All About Shingles

Shingles is a painful, burning rash with blisters that appear on one side of the face or body, scabbing over after 7-10 days. In addition to the rash, you may experience tingling, itching, fever, stomach upset, chills or headaches. While the rash generally heals within 2-4 weeks, there may be long-lasting nerve pain, called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN can last for months or years after the rash disappears and can be life-altering. It is primarily because of PHN that the shingles vaccine is so highly recommended in adults over 50 years old.

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox - varicella zoster virus (VZV). Once you recover from chickenpox, this virus remains dormant in your body and can be reactivated at a later time. It’s more common as you get older but children can also get shingles. 1 in 3 people will get shingles in their lifetime and 1 in 10 of those people will develop PHN, the nerve pain we just discussed.
‍

How is shingles spread? 

Shingles itself cannot spread shingles to someone else. The virus, which is passed from the blister fluid, spreads chickenpox. So if you’ve never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, keep your distance from a loved one with shingles. Ask them to keep the blisters covered, which greatly reduces the risk of transmission. Before blisters appear or after they scab over, it’s not contagious. 

That said, there are a couple high-risk groups that you should avoid if you have shingles:

• Premature babies (or babies born with a low birth weight)
  

• Pregnant women who’ve never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine
  

• Anyone with a weakened immune system (HIV, organ transplant recipients, immunosuppressive medication, chemotherapy, etc.)
  ‍

What causes the virus to be reactivated?

Having a weakened or compromised immune system can reactivate the varicella zoster virus (VZV), which is what causes shingles. This can happen for any number of reasons, including certain medications, stressful life events, getting sick, etc.
‍

Treatment for shingles

Antiviral medications are available to reduce the length and severity of shingles. These are prescription medications so if you think you have shingles, reach out to your doctor right away.

To help with the pain, your doctor may prescribe some pain medication. Over-the-counter options, such as Tylenol or ibuprofen, are a great choice to start with.

To relieve itching, calamine lotion or wet compresses may help. Oatmeal baths have also proven to be helpful - use your blender to grind oatmeal into a fine powder and add it to your bath water.

If you’re 50+ and generally healthy and want to avoid shingles altogether, get vaccinated! More info here on the shingles vaccine.

I hope you or your loved one heal quickly!
‍