Shingles
Shingles is a
disease caused by an
acute viral (varicella-zoster virus)
infection
of the central nervous system. It affects areas of
the skin.
Symptoms
Typically,
three
to
four days before skin outbreaks occur, symptoms of
fatigue, fever,
chills,
and, sometimes, gastrointestinal upset, start to
manifest, followed by
the
affected area of the skin becoming sensitive to the
touch. Then small,
crusty,
painful blisters erupt along a nerve path so that
the reddened outbreak
affects
a strip of skin, forming a line. This most commonly
occurs over the
ribs
in the thoracic area and is usually limited to one
side of the body. In
rare
cases, shingles can also affect the lower part of
the body or the face.
During
the shingles outbreak, the pain can be severe, but
the eruptions usually
heal
within five days without further complications. In
some people,
however,
especially the elderly, pain can last for months and
even years, and be
recurring.
Causes
Shingles
can be
due
to chicken pox (in children), pleurisy, Bell's
palsy, herpes simplex,
appendicitis,
colic, gallstones, colitis, trigeminal neuralgia, or
contact
dermatitis.
All of these conditions must be screened for and, if
present, properly
treated
to provide lasting relief from shingles.
Caution:
Shingles
eruptions that last longer than two weeks can be a
sign
of underlying immune problems or cancer
(particularly Hodgkin's
disease),
and, therefore, require immediate medical attention.
In addition, see an
ophthalmologist
immediately if herpes zoster occurs near the eyes or
on the forehead,
as
it can cause blindness.
Treatment
|