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We know: All About Shingles

What is Shingles?

Shingles is a disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles is also known as herpes zoster, or simply zoster, because it is caused by a herpes virus called varicella-zoster.

What causes shingles?

After your system recovers from chickenpox, it is immune to chicken pox. But the disease does not leave your system. It retreats to nerve cells along your spinal cord, where it remains in your body for life, usually in a dormant state. As you age and your immune system wanes, the virus can become active again and cause shingles.

An estimated 600,000 to 1 million Americans are diagnosed with shingles every year. A person has a one-in-five chance of developing shingles during his or her lifetime.

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Normally, shingles begins with an unusual skin sensation - itching or a burning, tingling, or shooting pain. Flu-like symptoms, such as fever and malaise, may also be present.

After a few days, the area of the skin that is affected will redden or swell, and a rash of fluid-filled blisters develops. The blisters usually crust over within a week and will heal in time. However, some other symptoms such as an intense, debilitating pain in areas where the blisters occurred may remain.

In most cases the symptoms of shingles appear on only one side of the body, usually on the torso or face. They can also appear as a ring or girdle around the belly.

Who is most likely to get shingles?

For the most part, shingles strikes people over age 50 and anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk. Shingles also is more common in people whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV infection, cancer, cancer drugs, radiation treatment, or transplant operations. However, younger people do get shingles in exceptional occasions, perhaps due to stress.

An estimated 600,000 to 1 million Americans are diagnosed with shingles every year. A person has a one-in-five chance of developing shingles during his or her lifetime.

What treatment is available for shingles?

Treatment for shingles is most effective when the virus in caught early. If you have any of the symptoms then see a doctor.

The antiviral drugs acyclovir, famcyclovir and valacyclovir can lessen the initial pain and make the rash deteriorate sooner. Analgesics, topical ointments, and other medications may also help to ease symptoms. Treatment cannot prevent prolonged shingles pain, however.

Is shingles contagious?

You can't catch shingles from someone who has it. But anyone who has not had chickenpox and is exposed to shingles may develop chickenpox, because both diseases are caused by the same virus. Therefore, you should avoid people who have not had chickenpox (especially pregnant women and children) and very sick patients (such as patients with cancer or AIDS).