Shingles Symptoms

Shingles is a painful condition characterized by the appearance of a skin rash. This condition is caused by the vermicelli zoster virus and this virus also causes chicken pox disease. In fact once a person has had the chicken pox this virus remains within the body in a dormant or latent condition. When the immune system of the body becomes the weak the virus may get reactivated and this can result in appearance of shingles symptoms.

The immune system may become weak when the person suffers from condition like Aids or is undergoing treatment like chemotherapy. Emotional stress may also result in reactivation of the virus and in most cases the exact cause for the reactivation of the virus is never found. Any individual who has suffered from chicken pox can develop shingles. However the shingles symptoms are most often seen in individuals who are around 60 years old.

The shingles symptoms begin with increased sensitivity of skin along with a burning pain. Some patients may also experience tickling or tingling along with numbness in the areas. In such a stage it is often difficult to determine the reason for the pain. The areas that are typically affected include the head, abdomen, neck, face and arm or leg. In rare cases areas of the face like the nose and eyes may also be affected.

Along with tingling of skin patients also tend to experience other problems like stomach ache, chills, diarrhea along with fever. Individuals may also experience tenderness in the lymph node areas in the initial stages. The shingles symptoms include a typical rash that starts with eruption of small blisters for a period of 3 to 5 days. These blisters erupt on a patch of red skin. The blisters tend to follow the individual nerve path areas and therefore tend to have a belt or band like appearance. In most cases only a single nerve level is involved and in rare cases multiple nerves may be involved.

With time the blisters fill with fluid and this fluid is initially clear but then it becomes cloudy in around 3 to 4 days. These blisters then pop and the area starts to ooze. Eventually the affected area crusts over and then heals. This outbreak may last for around three to four weeks. In some cases the blisters may not be observed as a part of shingles symptoms and yet intense pain may be experienced. In such cases diagnosis becomes problematic. Shingles is contagious and can be transmitted to other people but these individuals will develop chicken pox.

The shingles virus can be transmitted through direct skin contact with the fluid in the blisters. Once the blisters crust over the virus cannot be transmitted and the condition is no longer contagious. A common complication observed in this condition includes some shingles symptoms that result in postherpetic neuralgia.

This condition includes intense burning and pain in the location of the rash. Such pain can linger for a long period of time and may be experienced even after the rash heals. The pain related to postherpetic neuralgia tends to affect regions like the chest or forehead and it can affect the daily activities of the person. The shingles symptoms and associated pain can be treated with some antiviral medication.