What are Shingles?

Shingles is a viral infection that effects the nerve roots.  It can be quite painful and can cause a rash on only one side of the body.   The infection occurs when the virus that caused the chickenpox that you had as a child becomes active again after having been dormant in your system for the years in between.

Those who are likely to get shingles are older people and those who have an immune system that is weakened for a variety of reasons.  Your immune system could be weakened due to stress or a medication that you are taking for another illness.  Whatever the reason for your weakened immune system, the shingles are the result of the virus which your immune system is unable to fight off.

Symptoms of Shingles

The symptoms of shingles can begin slowly and gradually lead to a painful condition.  In the beginning, you may notice that you have a headache and feel as though you are coming down with the flu.  There will not be a fever, but you will feel the same achy feeling that is typical of the flu.  The next symptoms that you will begin to feel are an itching or pain in a particular area of your body.  This is the area where you are likely to develop a rash.  This area may begin to blister and the blisters will fill with fluid.  Many people wonder is shingles contagious; the fluid from the blisters is very contagious.  If you have never had the chickenpox, you should avoid those that have shingles or it could cause chickenpox in you, but you will not contract shingles.

It is best to stay away from others until the rash clears up so that you don’t infect anyone with the chickenpox virus.  Some of the other symptoms that may occur are lightheadedness, changes in vision, and feeling weak.  Some people develop a rash on their face, but other develop no rash at all while they have shingles.

For those who have had chickenpox at some point in their life there is always the possibility of shingles later. There is now a vaccine that may prevent shingles from occurring or at least make the case much less painful.  The shingles vaccination that you can receive if you have had the chickenpox is called Zostavax and if you have never had the chickenpox you can receive the Varicella vaccine to prevent both chickenpox and shingles later in life.

Treatment for Shingles

The treatment that you will most likely receive from your doctor is with an antiviral medication  This medication is sometimes used with steroids to relieve your pain and help you to get better faster.  There is no shingles cure, but you can get treatment to make it much less painful and prevent other problems from occurring with the illness.  The doctor may also prescribe antidepressants, creams for your skin and pain medication as a treatment for your shingles symptoms.

Taking care of the sores and rash at home is one of the most important things that you can do on your own for your shingles.  Some people have found that alternative treatments can help to alleviate some of the pain of this condition. Acupuncture has been used with great success by some people to relieve the pain of shingles.  Electrical nerve stimulation otherwise known as TENS and Biofeedback are some of the other treatments that have been used to treat shingles and postherpetic neuralgia which is a complication of the condition.

It is important that you seek medical treatment at the first sign of shingles to prevent complications from arising and to get started on your treatment plan.  Explore all of the alternative treatments for shingles and the complications and don’t forget to take care of the rash while you have shingles.  Remember that you are contagious to those who have not had the chickenpox and you should be careful to not infect anyone particularly pregnant women who may not have had chickenpox.