated with intravenous acyclovir. Famciclovir (Famvir) Famciclovir is prescribed in oral doses of 500mg to be taken thrice a day for 7 days. This is almost the same period it takes for shingles blisters to break open and crust over. Like it is with acyclovir, the drug is best taken within 72 hours after the first symptoms appear.
Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
Valacyclovir works pretty much the same like acyclovir. It is actually a better version of acyclovir. When taken, the drug is broken down to acyclovir, a process that allows more of the active ingredient to be available in the body. Valtrex for shingles is prescribed in oral doses of 1g to be taken thrice a day for 7 days. It is well tolerated and fairly effective.
Foscarnet (Foscavir)
Foscarnet is rarely used for shingles treatment. The drug is considered in the case of the shingles virus not responding to acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir. In essence, these three drugs work almost the same. This means that where one drug is not effective, the other probably will also not be.
Acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir are best given when shingles is still in its earliest stages. See how does shingles start symptoms or early symptoms of shingles for help with early diagnosis. Patients are advised to seek medical attention as soon as symptoms appear.
Over the counter medications for shingles
NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are common over the counter medications for shingles. Examples of NSAIDs include naproxen, ibuprofen and diclofenac. They work by relieving pain and reducing fever.
Paracetamol is also a choice to consider. It works by improving flu-like symptoms common during shingles outbreaks. Paracetamol is tolerable to most people but should not be taken inappropriately. Adults can take up to 4g but not an excess of 1g in less than four hours. Patients should get directions from a pharmacist before use. If you are already taking medications for flu or cold, avoid taking paracetamol, as it may already be contained in those medications.
Other than NSAIDs and paracetamol, aspirin is also used as an over the counter drug for shingles. NSAIDs and aspirin are not recommended for children and young adults with viral infections. In fact, a pharmacist should always be consulted before taking either NSAIDs or aspirin. This is especially true in people with a history of:
- Kidney problems
- Indigestion
- Allergic reactions to medications
- Heart problems
- Dehydration
- Asthma
- Stomach issues
Other medications for shingles
Other than antiviral drugs, doctors also often prescribe other medications for shingles. They include the following.
Tricyclic antidepressants:
As the name suggests, these medications are commonly used to treat depression. In the case of shingles, they work by stimulating production of neuro-transmitting hormones, the likes of serotonin. This significantly reduces shingles pain, especially when post-herpetic neuralgia is involved. Before using antidepressants as medications for shingles nerve pain, a doctor should be consulted.
Topical corticosteroids:
Corticosteroids are anti-inflammation medications. They are usually considered when treating shingles affecting ear or eye. The medications may also increase the efficiency of antiviral medications. Due to their potential side effects, a doctor should be consulted before use.
Antiepileptic drugs:
Antiepileptic drugs work by reducing the rate at which signals are fired in neurons. It is believed that shingles pain is caused by over-active nerves which have healed abnormally after being damaged by herpes zoster virus. And since shingles pain is not caused by external stimuli, reducing neuro-signals can reduce the pain.
Anticonvulsants:
Examples in this category of shingles medications include Neurontin, Epitol and Lyrica. They mostly are used to treat seizures but may be used for prolonged shingles nerve pain.
Pain relievers:
For mild shingles outbreaks, pain relievers can be bought over the counter. Prolonged shingles pain however requires stronger prescription pain killers, like opioids. It should be remembered that opioids are potentially addictive. In fact, many deaths related to opioid overdose are reported every year.
Antibiotics:
Antibiotics are not common medications for shingles. They are only considered when there is risk of getting a bacterial infection due to the shingles blisters.
Home treatments and remedies for shingles
We can’t completely cover all medications for shingles without mentioning home treatments. We don’t use home treatments to cure shingles. In fact, not any one of the mentioned medications are used as a complete cure. Treatments are aimed at shortening recovery period as well as rendering shingles symptoms less severe. Below are several natural remedies for shingles that may help. [RELATED] Cool compress: Cool compress has for a long time been used to ease the pain associated with a number of skin conditions and diseases. You may find that shingles affected areas can feel painful even at the lightest touch. With a cool compress, affected areas are rendered slightly numb so that pain is significantly reduced. Some people use ice directly. If that proves too harsh for your case, try soaking a piece of cloth in cold water and compressing it on affected areas for 15 minutes. Other than relieving pain, a cool compress helps keep shingles blisters clean to avoid bacterial infections. Oatmeal baths: Oatmeal baths excel in relieving itchiness. For best results, add 1 or 2 cups of colloidal oatmeal to cool bath water. Soak in the bath water for 15 minutes before rinsing with fresh water. Relief provided by oatmeal baths is not long-lasting, so the treatment has to be repeated occasionally. Best results can be achieved by starting treatment at the onset of first signs of shingles. Baking soda: Like colloidal oatmeal, baking soda works by relieving itching. You can add baking soda to bath water or prepare a paste to apply directly. Baths are more practical when treating shingles on the inner thigh or the buttocks. Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is commonly used to prevent bacterial infections and reduce inflammation. Shingles pain relief apple cider vinegar can also be taken advantage of. Before using apple cider vinegar, ensure to dilute it with water or carrier oil such as olive oil. It also should not be used on open blisters or broken skin.
Essential oils:
Essential oils are always options to take into consideration where skin integrity is involved. They not only reduce skin irritation but may also prevent scar formation after recovery from shingles. Essential oils should not be used before being diluted with carrier oils.
Self-care measures:
Expect for recurring shingles, the major challenge during a shingles outbreak is tolerating the symptoms. How long does shingles last untreated? Shingles lasts for 2-4 weeks. Without treatment, the period can extend to 5 weeks. Self-care measures that may shorten recovery period include:
Loose clothing:
Shingles presents with a number of symptoms that mimic a skin infection. These include blisters and rash. Wearing tight clothing worsens the symptoms and restricts aeration. Sweat may also worsen itching especially when blisters have broken open.
Vaseline:
Applying a thin layer of Vaseline to affected areas can further help reduce irritation caused by friction from clothes. To keep the applied Vaseline in place, you can cover with a cotton bandage.
Cool baths:
Warm baths are not a good choice during a shingles outbreak. They may increase the intensity of pain and skin irritation.
Avoid scratching:
Itching during a shingles outbreak starts even before the rash and may persist for several weeks. While it can prove intolerable, scratching only worsens the situation.
Patients can also try homeopathic cure for shingles. This option may greatly help when dealing with recurring shingles. A professional should be consulted.
Medications to prevent shingles
There is not much that can be done to prevent shingles. This is partly because its risk factors are not yet clearly defined. The widely accepted fact is that the disease is caused by reactivated chicken pox virus. Can you get shingles if you never had chicken pox? No. If you never had chicken pox, your first encounter with varicella-zoster virus will cause chicken pox and shingles thereafter. [RELATED] In 2006, FDA approved Zostavax as the first shingles vaccine. The drug is given in one shot. It remains effective for about 5 years. Zostavax is recommended for people over the age of 50 years. It is a living vaccine and therefore may cause compilations in people with serious immune issues. Currently, a booster is not available but is being investigated. Another shingles vaccine that may be longer lasting than Zostavax was approved in 2017. The vaccine is named Shingrix. It is a nonliving vaccine and therefore can be used in people with compromised immunity. The vaccine is given in two shots, 2-6 years apart. Vaccines do not necessarily prevent a disease from occurring. They however ensure that the disease vaccinated against will not cause severe symptoms if it is to occur. Can you die from shingles? While shingles may cause some complications, death is rarely one of them. Inflammation in the brain is one of the potentially dangerous complications. It occurs in only about 1% of all shingles causes. [post_title] => Antiviral, Cream and OTC Medications for Shingles Treatment and Pain Relief [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => antiviral-cream-and-otc-medications-for-shingles-treatment-and-pain-relief [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 18:08:54 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 18:08:54 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5886 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [11] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5888 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-05 19:00:23 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-05 19:00:23 [post_content] => Shingles is a disease of the nerves. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox in children and young adults. People who have never had chicken pox cannot get shingles. Symptoms of shingles mostly appear on the chest, face and lower back. They however can extend or begin on the buttocks and basically any other part of the body. Although shingles itself is not fatal, it can prove a vexing problem especially when it occurs on the buttocks and lower back. Antiviral drugs are the primarily used medications for shingles treatment. While they do not necessarily cure shingles, the drugs shorten the recovery period and reduce the intensity or severity of shingles symptoms. Natural treatments and home remedies may also prove helpful particularly for treatment of shingles on buttocks.What causes shingles on buttocks and lower back?
When chicken pox patients recover from the disease, varicella-zoster virus doesn’t entirely leave the body. It hides in sensory nerves that serve different dermatomes. A dermatome is an area of the skin served by the same nerve branch terminal originating from the spinal cord. Although it is not fully understood how herpes zoster virus stays in latency for years or decades, it is known that weakened immunity triggers the virus to activate. Rather than causing chicken pox, the activated herpes zoster virus causes shingles. [RELATED] There are reasons to believe that stress can trigger shingles outbreaks or make symptoms worse. It is not common for shingles to occur in healthy adults below 50 years of age. Apparently, healthy immune systems keep the virus in latency.Common shingles on buttocks symptoms
As mentioned earlier, shingles is a disease of the nervous system. Herpes zoster virus hides in nerve fibers that serve a particular dermatome. There are several dermatomes on lower back and buttocks. Shingles on buttocks symptoms only occur on the area supplied by affected nerve. This means that you can have an outbreak on lower back but not involving buttocks or vice versa. A defining feature is a shingles rash occurring in a stripe or band-like appearance.
Early shingles symptoms resemble those of common cold or flu. They include fatigue, vomiting, nausea and headache. Fever may be present, but mildly. These symptoms are easy to ignore and may not be correlated with a shingles outbreak.
Just after the onset of the above mentioned symptoms, patients may experience itching, tingling, stinging and burning in localized areas where the shingles rash is to appear. These occur as reactivated varicella-zoster virus leaves nerve fibers for the skin. How long does shingles itch last? Shingles itch can last for 2-4 weeks.
After few days, pain that may be mild, intense, or even excruciating begins. The pain is thought to be caused by over-sensitivity in affected nerves. Since it is not caused by external stimuli, the pain may be present before rash appears and in fact after all symptoms of shingles have disappeared.
Later stages of shingles are marked by appearance of the infamous shingles rash. This happens 2-4 days after first symptoms. Affected areas become red, tender and inflamed. Small lesions that start as spots but quickly develop into blisters or vesicles appear. New lesions may keep appearing for the next few days. A defining characteristic of shingles blisters is the fact that they often break open, ooze and crust over for the next 1-2 weeks.
Shingles on buttocks symptoms can be mistaken for sexually transmitted infection like genital herpes. Although the viruses that cause shingles and genital herpes share a name, having either doesn’t cause the other. For example, having shingles on the buttocks doesn’t lead to herpes in the genitals. However, shingles blisters or genital herpes sores can act as portals of entry for causative viruses.
Treatment for shingles on buttocks
After diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe the following medications. Antiviral drugs: Acyclovir is the most commonly used antiviral drug for shingles. It has been shown to be effective and safe even in people with serious immune issues. Other almost similar drugs are valacyclovir and famciclovir. They mostly come in oral forms but can be given intravenously in case of serious outbreaks. [RELATED] Pain relievers: Pain relievers can be prescribed by a doctor or be purchased over the counter. They greatly help patients deal with shingles outbreaks, as nerve pain can be intolerable. Powerful pain medications such as opioids should be used with a doctor’s consent and only for short-term. Tricyclic antidepressants: These medications are primarily used to treat depression but can also be prescribed for shingles pain. Other medications: Other conventional medications for shingles that your doctor may prescribe include nerve blockers, analgesics and anticonvulsants. The reason why medications such as used to treat seizures work is because shingles mainly affects nerves.OTC and home treatments for shingles on buttocks
Two or more weeks of dealing with shingles on the buttocks symptoms can prove the longest weeks of your life. Apart from flu-like symptoms, you will have to deal with pain and blisters which will likely be broken or oozing. Sometimes, areas affected by shingles feel painful even at the lightest touch. Not only will sitting prove difficult but severe pain can also interfere with your walking style. Below are home treatments that may help with shingles. Cool compress: A cool compress makes the affected areas numb. This reduces pain and may improve itchiness. Other than that, cool compress keeps shingles blisters clean thus preventing bacterial infections. Since no chemically active product is needed, cool compress is considerable for symptoms of shingles on face.
Oatmeal baths:
Soaking for 20 minutes in bath water to which 2 cups of colloidal oatmeal have been added relieves itchiness and reduces skin irritation.
Baking soda:
Baking soda can be used in baths or as a paste. In baths, add a cup of baking soda to cool bath water and soak for 15 minutes. As a paste, combine baking soda with water and apply directly. This home remedy is quite effective for shingles blisters.
Capsaicin:
Capsaicin is the substance that makes red peppers hot. It is contained in certain ointments, creams, sprays and patches. Capsaicin is said to be particularly effective for shingles nerve pain. It should be used with care for shingles in ear treatment.
Calamine lotion:
Scratching is one of the things to avoid when dealing with shingles outbreak. But it won't always be possible to maintain such discipline. A better approach is to use products that help reduce itchiness. Calamine lotion is a good example. Other than reducing itchiness, the lotion may also relieve pain and ease shingles discomfort.
Essential oils:
In this category, tea tree oil and apple cider vinegar are included. This is because they produce almost similar benefits with essential oils for shingles. Other than improving symptoms of the disease, they also restore skin integrity. See shingles scars pictures after treatment with essential oils.
Self-care measures:
Measures such as wearing loose cotton clothes and avoiding hot baths may help. You can also try applying a thin layer of Vaseline to affected areas. It can reduce irritation caused by clothing.
Can shingles on buttocks be prevented?
If you had chicken pox as a child, there is not much that you can do to keep shingles from ever occurring. But since weakened immunity is the main risk factor, measures to improve your health may help. This includes taking in foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, zinc and lysine. In fact, lysine supplements are recommended during shingles outbreaks. [RELATED] Is shingles contagious to toddlers? Shingles itself is not contagious. Herpes zoster virus can however be transmitted to healthy individuals, especially toddlers. If an outbreak occurs 5 days before delivery or 2 days after, mothers should avoid direct contact with their babies until blisters have completely scabbed over. Read more about airborne transmission of shingles for details. Vaccines for shingles are available but only recommended for persons above the age of 50 years. But due to shingles vaccine cost and duration of effectiveness, vaccines for shingles are best given after the 60th birthday. [post_title] => Shingles Contagious Rash on Buttocks: Symptoms, Treatment and Pictures [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => shingles-contagious-rash-on-buttocks-symptoms-treatment-and-pictures [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 17:59:27 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 17:59:27 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5888 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [12] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5890 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-05 18:57:50 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-05 18:57:50 [post_content] => Shingles presents with signs similar to a skin infection or rash, but it is a nerve disease in reality. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus responsible for chicken pox in young adults and children. People who have never contracted the varicella-zoster virus cannot get shingles. Healthy immune systems are able to keep the varicella-zoster virus in latency. But once certain conditions that weaken a person’s immunity are present, the latent virus can become active and cause infection. If that happens, the infection won’t be chicken pox but shingles. Most shingles patients recover without need for treatment. The problem is that shingles symptoms can prove almost intolerable. On top of that, going without treatment puts one at the risk of complications such as post-herpetic neuralgia and inflammation in the brain. Patients are always advised to try some of the available treatments for shingles. Symptoms are not always obvious at first. For treatment to work best, patients are advised to seek medical attention within 72 hours of first signs of shingles.What is shingles virus?
You may have heard that viral diseases are not curable. Unlike other disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and fungi, viruses can only become active once inside living cells. Since viruses do not have the materials required to make new copies of themselves, they hijack the host cell’s division mechanism, so that new viral proteins are made every time the host cell makes copies of itself. The shingles virus plays yet another trick. The first time a healthy person comes into contact with the varicella-zoster virus, the virus causes chicken pox. Symptoms of chicken pox linger for several weeks before disappearing. Chicken pox mostly develops in young adults and children. But even after successful recovery from the disease, the causative virus does not entirely leave the body. It hides in sensory nerves that innervate different dermatomes in the body. There, the virus stays in latency for years or even decades. [RELATED] If it happens that the latent virus becomes activated, it will cause shingles rather than chicken pox. Reactivation is usually caused by weakened immunity although stress is also thought to be partly responsible for some shingles flare ups. How the virus remains latent for many years is not fully understood. But why does reactivated varicella-virus cause shingles rather than chicken pox? When we develop chicken pox, our bodies become resistant, similar to how vaccines work. For this reason, response to the effects of shingles virus only appears on localized areas, along the affected nerves. Widespread shingles is fairly rare and only seen in people with serious immune issues. So what is the shingles virus? Basically, the shingles virus is a varicella-zoster virus that has been reactivated after years of latency. It is also referred to as the herpes zoster virus. But the sharing of a name with genital/oral herpes should not be misinterpreted. Having either shingles or herpes doesn’t cause the other condition. Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus.What does shingles look like; rash and blisters
A shingles rash is easy to recognize. Its defining feature is stripe or band-like appearance. For example, it can occur like a belt on the lower abdomen or waist. This can be seen in shingles rash pictures. Another unique characteristic is that shingles symptoms only show up on one side of the body. For example, the rash can appear only on one eye or on one side of the chest. Cases such as shingles on both ankles are very rare. This can be explained by the fact mentioned earlier that herpes zoster virus hides in nerve fibers that serve different dermatomes. See shingles on forehead pictures for illustrations.
Signs of shingles appear a few days after the first symptoms. Affected areas become red, tender and inflamed. Small lesions soon appear on the reddened areas. These lesions are actually shingles blisters in their early stages. New lesions can keep appearing for the next 2-3 days. They do not remain as lesions for long. Gradually, blisters which often break open and ooze will form. Broken blisters start crusting over, a process that may go on for the next 2 weeks.
The shingles rash and blisters can appear anywhere on the body although the face, chest and lower abdomen are mostly affected. Without treatment, signs can persist for up to 5 weeks. Shingles on head how long does it last? It usually doesn’t matter much where shingles appears. In most cases, the recovery period is 2-4 weeks.
Below is a list of diseases and conditions that may mimic the symptoms of shingles:
Chicken pox:
The fact that chicken pox and shingles are caused by the same virus explains why the two infections can easily be mistaken for each other. The main difference is that chicken pox causes widespread signs, which mostly include blisters and rash. Chicken pox mainly shows up on trunk and always involves the hairy part of the scalp. Signs on the face are usually not intense while the soles of the feet and the hands are not involved.
[RELATED]
Allergic reactions:
Different individuals are allergic to different things, including medications. Allergic reactions usually cause inflammation and pain but not blisters. Inflammation due to allergic reactions can extend to the throat and cause difficulty breathing.
Eczema:
Eczema is a skin condition caused by skin dryness. It doesn’t result in blisters or rash. Its main signs are red, inflamed, scaly and dry patches of skin. Eczema is also very itchy.
Psoriasis:
Psoriasis presents with signs almost identical to those of eczema. It is caused by the accumulation of dead skin cells. Affected areas appear white and inflamed. Psoriasis is also itchy.
Herpes:
Herpes blisters are not very different from those caused by shingles. However, herpes blisters are a bit larger. Herpes mostly affects the genitals and oral cavity. Shingles on the other hand mostly occurs around the eyes, on the forehead, the lower back and trunk. Can I get shingles on my fingers? Yes, but quite rarely.
Hives:
Hives can be described as red, elevated, itchy welts that appear on skin. Many things can cause hives. Fortunately, they usually do not last for more than a day.
Measles:
Measles are characterized by flu-like symptoms accompanied by a total-body skin rash. Although shingles too produces flu-like symptoms, it doesn’t cause a runny nose but the measles often do.
It is advisable to have a doctor run a diagnosis when not sure of the source of a rash or blisters on the skin.
What does shingles feel like?
Before the infamous shingles rash and blisters appear, several symptoms will have appeared. So what are the symptoms of internal shingles?
Flu-like symptoms:
It is not uncommon for infections to cause flu-like symptoms. They are caused by the sudden increase in viral or bacterial proteins in the body. But since shingles is not a serious infection, the symptoms are usually not serious. In fact, patients may mistake them for the common cold or flu.
Flu-like symptoms of shingles can linger for several days before more distinctive signs appear. They include fatigue, nausea, vomiting and headache. Fever may or may not be present.
[RELATED]
Tingling, stinging, itching:
As the herpes zoster virus moves from nerve fibers towards the skin, patients may experience a bit of tingling, itching, stinging and burning effects. These symptoms have nothing to do with external causes such as skin dryness. They can therefore be present before shingles blisters and rash appear. In case of shingles affecting ear, inflammation will be present inside ear.
Pain:
Pain is rarely absent during a shingles outbreak. In fact, shingles pain can be present without shingles rash ever materializing. In most cases, pain will improve with time and be gone by the fifth week. But this is not always the case. A complication of shingles referred to as post-herpetic neuralgia is characterized by prolonged shingles pain that can last for months or years.
It is thought increased sensitivity in sensory nerves that have just recovered from damage caused by herpes zoster virus is to blame. It could also be that inflammation in affected nerves is responsible. Either way, post-herpetic neuralgia is usually there to stay. Medical treatment is usually of much help although use of remedies like capsaicin ointments as treatment for shingles on buttocks or nerve pain may help.
What is the incubation period for shingles?
When the varicella-zoster virus is contracted, it stays in incubation for 10-21 days. Patients are most contagious just few days before the rash shows up. By then, there will be flu-like symptoms. Blisters take about 5 days to scab over.
The above information applies in the case of chicken pox. But what is the incubation period for shingles? It is not easy to give a specific number of days to the incubation period of shingles. The painful shingles rash and blisters show up 2-3 days after first symptoms. Shingles itself cannot be passed to other individuals. How does shingles spread then? The herpes zoster virus is contagious. Patients can transmit the virus during the phase when shingles blisters have broken open and are oozing. Herpes zoster virus reaches blood system through air passages or conjunctivitis in eyes. Read more on airborne transmission of shingles to get the details.
It is not uncommon for children and young adults to get chicken pox. Recurring chicken pox is very rare, however. Only about 1% of all cases will end up in recurrence. In the case of shingles, about 30% of people who had chicken pox will get shingles.
Statistics show that shingles mostly occurs in people above the age of 50 years. This can be attributed to weakening of the immune system. To the lucky patients, shingles only occurs once. Other patients have to deal with recurring shingles, which can prove a vexing problem. One symptom of recurring shingles is post-herpetic neuralgia.
Does shingles vaccine prevent outbreaks?
You may have heard of the shingles vaccine and wondering if it can help prevent outbreaks. Currently, there are two vaccines that have been approved by FDA. Zostavax was approved back in 2006, while Shingrix was approved in 2017. Zostavax is a live vaccine. It is estimated to remain effective for about 5 years. Zostavax is given in a single shot. Although the vaccine is indicated for people over the age of 50 years, it is more recommended after the age of 60 years. This is because symptoms of shingles are more likely to be serious in older people. [RELATED] Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine given in two shots 2 years apart. Its effectiveness is estimated to be more than 5 years. Like Zostavax, better results are more likely when the vaccine is given to people above the age of 60 years. Vaccines do not prevent a certain disease from occurring. The most that they do is reduce the severity, intensity and duration of a certain disease should it occur. And does chicken pox vaccine prevent shingles? No, it doesn’t. Although vaccines may prove a great deal of help, they are only practical before a shingles outbreak. After the outbreak, antiviral drugs, over the counter medications and natural remedies for shingles are the available options. [post_title] => What Does Shingles Virus Look and Feel Like In Incubation Period [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => what-does-shingles-virus-looks-and-feels-like-its-incubation-period [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 17:54:10 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 17:54:10 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5890 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [13] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5892 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-05 18:49:12 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-05 18:49:12 [post_content] => Shingles is not one of those diseases that can result in dangerous tumors or widespread danger to tissues. In short, it is not fatal unless serious complications such as inflammation in the brain is involved. The problem is that symptoms of shingles can last longer than expected or prove intolerable. The main symptoms are identified as a painful rash and blisters. But that is not where it stops. Even before the blisters and rash appear, patients have to deal with flu-like symptoms, tingling, pain and itching. Anyone who has ever had chicken pox can get shingles. For this reason, not much can be done to prevent the disease. Medications and vaccines aim to reduce the intensity, duration and severity of an outbreak. In this article, we will particularly focus on shingles itch, what causes it, how long it lasts and what can be done to improve it.What causes shingles itch?
What is shingles virus? Varicella-zoster virus is the virus that causes shingles and chicken pox. Quite a number of people have had chicken pox during childhood and young adulthood years. When the disease is gone, the varicella-zoster virus doesn’t completely leave the body. Some of it hides in sensory nerves that innervate different dermatomes. For example, the virus can hide in sensory nerves that serve the forehead and the upper eyelid. Other commonly affected areas are the lower back and trunk. Since shingles is not contagious, shingles on lips symptoms for example cannot result in shingles on the forehead or face. [RELATED] The virus remains in latency for years or even decades, producing just a couple of viral proteins, not enough to cause an infection. How exactly the process occurs is not clearly understood. When certain factors are present, particularly factors like weakened immunity, the dormant varicella-zoster virus may become active once again. In that case, it causes shingles rather than chicken pox. As you may already know, shingles presents with signs of a skin infection and can actually be mistaken for one. This means that the activated varicella-zoster virus has to travel from the nerve fibers to the skin. It is the migration process that causes itchiness. The virus replicates in nerve fibers before moving to the skin. All these factors contribute to itchiness and other early symptoms such as tingling, burning, stinging and pain. The fact that shingles itchiness has nothing to do with external stimuli makes it a bit harder to treat. With skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, simple home remedies or over the counter creams are able to relieve itchiness without much difficulty. This is not the case with shingles.How long does shingles last with and without medication?
How long does shingles last with treatment? In most patients, a shingles outbreak lasts for 2-4 weeks. Flu-like symptoms are the first to appear. They are caused by sudden increase in number of viral proteins in the system. These include fatigue, nausea, vomiting and headache. Fever may also be present. The symptoms linger for 2-3 days before rash and blisters.
Next comes itching, which may be accompanied by the earlier mentioned symptoms like pain and tingling. These may last a day or two before the blisters and rash appear.
How long does shingles last untreated? Antiviral drugs do not necessarily flush viruses out of the body. They work by reducing the rate at which viral proteins are made and released into the system. This means that the recovery period can be significantly reduced with treatment. Patients are advised to start treatment within 72 hours of the first shingles symptoms.
Anyone who has ever had chicken pox can get shingles. Regardless, the disease is most common in people above the age of 50 years. It was mentioned earlier that compromised immunity is a leading risk factor for shingles. As we get old, most if not all body systems become less efficient and sometimes shut down altogether. Either directly or indirectly, this leads to weakening of the immune system, which in turn may result in shingles outbreak. Diseases like diabetes, cancer and HIV often accelerate the process. Outbreaks can therefore last longer or be more severe in people with such diseases or who are taking medications to manage them.
How long does shingles itch last?
The funny thing about shingles is that symptoms can linger even after rash and blisters have disappeared. In fact, a shingles rash sometimes fails to materialize. How long does shingles itch last and how long does it take for shingles to heal? 2-4 weeks is the period a shingles outbreak normally lasts. In some cases, the period can extend to 5 weeks. Later stages are marked by completely crusted over blisters which follow the normal process of wound healing. [RELATED] Up to 30% of shingles develop complications referred to as post-herpetic neuralgia and post-herpetic itch. The former, as the name suggests is shingles pain that persists for several months or years. The latter is similar to post-herpetic pain, only that both pain and itchiness may be present. If you have prolonged pain or itch even after other shingles symptoms are no longer present, the best thing is to get in touch with your doctor. It is not likely that they will go away on their own. Can you get shingles on your leg? You can get shingles on any part of the body. Some areas are more commonly affected than others. Online images and pictures may help with self-diagnosis. This is especially when dealing with body areas commonly affected by different skin conditions. Shingles on buttocks pictures are a good example.Medications to treat shingles itch
Different medications may help when it comes to relieving shingles itch. They include the following.
Corticosteroids:
Topical corticosteroids are commonly used to treat skin conditions that cause inflammation and itchiness. Mild cases respond to over the counter products while severe cases may require prescription medications. Corticosteroids come with a number of side effects and therefore should be used with care for how to treat shingles in adults.
Antihistamines:
Antihistamines are commonly used to relieve symptoms of allergic reactions. They excel in controlling aggressive itchiness and can prove very helpful in the case of shingles.
NSAIDs:
NSAIDs are not specifically anti-itch medications but are normally used to relieve pain. They are available without prescription, although they come with a wide range of side effects. People who have a history of allergic reactions to medications, stomach problems, kidney or heart problems and blood pressure issues should check with their doctors before taking NSAIDs. This also applies when dealing with shingles exposure during pregnancy. Examples of NSAIDs include ibuprofen and naproxen.
Although the majority of the above-discussed medications are available over the counter, the popular advice to always check with a doctor first is always a good idea.
Home treatments to try on shingles itch
If shingles itch is proving a vexing problem, there are some things you can do at home to reverse the situation. This mostly involves using natural remedies for shingles. Start with cool compress: A cool compress absorbs the heat from affected areas. It also reduces vasodilation in affected areas so that symptoms of shingles aren’t amplified. To cool compress, soak a piece of cloth in cool water and press against the affected areas for 15 minutes. [RELATED] Try baking soda paste: Start by mixing enough baking soda and water to form a paste. Clean the affected areas and pat dry. Apply the paste in a circular motion all over the affected area. Leave for 15 minutes before rinsing with fresh water. Baking soda is quite effective in reducing itchiness. Soak in oatmeal baths: Colloidal oatmeal has the ability to restore skin moisture, soothe irritated skin and most importantly relieve itchiness. The best way to use colloidal oatmeal is to add 2 cups to bath water and soak in the mixture for several minutes. This treatment is fairly practical when dealing with cases such as shingles on the lower back or buttocks. Treat with essential oils: Essential oils are not only effective for aromatherapy purposes but also excellent choices to use against shingles itch. Good examples include frankincense oil, tea tree oil and lavender oil. The best thing about using essential oils to treat shingles is that they may also prevent bacterial infections. Shingles pain relief apple cider vinegar remedies can also be included in this category.
Soothe with aloe vera:
Aloe vera is mostly considered when preventing bacterial infections. The remedy is also, however, an excellent itch reliever. Best results are more likely to be achieved with raw aloe vera gel, although purchased gel may have similar benefits.
Use calamine lotion:
Calamine lotion is best used when shingles blisters have broken open and are oozing. It helps dry them out thus hastening the healing process. The lotion may also help in treatment of itchiness.
How long does shingles last with vaccines
A friend, professional or someone else may advise you to try a shingles vaccine. Before you decide to try the vaccines, there are a couple of things you should know. First, vaccines do not prevent shingles. What they do is ensure that should the disease occur, it will not be very intense or last for longer than expected. [RELATED] Another important thing to know is what options are available. Currently, there are two shingles vaccines that have been approved by FDA: Zostavax, which was approved in 2006, and Shingrix, which was approved in 2017. The former is a live vaccine given in one shot and with an effectiveness of about 5 years. The latter is a nonliving vaccine given in 2 shots 2 years apart and with an effectiveness of probably more than 5 years. This may depend on individual shingles vaccine reaction. Both are recommended for people over the age of 60 years. [post_title] => How Long Does Shingles Itchiness Last While Untreated or Treated by Medications [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => how-long-does-shingles-itchiness-last-while-untreated-or-treated-by-medications [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 17:41:51 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 17:41:51 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5892 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [14] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5894 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-05 18:46:45 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-05 18:46:45 [post_content] => Shingles is not a serious disease but can result in some complications. Although it presents with symptoms of a skin infection, it is a disease of the nervous system in reality. You can only get shingles if you have contracted chicken pox in the past. This is because the two diseases are caused by varicella-zoster virus. 1 in 3 persons will develop shingles in their lifetime. Typical shingles symptoms are a painful rash and blisters. But other infections like herpes and chicken pox also present with blisters and rash. So how can shingles be identified from its symptoms? These are some of the details covered in this article. As it is with other viral infections, not much can be done to flush the herpes zoster virus from the body. Measures are however available to prevent intense symptoms and shorten the recovery period. In fact, complications of shingles are not as bothersome as the common symptoms. Complications are however more intense when they occur.Early shingles symptoms
Early shingles symptoms are not always obvious. Patients can easily mistake them for a common cold or the flu. The symptoms may include:- Fatigue
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Fever
- Pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Itching
- Burning
How do you get shingles? The virus that causes chicken pox remains in the body even after a patient recovers from the disease. To avoid detection by immune cells, the virus hides in sensory nerves that branch out from the spinal cord to different dermatomes. Exactly how the virus stays in latency for years or even decades is not fully understood. Immune cells are thought to play a major role in keeping the virus from manifesting. When the immune system is compromised, the herpes zoster virus replicates and moves towards the skin. But since the initial chicken pox infection induced a form of resistance, only a certain dermatome is affected.
Internal shingles symptoms
Internal shingles symptoms largely include most of the ones discussed above. But to simply things a little bit, we can categorize them into flu-like symptoms and pain. Flu-like symptoms: For the herpes zoster virus to survive, it has to keep producing viral proteins. But as long as the immune system is healthy enough, the produced viral proteins do not cause any problems. An activated shingles virus results in overflow of viral proteins into the system. In response, the body initiates an array of actions and reactions as it attempts to render conditions inhospitable for the new viruses being made. These actions are felt as flu-like symptoms. Not all patients experience these symptoms, however. If present, they usually are mild and in fact are not considered defining symptoms of shingles. Patients often complain about persisting fatigue, however. Pain: Pain is a very common symptom of shingles. In fact, it may be present as symptoms of shingles with no rash. There are two explanations to why shingles causes pain. One theory argues that the herpes zoster virus causes neurological damage to sensory nerves. These nerves then become a source of signals translated in the brain as pain. The other explanation argues that inflammation in nerve fibers affected by herpes zoster virus is to blame. Whichever the case, shingles pain is not caused by physical injury or external stimuli. This means that it can occur before other signs appear. It can also persist even after other signs have disappeared. [RELATED] In some patients, post-herpetic neuralgia improves on its own. Other patients have to be treated with medications such as antidepressants to relieve the pain. In others, prolonged pain is also accompanied by prolonged itchiness. This can prove a particularly difficult case to treat. How long does shingles last untreated? After the internal symptoms of shingles, more defining signs appear. These are a painful rash and blisters. These signs persist for about 2-4 weeks. Without treatment, recovery may not actually occur until the fifth week.What causes shingles rash and blisters?
The relationship between shingles and chicken pox has been explained. But what herpes virus causes shingles? What causes shingles rash?
You probably have heard of herpes or perhaps even the infamous claim that "everyone has herpes." The herpes being referred to in that case is the one that causes oral and genital sores. Herpes and shingles are different disease and present with different symptoms. However, they are caused by viruses in the herpes virus family. Below are quick facts that may help clear the grounds on what herpes virus causes shingles.
Shingles is caused by varicella-zoster virus or what is sometimes referred to as the herpes zoster virus. Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus.
Initial contamination with varicella-zoster virus results in chicken pox. Thereafter, reactivation will result in shingles. Once you contract the herpes simplex virus, herpes occurs as the primary infection no matter the circumstances.
Both viruses are able to stay dormant in the body for months, years or even decades. Herpes zoster virus is commonly triggered by weakened immunity while herpes can be triggered by other factors such as stress, trauma, menstruation and fever.
Shingles is not contagious. However, herpes zoster virus can be passed to healthy people when blisters have broken open or are oozing. Herpes is very contagious. It is mainly transmitted during skin to skin contact. Oral, vaginal or anal sex can also transmit the infection.
Shingles only shows up on localized areas, usually in a band-like appearance. This can be seen in shingles on scalp pictures. Herpes on the other hand causes sores, mostly around mouth or genitals. Try comparing cold sores pictures with shingles in mouth and throat pictures to see the difference.
Medications do not cure either shingles or herpes. Treatment is mainly done to improve the symptoms. For instance, taking antiviral drugs may help treat a shingles eye contagious infection.
What causes shingles? Risk factors
Anyone can get shingles but the disease is predominant in older people, those above the age of 60 - 80 years of age. Complications of shingles are most likely to occur in the older lot. Seniors also risk bacterial infections during an outbreak. This is not to mention the other diseases that can take advantage of a weakened immune system.
Risk factors of shingles include the following.
Weakened immunity:
Our bodies are usually able to keep invading pathogens from causing harm. This is in fact the reason why shingles doesn’t often occur in healthy adults and young people. Any factor or condition that may end up compromising the immune system is a potential shingles trigger.
[RELATED]
Age:
It is common for body systems to become less efficient or entirely shut down as we age. In one way or the other, less efficiently working systems make it harder for the body to keep free from infections and invasions.
Chronic diseases:
When you have a chronic disease, it is inevitable that significant resources in the immune system will be dedicated to keeping the disease in control. This leaves potential infections such as latent herpes zoster virus partly unattended to. Other than the diseases themselves, medications and treatment options such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy leave the immune system very weakened.
It is important to remember that you cannot have shingles if you have never had chicken pox. But since chicken pox mostly occurs in children and young adults, many of us may not recall ever having it. Pregnant women are advised to get tested for chicken pox antibodies. Although shingles is almost entirely not additionally harmful during pregnancy, chicken pox is potentially dangerous.
Can stress cause shingles
Stress is associated with many things, including obesity, heart diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure. Technically, stress doesn’t cause any of these conditions. What it does is weaken the immune system and in the process predispose the body to an array of diseases and infections. So can stress cause shingles? Even healthy younger adults have to deal with stress from time to time. But not commonly will you see that lot dealing with shingles. Why is this so? If you already have some immune issues, sudden shock or prolonged emotional stress disorganizes how your body works. Blood sugar levels may fluctuate, you may stop taking care of your health, and other consequences along these lines. In the long run, the immune system will become weakened, thus providing the necessary opportunity for the herpes zoster virus to become reactivated.How is shingles rash treated?
Is there a test for shingles? Before treatment, diagnosis will be necessary. Your doctor may recognize shingles from its symptoms. For confirmation, a scraping of blisters may be taken to be examined under a microscope in the lab. Antiviral drugs and pain relievers are the main medications used for shingles treatment. Like other viruses, varicella-zoster virus cannot be fully flushed out of the body. Doctors sometimes prescribe antidepressants, anticonvulsants and analgesics especially for severe cases. These work best when used as medication for shingles nerve pain. For shingles in ear treatment, corticosteroids may be used to reduce inflammation. Severe cases call for physiotherapy because shingles in the ear can cause a loss of balance. [RELATED] Over the counter medication for shingles and home treatments may also help. For example, calamine lotion works by drying out shingles blisters and reducing itchiness. A cool compress may reduce pain, relieve itchiness and keep affected areas clean to avoid bacterial infections. Essential oils and oatmeal baths restore skin moisture and relieve symptoms like itch and pain. Shingles vaccines can also be taken advantage of. Today, there are two vaccines which have been approved. These include Zostavax and Shingrix. Zostavax is a live vaccine while Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine. Live vaccines are not always good options for people with weakened immune systems. A shingles vaccine brings the most benefits in shingles in adults over 60 years of age. Note that vaccines do not necessarily prevent or cure a disease. They work by preventing severe symptoms or complications. [post_title] => What Are The Symptoms and Causes of Shingles Virus? Early Symptoms and No Rash [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => what-are-the-symptoms-and-causes-of-shingles-virus-early-symptoms-and-no-rash [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-05-10 17:31:47 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-05-10 17:31:47 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://skinanswer.com/?p=5894 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 15 [current_post] => -1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5934 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2018-05-09 10:16:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-05-09 10:16:08 [post_content] => Shingles is a disease of the nervous system. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chicken pox. This means that anyone who has ever had chicken pox can get shingles. 1 in 3 persons will get shingles in their lifetimes. Although anyone can get the disease, people over age 50 are more predisposed due to having weaker immune systems. Common signs and symptoms of shingles are painful rash, blisters, itchiness and flu-like symptoms. When present, the rash appears on localized areas and only on one side of the body. It also forms a band-like appearance. Cases of disseminated shingles are rare but not unheard of. There are a number of important things to know about shingles. In this article, we look at the history, recommendations and guidelines provided by the CDC and ICD 10 for shingles.Shingles ICD 10 code
ICD 10 is the code set for diagnosis coding. It is the standard used by healthcare settings. Shingles ICD 10 code also applies to herpes zoster, which is another name for shingles. The disease is described as a common disorder that involves the skin and nervous system. It is caused by varicella-zoster virus which has reactivated after remaining in latency within nerve fibers that branch from the spinal cord. The virus can remain in latency for years or decades after initial chicken pox infection. The disease presents with clusters of blisters along affected dermatomes and neuralgic pain. Sometimes, adjacent dermatomes are also involved. This can be seen in some shingles on buttocks pictures. [RELATED] You cannot get shingles from an infected person. Neuralgic pain caused by shingles can be described as burning, itching, shooting and tingling. It develops before rash and blisters appear. While the rash disappears in about 2 weeks, pain can persist for months or years. No medication is available that can be used to cure shingles. However, treatments are available which help fight herpes zoster virus and also prevent lingering pain. People above age 60 can use shingles vaccine to prevent outbreaks or reduce severity of outbreaks. Shingles on head how long does it last? Unless complications of shingles are involved, outbreaks last for 2-4 weeks regardless of location.History of shingles ICD 10
Basically, history of shingles ICD 10 describes the relationship between chicken pox and shingles as well as how shingles shows up later in life. Varicella-zoster virus is abbreviated as VZV. Chicken pox therefore can be referred to as primary VZV infection.
How does shingles start? A shingles outbreak traces its roots to a chicken pox infection which probably occurred during childhood years. Many people who had chicken pox when growing up don’t remember. Chicken pox is an airborne disease. It is passed to other people by sneezing or coughing. More than 80% of people who get exposed to varicella-zoster virus for the first time develop chicken pox. Signs and symptoms include malaise, fever and disseminated rash. After exposure, the virus remains in incubation for 10-21 days. Patients are most contagious several days before the rash appears.
After recovery from chicken pox, VZV infection persists throughout the patient’s lifetime. It however largely remains in latency, producing only a couple of viral proteins, not enough to cause infection. The virus hides in the dorsal root ganglia.
Shingles shows up when VZV reactivates. This is usually caused by weakened immunity. Since our bodies become resistant to chicken pox after the initial infection, signs are localized along the dermatome served by affected nerve. This is why cases such as shingles on both ankles are not common. The nerves that get affected by herpes zoster branch from the spinal cord in pairs. Shingles occurs along the skin served by these nerves. You can browse through pictures of shingles rash under breast to get the idea.
What is the incubation period for shingles? Since shingles is not the primary infection, it is hard to state its incubation period. Basically, rash and blisters appear 1-5 days after first symptoms.
CDC guidelines for shingles
CDC outlines several isolation guidelines for management of herpes zoster patients. Control measures for the disease depend on two main factors. The first factor is immunity status. Patients can either be immunocompetent or immunocompromised. The other factor is whether shingles rash is widespread or localized. In most cases, signs of shingles occur on small areas of the body, specifically ones supplied by a particular sensory nerve. Patients with serious immune issues can have widespread shingles rash. [RELATED] For immunocompetent patients with a localized rash, affected areas with lesions should be completely covered. Standard precautions should also apply. In case the rash is widespread, both contact and airborne precautions should be followed. Standard precautions should also apply.
For immunocompromised patients with a localized rash, airborne, standard and contact precautions should be followed. Once disseminated signs are over, standard precautions are to apply until the lesions have completely crusted over. If the rash is widespread or disseminated, the same above mentioned precautions should apply until lesions have fully scabbed over.
CDC guidelines for shingles treatment identify antiviral medications, particularly acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir as the available medicines to treat shingles as well as reduce severity and shorten recovery time. Other treatment options include pain relievers and home treatments such as cool compress, colloidal oatmeal baths and calamine lotion. These are aimed at relieving itching rather than curing shingles. Essential oils for shingles can also provide some relief from itching and nerve pain. In fact, essential oils may restore skin integrity and thus help prevent scarring.
CDC recommendation for shingles vaccine
Once a person has been exposed to VZV, not much can be done to flush the virus out of the system. Prevention can however be done with shingles vaccine. CDC recommendations for shingles vaccine majors on two vaccines. These are Zostavax and Shingrix.
Zostavax
Zostavax was approved by the FDA in 2006. It prevents shingles with about 50% effectiveness and post-herpetic neuralgia with about 65%. The vaccine is given in a single shot by a doctor or a pharmacist.
People above age 60 are the best candidates for the vaccine. This is regardless of whether they recall ever having a primary VZV infection or not.
People who have a history of allergic reactions to gelatin, neomycin or any other ingredient of Zostavax should not take the vaccine. Patients are urged to inform their doctors of any history of allergies to medications. Since Zostavax is a live vaccine, its use is not recommended for people with serious immune issues such as caused by HIV and leukemia or cancer treatments and any other treatment that may weaken the immune system. The vaccine should also not be given during pregnancy. Women who are planning to become pregnant should inform their doctors before receiving the vaccine.
Zostavax is well tolerated and safe. Potential side effects include soreness, redness, itching and swelling on site of injection. Mild headache may also occur.
Shingrix
Shingrix is recommended for people above age 50. It is given in two shots 2-6 months apart. The shots can be given by a doctor or a pharmacist. The vaccine was approved by the FDA in 2017. It is the recommended vaccine for shingles. Shingrix prevents both shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia with up to 90% effectiveness.
[RELATED]
People who have been given Zostavax in the past can still be given Shingrix. This also goes for those who have been diagnosed with shingles or chicken pox in the past. If you have recurring or internal shingles, Shingrix can help prevent the flare ups. Internal shingles occurs when a rash doesn’t materialize. See shingles in mouth and throat pictures for illustrations.
Shingrix is well tolerated and safe. Since is a nonliving vaccine, it can be given to people with serious immune problems. People who are allergic to any component of the vaccine should not take it. If you have never gotten chicken pox, the better approach is to be given a chicken pox vaccine rather than Shingrix. Pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant should inform their doctors before taking the vaccine. Potential side effects include swelling and soreness at the site of injection.
Note that vaccines are not given during an ongoing outbreak. In that case, antiviral medications and pain relievers are the better choice. Antiviral drugs work best when started within 72 hours of first signs of shingles. Otherwise, they are of little or no help. Ensure to check with your doctor if you think you may have shingles.
[post_title] => More Info on Shingles from ICD10 and CDC: History, Code, Guidelines
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Over 46 articles spanning numerous of Shingles topics.
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More Info on Shingles from ICD10 and CDC: History, Code, Guidelines
Shingles is a disease of the nervous system. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chicken pox. This means that
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Shingles Rash on Forehead, Scalp and Nose: Symptoms, Treatment and Pictures
Shingles is a disease that affects the nervous system. The defining signs appear on the skin, although symptoms such as fatigue and headache can be
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Shingles in Mouth, Throat and Lips: Symptoms, Treatment and Pictures
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus responsible for chicken pox in children and young adults. Only people who have
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Can Stress Cause the Start and Spreading of Shingles? Symptoms and Prevention
It is estimated that 1 in 3 persons will get shingles in their lifetimes. But this is only possible in people who have previously developed
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Symptoms, Treatment and Pictures of Shingles in Toddlers and Children
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chicken pox. For this reason, a person must have had chicken
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Can Shingles on the Breast and Under Cause Breast Cancer? Symptoms and Pictures
Shingles is a disease of the nervous system caused by varicella-zoster virus. This is the virus that causes chicken pox. For this reason, you can
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How to Cure Shingles in Three Days: Apple Cider Vinegar, Natural and Homeopathic Ways
Shingles is a disease that affects the sensory nerves. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. For this
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Internal Shingles: Painful Symptoms, Treatment and How Long it Lasts
Shingles is a disease that is most common in people above age 50. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes
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Can Shingles Affect More than One Dermatome? C2, C3, C6, T1, L1, V2
Shingles is a disease of the nervous system that is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chicken pox. Shingles
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Scars After Shingles: Prevention, Treatment and Pictures
Shingles is caused by varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. Only people who have ever had chicken pox can get shingles. The
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Antiviral, Cream and OTC Medications for Shingles Treatment and Pain Relief
Shingles is a disease that affects the sensory nerves but presents like a skin infection or rash. 1 in 3 people are likely to get
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Shingles Contagious Rash on Buttocks: Symptoms, Treatment and Pictures
Shingles is a disease of the nerves. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox in children and young
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What Does Shingles Virus Look and Feel Like In Incubation Period
Shingles presents with signs similar to a skin infection or rash, but it is a nerve disease in reality. It is caused by the varicella-zoster
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How Long Does Shingles Itchiness Last While Untreated or Treated by Medications
Shingles is not one of those diseases that can result in dangerous tumors or widespread danger to tissues. In short, it is not fatal unless
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What Are The Symptoms and Causes of Shingles Virus? Early Symptoms and No Rash
Shingles is not a serious disease but can result in some complications. Although it presents with symptoms of a skin infection, it is a disease
