After you've had chickenpox Chickenpox Chickenpox is a viral infection that's more common in children than in adults. Chickenpox causes fever and an itchy rash of small, raised blisters or crusted spots Chickenpox spreads easily... read more , the virus that caused it stays in your body all your life. If the virus becomes active again, you get shingles.
What is shingles?
Shingles is a viral infection Overview of Viral Infections A virus is a tiny living organism. Viruses are so small they can be seen only with the most powerful microscopes. That's why they're called microorganisms (micro means very small). Other common... read more that causes a painful rash of fluid-filled blisters.
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If the chickenpox virus becomes active, it travels to your skin where it causes painful sores
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Doctors don’t know what causes the virus to become active again, but it sometimes happens when medicines or other illnesses weaken your immune system Overview of the Immune System The immune system is your body's defense system. It helps protect you from illness and infection. The immune system's job is to attack things that don’t belong in your body, including: Germs... read more
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Adults ages 50 and older and people with a weakened immune system are more likely to get shingles
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You usually get shingles only once
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Medicines can’t cure shingles, but antivirals (medicines that stop viruses) and pain medicine may help you feel better
Go to a doctor right away if you think you have shingles, because treatment works best when started early.
What causes shingles?
After you get over chickenpox, the virus remains in your nerve roots, near your spine. Sometimes the virus becomes active again and causes a rash (shingles). The rash develops on the part of your skin connected to the infected nerve root.
Because chickenpox is caused by the herpes zoster virus, shingles is sometimes called "zoster."
What are the symptoms of shingles?
Shingles may start with pain, tingling, or itching in a small area of skin on one side of your body. Often this is your chest or belly area. After a few days, symptoms include:
Part of a nerve in the face (facial nerve) leading to the eye and ear may also be affected by the virus causing shingles. The infection may cause pain and blisters around the eye and sometimes affects how well you can see. If the ear is affected, it may cause pain and difficulty hearing. Sometimes infection of the facial nerve will stop the muscles in your face from moving.
About 5 days after the blisters form:
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The blisters will dry, form a scab, and may leave scars on your skin—until the scabs form you should stay away from other people to avoid spreading the virus
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You may get a bacterial infection from scratching the blisters or from having blisters near your eyes, nose, or ears
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You may have lasting pain after the rash disappears (postherpetic neuralgia Postherpetic Neuralgia After you've had chickenpox, the virus that caused it stays in your body all your life. If the virus becomes active again, you get shingles. Shingles is a painful rash of fluid-filled blisters... read more )—this happens to about 1 in 10 people
How can doctors tell if I have shingles?
How do doctors treat shingles?
Doctors will:
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Prescribe antiviral medicine to lessen your symptoms—these medicines work best when started early, before your blisters form
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Prescribe pain medicine
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Have you put a wet cloth on your rash to lessen pain and itching
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Tell you to avoid scratching the blisters to prevent infection
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Send you to an eye or ear doctor if your shingles is near your eye or ear
How can I prevent shingles?
Vaccines Overview of Immunization You are immune to an infection when your body's natural defenses have learned how to fight it off. You can become immune naturally after you're exposed to germs such as bacteria or viruses.... read more can prevent chickenpox and shingles.
Get the chickenpox vaccine Varicella Vaccine The varicella vaccine helps protect against chickenpox (varicella), a very contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes an itchy rash that looks like small blisters with... read more :
